USS LST-13

HM LFD 13, ex-LST-13, 23 March 1944, Greenock, Scotland.
History
United States
Name: LST-13
Builder: Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 1 September 1942
Launched: 5 January 1943
Sponsored by: Mrs. Jean A. Brackmann
Status: Transferred to the United Kingdom 3 April 1943
History
United Kingdom
Name: LST-13
Acquired: 3 April 1943
Commissioned: 3 April 1943
Out of service: 27 February 1946
Reclassified: Fighter Direction Tender, January 1944
Identification:
Status: Returned to US Naval custody
History
United States
Acquired: 27 February 1946
Struck: 5 June 1946
Fate: sold for scrapping, 11 October 1947
General characteristics
Class and type: LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full
Length: 328 ft (100 m)
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 3 in (2.51 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:		 6 × LCVP
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: 7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:
Service record
Operations: Normandy landings (6–13 June 1944)

USS LST-13 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy. LST-13 was transferred to the Royal Navy in early 1943 to serve in the European Theater of Operations during 1943 and 1944.[1]

Construction

LST-13 was laid down on 1 September 1942 by the Dravo Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 5 January 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Jean A. Brackmann.[2] She was transferred to and commissioned into the Royal Navy 3 April 1943.[1]

Service history

LST-13 left Galveston, Texas, on 10 April 1943, with Convoy HK 168, enroute to Key West, Florida, arriving 14 April 1943.[3]

LST-13 left from Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the Liverpool on 18 May 1943, with convoy SC 131, carrying general cargo, however, due to defects she had to return to Halifax.[4] She then sailed with convoy SC 132 on 26 May 1943, arriving in Liverpool 11 June 1943.[5]

Conversion

LST-13 was sent to the Clyde area where she remained until November 1943. She then sailed for Southampton but returned to Clydebank 31 December 1943. She was sent to the John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Shipyards to be converted into a Fighter Direction Tender, being redesignated FDT-13 in January 1944.[1]

European operations

FDT-13 participated in the Invasion of Normandy from 6–13 June 1944. She provided aircraft control for both US and British fighters defending the main shipping route from the United Kingdom to the invasion beaches in France.[1]

Postwar service

FDT-13 was returned to the US Navy on 27 February 1946, at Norfolk, Virginia, and struck from the Naval Register on 5 June 1946.[1]

FDT-13 was sold on 11 October 1947 to Luria Brothers, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Online sources
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