Australian landing ship medium Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355)

Last updated
History
US flag 48 stars.svg United States
NameLSM-315
Builder Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Illinois
Commissioned13 July 1944
Decommissioned14 June 1946
FateSold to Australia
Flag of Australia.svg Australia
NameVernon Sturdee (AV 1355)
NamesakeLieutenant General Sir Vernon Sturdee
Acquired26 January 1960
Decommissioned1972
FateSold to commercial interests
General characteristics
Class and typeLSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium
Displacement638 tons
Length203 ft (62 m)
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Draft6 ft (1.8 m) light, 5 ft (1.5 m) loaded
Propulsiontwo Fairbanks Morse 18 cylinder opposed piston diesels, each 1,900 hp (1,400 kW), twin screws
Speed14.5 knots (26.9 km/h)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi)
CapacityUp to 306 tons, including four Centurion tanks
Complement2 officers, 25 men
Sensors and
processing systems
Radar
Armament1 × 40mm gun, 4 × 20mm gun mounts
Armour10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station

The Australian landing ship medium Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355) was a United States Navy landing ship medium which was later sold to Australia and operated by the Australian Army.

The ship was built by the Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Illinois and was commissioned into the United States Navy (USN) as USS LSM-315 on 13 July 1944. She was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations and saw action during the liberation of the Philippines during 1944 and 1945. Following the war she was decommissioned on 14 June 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

The ship was purchased by the Australian Army and was named Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355) in honour of the Australian World War II general Vernon Sturdee. The ship was one of four LSMs operated by the newly formed 32nd Small Ship Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers and was refitted in Japan before she arrived in Australia. From 1960 to 1970 she performed routine duties in support of the Australian Army, and carried equipment between ports in Australia, New Guinea, Malaysia and New Zealand.

The ship was deployed to Vung Tau in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, where she operated in South Vietnamese waters. Vernon Sturdee was decommissioned on 30 September 1971 when the 32nd Small Ship Squadron was disbanded.

Vernon Sturdee was sold in June 1970 to P. R. Wieland Pty. Ltd. By 1982 had been converted at Ballina, New South Wales, with a new flush deck, a new bridge, spanning the deck, and improved accommodation, and renamed Jack Spry. [1] [2] She was reported as sunk off the Solomon Islands in 1984. [2]

Related Research Articles

Landing craft tank Amphibious assault craft for landing tanks on beachheads

The Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) was an amphibious assault craft for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of versions. Initially known as the "tank landing craft" (TLC) by the British, they later adopted the U.S. nomenclature "landing craft, tank" (LCT). The United States continued to build LCTs post-war, and used them under different designations in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

HMAS <i>Sydney</i> (R17) Royal Australian Navy Majestic-class aircraft carrier

HMAS Sydney (R17/A214/P214/L134) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). She was built for the Royal Navy and was launched as HMS Terrible (93) in 1944, but was not completed before the end of World War II. The carrier was sold to Australia in 1947, completed, and commissioned into the RAN as Sydney in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet Air Arm (RAN)</span> Naval aviation arm of the Royal Australian Navy

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA), known formerly as the Australian Navy Aviation Group, is the division of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) responsible for the operation of aircraft. The FAA was founded in 1947 following the purchase of two aircraft carriers from the Royal Navy. FAA personnel fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and participated in later conflicts and operations from host warships.

USS <i>Oceanside</i>

USS Oceanside (LSM-175) was one of 558 LSM-1-class landing ship medium built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for the town of Oceanside, California, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS <i>Clarion River</i>

USS Clarion River was an LSM(R)-401-class medium-type landing ship (LSM) built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for the Clarion River in west central Pennsylvania, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS LSM-149 was a LSM-1-class landing ship medium built for the U.S. Navy in World War II. Like most ships of her class, she was not named and known only by her designation.

The Australian landing ship medium Harry Chauvel was a United States Navy landing ship medium which was later sold to Australia and operated by the Australian Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphibious warfare ships of Australia</span>

The Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army have operated 29 amphibious warfare ships. These ships have been used to transport Army units and supplies during exercises and operational deployments.

The Australian landing ship medium Brudenell White was a United States Navy landing ship medium which was later sold to Australia and operated by the Australian Army.

USS LSM-161 was a LSM-1-class landing ship medium built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and was properly referred to by her hull designation for much of her service life.

USS <i>Mount Vernon</i> (LSD-39)

USS Mount Vernon (LSD-39) was an Anchorage-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the fifth ship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name. She was built in Massachusetts in 1972 and homeported in Southern California for 31 years until being decommissioned on 25 July 2003. Mount Vernon acted as the control ship for the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In 2005, she was intentionally destroyed off the coast of Hawaii as part of a training exercise. USS Mount Vernon also appeared in the Season 7 episode 19 of The Love Boat when they visited Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vernon Sturdee</span> Former Australian Chief of the General Staff

Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee, was an Australian Army commander who served two terms as Chief of the General Staff. A regular officer of the Royal Australian Engineers who joined the Militia in 1908, he was one of the original Anzacs during the First World War, participating in the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. In the campaign that followed, he commanded the 5th Field Company, before going on to lead the 8th Field Company and the 4th Pioneer Battalion on the Western Front. In 1918 he was seconded to General Headquarters (GHQ) British Expeditionary Force as a staff officer.

John Monash was a cargo ship operated by the Australian Army between 1965 and 1975.

USS <i>LSM-45</i>

USS LSM-45 was a LSM-1-class medium landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship also served as Ypoploiarchos Grigoropoulos (L161) in the Hellenic Navy from 1958 to 1993. She was the last known surviving LSM in its original configuration. Her last location before scrapping was Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. LSM-45 was donated to the Museum of the Marine by the now defunct Amphibious Ship Museum under the understanding that it would be put on display at the museum, and was towed to North Carolina in 2004 from Omaha, Nebraska. The museum decided in 2007 that the ship would not be a part of the museum and tried looking for another home for the ship. In 2009, there were reports that the Museum was considering scrapping or sinking the ship as an artificial reef, and she was scrapped sometime between 2010 and 2014.

The Australian landing ship medium Clive Steele was a United States Navy landing ship medium which was later sold to Australia and operated by the Australian Army.

The Landing Ship Medium Mark II was an amphibious warfare ship developed for the Australian Army in the late 1960s. The Army and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) were unable to reach agreement on the ship's specifications and the project was cancelled in the early 1970s.

The 32nd Small Ship Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers was an amphibious unit of the Royal Australian Engineers. They were formed in 1959 to operate the four LSM-1 class Landing Ship Medium purchased from the United States Navy. The ships were sold in 1971 and the unit was disbanded.

USS <i>LSM-355</i> LSM-1-class landing ship medium

USS LSM-355 was a LSM-1-class landing ship medium in the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was transferred to France as L9011, South Vietnam as RVNS Hát Giang (HQ-400) and Philippines as RPS Western Samar (LP-66).

USS <i>LSM-110</i> LSM-1-class landing ship medium

USS LSM-110 was a LSM-1-class landing ship medium in the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was transferred to France as L9012, South Vietnam as RVNS Hàn Giang (HQ-401) and Philippines to be cannibalized for spare parts.

References

  1. Edstein, Maj P. H. "Eddie" (29 January 1981). "A sturdy old ship". Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper. No. 536. Canberra. p. 2. Retrieved 8 August 2024 via Trove.
  2. 1 2 Peel, Capt J. R. (26 March 1981). "Here's what happened to the Army's LSMs". Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper. No. 540. Canberra. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2024 via Trove.

Further reading