LST Mk.1
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | LST Maracaibo class |
| Builders: | Furness Shipbuilding Company, Haverton Hill-on-Tees |
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Succeeded by: | Boxer |
| Completed: | 3 (Misoa, Tasajera & Bachaquero) |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 4,800 long tons (4,877 t) GRT |
| Length: | 382 ft (116 m) |
| Beam: | 64 ft |
| Draught: | Fully laden : 15 ft (4.6 m) aft 4 ft (1.2 m) forward |
| Ramps: | Double hinged ramp, effective length of 100 ft (30 m) |
| Propulsion: | Reciprocating steam engine, 2 shafts, 3,000 shp |
| Capacity: | 18 × 30 ton tanks or 22 × 25 ton tanks or 33 × 3-ton trucks |
| Troops: | Berths for 217 troops |
| Complement: | 98 Combined Operations personnel |
| Armament: | • 1 × twin 40 mm gun • 6 × 20 mm guns • 3 × Lewis guns • 2 × 4 in (100 mm) smoke mortars |
| Notes: | Equipment: 2 × 50 ton derrick cranes |
Boxer |
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | LST (1) Boxer class |
| Builders: | Harland and Wolff |
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Maracaibo |
| Succeeded by: | LST (2) |
| Completed: | 3 (Boxer, Bruiser, Thruster) |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Landing Ship, Tank Mark I |
| Displacement: | 3,620 long tons (3,678 t) standard 5,410 long tons (5,497 t) full load |
| Length: | 400 ft (120 m) |
| Beam: | 49 ft (15 m) |
| Draught: | 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m) |
| Propulsion: | Steam turbines, 2 shafts, 7,000 shp (5,200 kW) |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) laden to beaching draught 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) at deep |
| Range: | 9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Capacity: | 13 Churchill tanks or 20 medium tanks, 27 vehicles on upper deck, 193 men |
| Complement: | 169 |
| Armament: | • 4 × QF 2 pdr • 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon • 2 × 4-inch smoke mortars |
| Notes: | Equipment: 1 × 40 ton crane |
The British evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 demonstrated to the Admiralty that the Allies needed relatively large, ocean-going ships capable of shore-to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles in amphibious assaults upon the continent of Europe. As an interim measure, three 4000 to 4800 GRT tankers, built to pass over the restrictive bars of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, were selected for conversion because of their shallow draft. Bow doors and ramps were added to these ships which became the first tank landing ships, "LST (1)": HMS Misoa, Tasajera and Bachaquero. They later proved their worth during the invasion of Algeria in 1942, but their bluff bows made for inadequate speed and pointed up the need for an all-new design incorporating a sleeker hull.
The first purpose-built LST design was HMS Boxer. It was a scaled down design from ideas penned by Churchill. In order to carry 13 Churchill infantry tanks, 27 vehicles and nearly 200 men (in addition to the crew) at a speed of 18 knots, it could not have the shallow draught that would have made for easy unloading. As a result, each of the three (Boxer, Bruiser, and Thruster) ordered in March 1941 had a very long ramp stowed behind the bow doors.
The three ships were converted to "Fighter Direction Ships" for the invasion of Normandy.
The U.S. were to build seven LST(1) but in light of the problems with the design and progress with the LCT Mark II the plans were cancelled. Construction of the LCT(1)s took until 1943 and the first US LCT(2) was launched before them.
Read more about this topic: Landing Ship, Tank