USS LST-21

USS LST-21 unloads British Army Sherman tanks and trucks onto a "Rhino" barge during the early hours of the invasion, 6 June 1944. Note the nickname "Virgin" on the "Sherman" tank at left.
History
United States
Name: LST-21
Operator:
Builder: Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 25 September 1942
Launched: 18 February 1943
Sponsored by: Mrs. Lillian M. Lloyd
Commissioned: 14 April 1943
Decommissioned: 25 January 1946
Struck: 19 June 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 1 × battle stars
Fate: sold for scrapping, 12 March 1948
General characteristics
Class and type: LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
Length: 328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range: 24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 x LCVPs
Capacity: 1,600–1,900 st (22,000–27,000 lb; 10,000–12,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops: 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement: 13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:
Service record
Operations: Normandy landings (6–25 June 1944)
Awards:

USS LST-21 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater during World War II.

Construction and commissioning

LST-21 was laid down on 25 September 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the Dravo Corporation. She was launched on 18 February 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Lillian M. Lloyd, and commissioned on 14 April 1943.[1]

Service history

During the war, LST-21 was manned by the United States Coast Guard. She served exclusively in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater from April 1943 until January 1946.[2][1]

1943 convoy duty

She was first assigned assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater. Its not clear when LST-21 crossed the Atlantic but there are records of some of the convoys that she participated in. LST-21 sailed from Algiers, Algeria, to Port Said, Egypt, in October 1943, this time joining with Convoy UGS 19.[3] She left 11 November for Colombo, British Ceylon, arriving on 16 November.[4] At the end of December she left Calcutta, with 11 LSTs headed for Colombo, British Ceylon, arriving 27 December 1943.[5]

1944 convoy duty/Normandy invasion

Main article: Normandy landings

LST-21 joined Convoy MKS 38 at Bizerta, Tunisia, in January 1944, as it was enroute to Gibraltar, arriving 1 February.[6] Forming Convoy MKS 38G[7] she rendezvoued with Convoy SL 147 and sailed for Liverpool on 2 February, arriving on 13 February 1944.[8]

LST-21 took part in the Normandy landings during June 1944.[2][1]

She departed Falmouth, Cornwall, on 30 June, arriving at Seine Bay, France, on 1 July 1944, with Convoy ECM 19.[9] She left Seine Bay, on 2 July, with Convoy FCM 21 which arrived back in Falmouth, 3 July 1944.[10]

1945 convoy duty

LST-21 left from Liverpool, on 11 May 1945, as part of Convoy ONS 50 bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she arrived on 29 Mayy.[11]

Postwar career

Upon her return to the United States, the LST-21 was decommissioned on 25 January 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 19 June 1946. She was sold to Louis Feldman, of Flushing, New York, on 12 March 1948 and was subsequently scrapped.[1]

Honors and awards

LST-21 earned one battle stars for her World War II service.[1]

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Online sources
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