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Landing Craft Support

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Ex-LCS(L)-102(HTMSNakha)
Class overview
BuildersGeorge Lawley & Son,Commercial Iron WorksandAlbina Engine Works
Preceded byLCI(G)
In commission1944-2007
Completed130
Lost5
Retired125
Preserved1
General characteristics
Displacement250 long tons (250 t)
Length158 ft 6 in (48.31 m)
Beam23 ft 3 in (7.09 m)
Draft5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) (aft, loaded)
Propulsion
  • 8 × Gray Marine diesel engines
  • 1,600 hp (1,200 kW), twin screws
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Range5,500 nmi (10,200 km)
Complement3–6 officers, 55–68 men
Armament
  • 1 ×3 "/50 caliber gun
  • 1 × twin 40 mm or single 40 mm bow gun;
  • 2 × twin 40 mm deck guns (one forward, one aft)
  • 4 × 20 mm cannons;
  • 4 ×.50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns
  • 10 × Mk7 rocket launchers
Armor10-lb. STS splinter shields

TheLanding Craft, Support (Large)were two distinct classes ofamphibious warfare vesselsused by theUnited States Navy(USN) in the Pacific and theRoyal NavyinWorld War II.The USN versions, which were later reclassifiedLanding Ship Support, Large,also performedradar picketduty and fire fighting.

US Navy vessels

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The original designation for the ships was LCS(L)(3), which stood for "Landing Craft Support (Large) Mark 3". In 1949 the class was reclassified to "Landing Ship Support, Large" (LSSL). The United States Navy had to have the designation LCS(L) because there was also a smaller class named LCL that were built mainly for rescue and smoke laying during amphibious operation.[1]

Design and manufacture

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Builders' progress photo ofLCS(L)(3)-26,Commercial Iron Works, Portland Oregon, 21 July 1944

A total of 130 were made. Three different ship building yards did the construction:George Lawley & Son(Neponset, Massachusetts);Commercial Iron Works(Portland, Oregon); andAlbinaEngine Works (Portland, Oregon).

Thehullwas the same as theLanding Craft Infantryships. They were 158 ft 6 in (48.31 m) long,displaced250 long tons (250 t), 23 ft 3 in (7.09 m) wide and drew 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) when fully loaded. The flat bottom andskegsbetween and on either side of the twin screws allowed the ships to safely beach. The anchor is at the stern of the ship so it can be used to help pull the ship off the beach if necessary. The twin variable pitch screws were each driven by a bank of four Grey Marine (laterGeneral Motors) diesel engines, with a total power for all eight engines of 1,600horsepower(1,200 kW). These engines gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h), but normally the ships sailed at 12 knots (22 km/h). The ships had a range of 5,500nautical miles(10,200 km). Armour for the gun mounts, pilot house and conning tower was provided by 10 lb (4.5 kg) STS splinter shields. The ships had a smoke generator which was used to obscure landing craft approaching the beach.

LCS(L) vessels could be produced in as little as 10 days, and final fitting out would take a further few weeks. The ships also made very goodfire fighting ships.A fire fighting manifold was fitted in front of the bow gun and two monitors with pumps fitted just forward of the aft gun.

Armament

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The LCS(L)(3) ships provided more firepower per ton than any ship ever built for the USN. Three guns and ten rocket launchers comprised the main armament. The bow gun was a3 "/50 caliber gun,a single40 mm gunor a twin 40 mm gun. The forward and aft deck guns were twin 40 mm guns. The ten Mark 7 rocket launchers were situated behind the bow gun and forward deck house. Four20 mm cannonswere also mounted.

Operations

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A group of LSSLs awaiting transfer to the ROK Navy in 1952

TheBattle of Tarawashowed a gap in Navy resources for close in support of landing troops. The time interval between the end of shelling from the large ships and the arrival of the landing craft on the beach allowed the defenders to regroup. The Landing Craft Support was designed to fill this void.

The first Landing Craft Support ships arrived in thePacific Theaterin time for the landings atIwo Jima.

After providing close in support during the landings atOkinawa,many Landing Craft Support ships were placed on the radar picket stations as anti-aircraft platforms. When not on a picket stations, the ship would create smoke to hide the fleet at anchor and perform "skunk patrol" screening for suicide boats.

In theBorneo Campaign,Landing Craft Support was used in landings inTarakanandBalikpapan.

During World War II, five LCS(L)(3)s were sunk in combat (see below) and 21 were damaged. Three of these small warships received thePresidential Unit Citation,while six were awarded Navy Unit citations. Importantly, LieutenantRichard M. McCool,skipper of USSLCS(L)(3) 122,was awarded theMedal of Honor.

LCS(L)(3)-7,LCS(L)(3)-26andLCS(L)(3)-49were sunk by suicide boats offMariveles,Corregidor Channel, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on 16 February 1945.LCS(L)(3)-15was sunk by kamikaze aircraft off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, on 22 April 1945.LCS(L)(3)-33was sunk by a kamikaze on 12 April 1945 at RP position No1.[2]

Post war

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At the end of the war, surviving ships returned to the United States. Some were restored to action for theKorean War.Many were transferred to Japan (three were later transferred to Taiwan[3]), France (and on to South Vietnam), Cambodia, Thailand, Greece, and other nations.

Preserved ships

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Only two ships are known to still exist. One has been highly modified as a fishing boat. The second was in Thailand and was kept in very similar configuration to its original (HTMSNakha,formerly USSLCS(L)-102).The National Association of USS LCS(L) 1–130 was successful in having HTMSNakhatransferred to the association for public display in the United States. She was officially released from theRoyal Thai Navyon November 10, 2007 after being returned to the US in September of that year. As of May 2017USS LCS(L)-102is under restoration and upkeep. It is open to the public on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays or by special arrangements, and tours at the formerMare Island Naval Shipyard,inVallejo, California.[4]

British LCS vessels

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The British designed, built and operated tenFairmile Type HLCS vessels. Three of these were sunk in action.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Rocket Boats Lay Smoke Screen For Landings.Popular Mechanics,February 1945, p. 28.
  2. ^NHHC, Action Report
  3. ^"Đồng sơn cảng hải chiến nhân vật hình tượng - chiến sử chuyên khu - Trung Hoa dân quốc hải quân".ROC Navy.2017-07-12.Retrieved2022-02-13.
  4. ^"Last WW II Landing Craft Support Ship Still Afloat in Vallejo, Calif".Contra Costa Times.Sep 11, 2013.
  5. ^Lambert, Johnand Ross, Al.Allied Coastal Forces of World War Two, Volume I: Fairmile designs and US Submarine Chasers.1990.ISBN978-0-85177-519-7.
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