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

HM LST-304

LST-304 was transferred to the United Kingdom for the duration of World War II

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship

Laid down, 3 July 1942, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.

Launched, 21 September 1942

LST-304 saw no active service with the US Navy

Transferred to the United Kingdom, 30 November 1942

Royal Navy History
Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-304, 30 November 1942
Sailed from New York, 27 January 1943 as part of the 1st Flotilla for Mediterranean duty via Bermuda
During World War II HM LST-304 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
Sicilian occupation
Salerno landings
West Coast of Italy operations-1944 - Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings
Invasion of Normandy
Operated as part of shuttle service between Tilbury, Ostend and Antwerp
Collided with blockship at Ostend, October 1944, badly holed
Sailed to take part in invasion of Malaya but orders changed, instead sailed from Trincomalee as part of a special force for Hong Kong (believed to be Operation 'Tiderace')
Paid off, possibly at Singapore, 19 February 1946

Returned to United States Navy custody, 29 November 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 August 1947

Sold for conversion to merchant service, 7 October 1947, to Tung Hwa Trading Co., Singapore

Final Disposition, fate unknown

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
	64k	HM LST-304 high and dry on the beach at Normandy, June 1944.	Robert Hurst
	75k	HM LST-304 high and dry on the beach at Normandy, June 1944. Note her kedge anchor cable extend. In the background is the high and dry US *LST-505*.	Robert Hurst
	120k	HM LST-304 underway in 1945. HM LST-304 sailed as part of the first convoy to Hong Kong following the Japanese surrender. Photo taken by Sgt R. Watson, No 9 Army Film & Photographic Unit. Photo No. SE 4950 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums. Part of the War Office, Central Office of Information and American Second World War Official Collection.	Robert Hurst
1016030402	107k	Chinese sampans coming along HM LST-304 as she enters Hong Kong Harbor after the Japanese surrender. HM LST-304 was part of the first convoy to enter Hong Kong. Imperial War Museum, War Office Central Office of Information, Photo No. IWM (SE 4970).	Mike Green

LST-304
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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 17 April 2020