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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

HM FDT-216
ex
 HM LST-216


LST-216 was transferred to the United Kingdom for the duration of World War II
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 23 January 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 4 July 1943
  • LST-216 never saw active service with the United States Navy
  • Transferred to the United Kingdom, 4 August 1943
  • Royal Navy History
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-216, 4 August 1943
    Sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia for Liverpool in convoy SC 143, 28 September 1943
    Converted to Fighter Direction Tender by John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Shipyards, Clydebank, Scotland
    Re-commissioned HM FDT-216, 13 February 1944
    HM FDT-216 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy, 6 June to 7 June 1944, providing aircraft control for US and British fighters in the western half of the assault area
  • Sunk by enemy JU-88 aircraft-launched torpedo 23 miles west of Le Havre, France, 7 July 1944. Crew rescued by HMS Burdock (K-126), five MIAs
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 13 November 1944
    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-216 71k HM FDT-216 off Greenock, Scotland in 1944 prior to the Normandy invasion. Formerly HM LST-216.The ship was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy, 6 June to 7 June 1944, providing aircraft control for US and British fighters in the western half of the assault area.
    Imperial War Museum Admiralty Official Collection, by Beadell, S.J (Lt), Photo No. © IWM (A 21922)     		Mike Green
    HM LST-216
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Combined Operations - Fighter Direction Tenders
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 11 August 2017