Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-173

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Foxtrot - Yanbkee
NQFY

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LST-173 was transferred the United Kingdom, redesignated HM LST-173

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 24 December 1942, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co. Evansville, IN.

Launched, 24 April 1943

Commissioned, USS LST-173, 18 June 1943 at New Orleans, LA., LT. Marvin J. Kapp, USNR. in command

During World War II USS LST-173 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following actions/campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Europe-Africa-Middle East
Convoy UGS-36, 1 April 1944	Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944

Decommissioned, 24 December 1944, and transferred to the Royal Navy

Royal Navy History
Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-173, 24 December 1944, at Bizerta, Tunisia
HM LST-173 saw service in the Adriatic area and participated in Operation "Doomsday", 9 May 1945, the surrender of German forces in Norway
Returned to US Navy custody, 23 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

USS LST-173 earned two battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold to Luria Brothers and Co., Philadelphia, PA., 22 October 1947 for scrapping

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
	105k	USS LST-173 showing the original LST configuration, with prominent tank-deck ventilators on the upper deck, while underway, 17 January 1944, location unknown. The ventilators made it difficult to stow vehicles there, and impossible to stow an LCT. Text and photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
	220k	USS LST-173 beached at Anzio, 1944. Photo form the National Archives Still Photo Branch.	Keven Harris LST 173 web site
	205k	USS LST-173 beached at Baie De Cavalaire southern France, D-Day, 15 August 1944 Photo from the National Archives Still Photo Branch.	Keven Harris LST 173 web site
	232k	USS LST-173 beached at Baie De Cavalaire southern France, D-Day, 15 August 1944 Photo from "Operation Dragon: The Liberation of Southern France 1944", by Anthony Tucker-Jones	Robert Hurst
	171k	USS LST-173 beached at Baie De Cavalaire southern France, D-Day, 15 August 1944	Rich Heller-Sgt. William Heller's World War II Memoirs 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army 1943-1945 web site
1016017306	349k	With USS LST-173 in the background, 15 August 1944, some of the first German prisoners to be captured after the U.S. 7th Army forces landed in southern France are moved along the beach probably to a waiting LST to transport them away from the beachhead and a POW camp.	David Upton

USS LST-173
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Kapp, Marvin J., USNR	18 June 1943 - August 1943
02	LT. Barber, Broughton James, USN	August 1943 - 24 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

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index

Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 26 March 2021