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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

HM LST-368
ex
 LST-368


LST-368 was transferred to the United Kingdom for the duration of World War II
LST-1 Type 2 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 13 October 1942, at Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 24 November 1942
  • LST-368 never saw active service in the US Navy
  • Delivered to the Royal Navy, 4 January 1943
  • Royal Navy History
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-368, 4 January 1943
  • Sailed from New York for the Mediterranean in convoy UGS6A, 19 March 1943
  • HM LST-368 participated in the following campaigns:
    Sicilian occupation
    Salerno landings
    West Coast of Italy operations-1944--Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings
    Invasion of Normandy
    Operated between France and southern ports of England after the invasion
    Sailed to India in 1945 and took part in the invasion of Malaya
  • Paid off and returned to US Navy custody at Subic Bay, Philippines, 16 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 17 April 1946
  • Final Disposition, destroyed, 16 June 1948
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    light 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    sea-going 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    landing 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    limiting 11' 2"
    maximum navigation 14' 1"
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    13 officers
    104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers
    147 enlisted
    Boats 2 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament - US Varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    two - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    four - Single 40MM gun mounts
    twelve single 20MM gun mounts
    Armament - UK Lend Lease built vessels were to be outfitted with armament after convoying across Atlantic and included
    one - 12 Pounder anti-aircraft multi-barrel mount
    six - 20MM single gun mounts
    four - Fast Aerial Mine (FAM) mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-409
    1016040903    		 150k Chart of Eastern Sicily's coastline, south of Syracuse, showing 6 rows of ships. Many are Liberty ships, e.g., SS Bigfoot Wallace and SS Mayo Brothers and LSTs, HM LST-368, HM LST-413 and HM LST-409. The LSTs are stationed at D3, E2, and F2 respectively. The 80th Flotilla of Canadian Landing Craft operated in GEORGE Sector, the bay outlined in black marker in top right corner, home today to a seaside community, Fontane Bianche.
    Gordon Harrison wrote "I will visit there in July to recall Dad's service, 80 years ago. I hope to find the cave he lived in w mates for 3 weeks. (His mates in the 81st Flotilla transported troops and supplies in the HOW Sector at Amber, Red and Green beaches right next door to the south, also marked w black outline. Near modern day Gallina). Most details on the map are quite accurate, a few are not (e.g., Avola and Noto are farther south than drawn). I also include a photo from IWM that reveals coastline south of Syracuse, with liberty ships and LSTs in their stations." Gord Harrison, London Ontario
    Related entry on website - 1000 Men, 1000Stories    		 Gordon Harrison
    LST-368 100k South African troops of 1991 Swaziland Smoke Company wait to board HM LST-368 and other landing ships at Castellammare before sailing for Anzio. The unit was responsible for creating smokescreens over the invasion area.
    Imperial War Museum War Office Second World War Official Collection by No. 2 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Radford (Sgt), Photo No.© IWM (NA 11380)    		 Mike Green
    LST-365 395k An Albion lorry and Sexton 25 pdr self-propelled gun come ashore from HM LST-368, at Anzio in January, 1944. Note the DUKW moored alongside the jetty.
    Imperial War Museum War Office Second World War Official Collection by Radford (Sgt) of the No. 2 Army Film and Photographic Unit, Photo No.© IWM(NA 11392)    		 Photo Tommy Trampp
    Caption Mike Green
    LST-365 90k HM LST-368 to starboard of HM LST -365 landing equipment and material at Normandy, June 1944. Robert Hurst
    There is no history available for LST-368 at NavSource
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 7 July 2023

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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