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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-373


USS LST-373 International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Kilo - Papa
 NCKP
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LST-373 was turned over to the United Kingdom in November 1944
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 14 November 1942, at Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 19 January 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-373, 27 January 1943, LT. Robert F. Jay, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-373 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943  

  • USS LST-373 was decommissioned and transferred to the United Kingdom, 9 December 1944
    Royal Navy History
    As part of "W" Task Force HM LST-373 worked down the Arakan coast of Burma and participated in the recapture of Rangoon, before proceeding to the eventual invasion of Malaya at Morib and Port Swettenham, and so to Singapore and Bangkok etc. doing relief work repatriating ex P.O.W.s of the Japanese
    Paid off Singapore and returned to US Navy custody at Subic Bay, Philippines, 16 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 26 February 1946
  • USS LST-373 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold to Bosey, Philippines, 5 November 1947, fate unknown
    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 (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun 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 Contributed
    By
    USS LST-373
    LST-373 609k LST-373 underway probably during builders trials in January 1943 near her builders yard at Quincy, MA. Photos show standard 2-davit design with original armament.
    US Navy photos text from "Allied Landing Craft of World War Two" originally published in 1944 as ON1226 "Allied landing Ships" by the U.S. Division of Naval Intelligence.    		 Robert Hurst and Joe Radigan MACM, USN Ret.
    LST-373 111k
    LST-373 85k
    LST-373 143k
    LST-373 138k
    LST-373 117k
    LST-373 7k USS LST-373 at anchor off Bizerte, Tunisia, circa March 1944 LST Home Port web site
    LST-315
    1016031503    		 206k USS LST-315 and USS LST-373 and a third LST unloading Seebees and their equipment at Salerno, Italy, in September 1943.
    USN Booklet "U.S. Naval Construction Battalions: The Seabees. Page 33    		 David Upton
    LST-373 93k USS LST-373 is in the center of this photo of the invasion force off the Normandy coast, with "Omaha" Beach in the background and barrage balloons overhead. The amount of smoke on the beach strongly indicates that the photograph was taken on "D-Day", 6 June 1944. Photographed from USS Ancon (AGC-4).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-231248, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LST-49
    US National Archives
    photo # 80-G-46817    		 370k LSTs land invasion supplies on "Utah" Beach, shortly after the 6 June 1944 "D-Day" assault.
    LSTs on the beach include from (right to left):
    USS LST-312
    HM LST-320
    HM LST-321
    USS LST-72
    USS LST-51? last digit not visible)
    HM LST-324
    USS LST-311
    USS LST-49
    USS LST-373
    USS LST-47 and two unidentified LSTs.
    Note: bow numbers of the British ships enclosed in colored blocks; crowd of shipping offshore; barrage balloons over many of the ships. Photo was released for publication, 23 October 1944
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-46817 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.

    Note: This image is labeled as Omaha Beach but is actually taken on Utah Beach. [See - The movie "A Newsreel Camaraman's View if D-Day" in color by Jack Lieb. About 15 minutes into the film Jack Lieb pans the beach one can see that this is Utah Beach showing LSTs 72, 324, 311, 46, 47 in the same sequence as in the NARA photo 80-G-46817.]

    		 Riley R. Re Qua MoMM3/C USS LST-49 and Arthur L Long MoMM2/C USS LST-49
    Marilyn Smith for her father Coastguardsman Jack Davenport USCGC Blackhaw (WLB-390)
    LST-312
    US National Archives photo    		 180k
    LST-373
    1016037309    		 120k USS LST-373 with USS LST-535 alongside unloading across Omaha beach 28 August 1944.
    Photo by Hyman Yomtov    		 Nel Yomtov for his father Hyman Yomtov
    HM LST-373
    LST-326 2030k Menu for a farewell dinner aboard HM LST-326 for Captain G Owles when Force W was paid off in Singapore on 9 February 1946. The menu consists of three sheets of paper stapled together and represents the bow doors and ramp opening. Colin E C Pilcher Flt Lt RAF (retired) for his father LCDR. Leonard George Pilcher RNVR Commanding Officer HM LST-326
    LST-326 1734k
    LST-326 1834k
    USS LST-373
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Jay, Robert F., USNR27 January 1943 - August 1943
    02LT. P. B. Hellman, USCGAugust 1943 - 9 December 1944
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 1 September 2023