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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
USS LST-284
The preliminary plans initially called for an LST 280 feet in length; but in January 1942, the Bureau of ships discarded these drawings in favor of specification for a ship 290 feet long. Within a month, final working plans were developed which further stretched the overall length to 328 feet and called for a 50-foot beam and minimum draft to three feet 9½ inches. The LST could carry a 2,100-ton load of tanks and vehicles. The Larger dimensions also permitted the designers to increase the width of the bow door opening and ramp from 12-14 feet and thus accommodate most Allied vehicles. The keel of the first LST was laid down on 10 June 1942 at Newport News, Virginia. The need for LST's was urgent and the program enjoyed a high priority throughout the war. In some instances, heavy industry plants such as a steel fabrication yards were converted for LST constitution. This posed the problem of getting the completed ships from the inland building yards to deep water. The chief obstacles were bridges. The Navy successfully undertook the modifications of bridges and, through a "Ferry Command" of Navy crews, transported the newly constructed ships to coastal ports for fitting out. Of the 1,051 LSTs built during world war II, 1, 670 were constructed by five major inland builders. By 1943 the construction time for an LST had been reduced to four months. From their combat debut in Solomons in June 1943 until the end of hostilities in August 1945, the LST performed a vital service in World War II. Throughout the war, LST's demonstrated a remarkable capacity to absorb punishment and survive. The LST's suffered few Losses in proportion to their number and the scope of their operations. Although the LST was considered a valuable target by the enemy, only 26 were lost due to enemy action.
LST-284 was laid down on 9 August 1943 at Ambridge, Pa., by .the American Bridge Company; Launched on 17 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. R.R. Golli; and commissioned on 25 November 1943, Ensign W.H Pennington in command.
During world War II, LST-284 was assigned to the European theater and participated in the invasion of
Normandy in June 1944 and the invasion of southern France in August and September 1944. She was then assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in May and June 1945. She performed occupation duty in the Fat East until early November 1945.
U.S.S.L.S.T. 284 sailed into San Francisco Bay on December 4, 1945 and, thereafter to her final port-of-call at Galveston, Texas via the Panama Canal. The ship's logbook attests to the fact that U.S.S.L.S.T. 284 traveled a total of 58,895 nautical-miles as of January 20, 1946. U.S.S. L.S.T. 284 was decommissioned on March 13, 1946 and was struck. from the U. S. Navy List of Ships on June 19, 1946. The former U.S.S.L.S.T. 284 was sold to the Souther en Shipwrecking Company of New Orleans, Louisiana on December 11, 1947.
U.S.S. L.S.T. 284 earned three battle stars during world War II.
This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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