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Landing Ship, Tank Mk II (LST2)

1942 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History of DropShip, Panzer Mk II (LST2)

Even before the large-scale amphibious operations that spread across the battlefields of World War II, and before the United States officially entered the war, Allied war planners were already considering the development of large sea-attack ships capable of transporting men, machinery and supplies from the sea. Offshore station to unprepared beach.

The different types of these ships were ultimately built for warfarespecial troop carriers, armored carriers, etc.and there have been countless variants in between. The British made steady progress on this, eventually producing landing ships based on their Dunkirk experience in 1940, the Tank Mk I (LST(1)) series - designed to bring armor to shoreline range and help carry Fight directly against the enemy they await.

The three ships of the Mk I series were completed before attention turned to the last assault ship of the war, the "Landing Ship, Tank Mk II" (LST(2)).

A British attache, recognizing the importance of mass production to the realization of these ships, was sent to the United States to secure production of the new class. Orders for these ships were placed in February 1942, as details were worked out in late 1941-early 1942.

Unlike the original LST(1) ships - which were simply retrofits of existing tankers due to their ocean-going capabilities and shallow draught - the LST(2) was a specially designed warship, so in its final Creative freedom in composition. A relatively compact twin diesel engine arrangement is located aft of the hull and below the fuel deck (the third of a total of four decks), allowing the full length of the vessel to be used for cargo management and storage. More constrained in size than previous products, improving water handling and speed while continuing the shallow draft design. The doors were placed at the bow and hinged outwards from the centerline.

Inside the bow are loading ramps to facilitate the transfer of vehicles from the boat to the water. The lower deck is divided into medium and light tanks, while the upper deck (the second level) is designed for light vehicles. In addition, the ships can support 150 men and their associated supplies.

The berths for troops are located on the edge of the second deck.

When completed, the LST(2) is 3,800 tons fully loaded, 328 ft long, 50 ft beam, and 14 ft draught (8 ft bow). The ramp provided some drainage for the tides until 1943, when the floating pontoon section was used to help vehicles abandon boats (forming a sort of "boat-to-shore causeway").

General Motors 12-567 diesel engines produce 1,800 horsepower each and drive two axles under the stern at speeds of up to 12 knots. Inside, the cargo compartment can accommodate eighteen tanks (30-ton class) or thirty military trucks.

For self-defense, the ship is armed with 1 x 76mm Dual Purpose (DP) gun, 6 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (AA), 6 x 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, 2 x 0,50 caliber Heavy Machine Guns (HMG) and 4 x .30 caliber machine gun.

The LST(2) production effort was part of a larger naval engineering program pursued by the U.S. Congress early in the war, the first keel of the series was laid on June 10, 1942 in Newport News, Virginia Laying. By the end of the year, 23 ships have been built. The demand for the LST was so great that production cars were built even before prototypes were completed and tested.

Due to the shallow draft of the LST(2), these ships can be built inland away from US coastal shipyards.

Ultimately, 1,051 LST ships were built between 1942 and 1945, of which 113 were leased to the British, while 101 were cancelled as the war progressed. These ships proved so vital to Allied operations that their priorities never diminished as the war progressed. One ship could be completed in two months, and as wartime use indicated the need to simplify the ship-to-shore process, the series was modified accordingly. For their role in the war, these big movers proved to be strong, reliable, and tenacious, with few losses to the enemy's actions (26 officially recorded).

They are referred to by some as the "Large Slow Target" ("LST"). Carriers include the UK and US and Canada.

LST(2) ships served in every theater of operations in which the Allies fought, and for a period of time after the warincluding in the ensuing Korean War (1950-1953). By this time, the revised design was able to exceed speeds of 17 knots.