USS LST-37

Last updated

LST-37 5 July 1943 Neville Island.jpg
Shipyard workers hang on as USS LST-37's hull tastes water for the first time as she is launched at the Dravo Corporation shipyard at Neville Island, Pennsylvania, 5 July 1943.
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameLST-37
Builder Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down1 April 1943
Launched5 July 1943
Sponsored byMrs. Jack Domb
Stricken12 August 1948
Identification Hull symbol: LST-37
FateTransferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy, 18 August 1943
Naval Ensign of Kingdom of Greece.svgGreece
NameLST-37
Acquired18 August 1943
FateRan aground and sank, 1 June 1944
General characteristics [1]
Type LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load
  • 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length328  ft (100  m) oa
Beam50 ft (15 m)
Draft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range24,000 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 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity
  • 2,100 tons oceangoing maximum
  • 350 tons main deckload
Troops16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament

USS LST-37 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 18 August 1943, before being commissioned into the USN.

Contents

Construction

LST-37 was laid down on 1 April 1943, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 5 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Jack Domb; and transferred to the Hellenic Navy on 18 August 1943. [2]

Service history

LST-37 sailed from Galveston Bar for Key West, Florida, on 28 August 1943, with convoy HK 125, arriving in Key West, 1 September 1943. [3]

On 11 October 1943, LST-37 left Halifax, Nova Scotia, in convoy SC 144, [4] en route she joined convoy WN 497 that had departed Loch Ewe, on 26 October. She arrived in Methil, Scotland, on 28 October with a load of lumber. [5]

Records do not indicate when LST-37 departed Methil, but she most likely sailed on 3 December 1943, in convoy EN 314 (series 2), arriving in Loch Ewe, on 5 December, with her sister ships USS LST-33, LST-34, and USS LST-36, [6] because she departed Liverpool, England, in convoy OS 61/KMS 35, on 8 December 1943. [7] The convoy split on 20 December 1943, with LST-37 continuing on in convoy KMS 35G, arriving in Gibraltar, on 21 December. [8] She sailed for on in convoy KMS 35, the next day, for Bizerta, Tunisia. [9] It is here that she ran aground on 1 June 1944, and sank. [2]

Related Research Articles

SS <i>Timothy Bloodworth</i> World War II Liberty ship of the United States

SS Timothy Bloodworth was a standard Liberty ship built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The vessel was built by Delta Shipbuilding Company of New Orleans in 1943. She was named in honor of Timothy Bloodworth, an American teacher who made muskets and bayonets during the American Revolutionary War, then went on to become a statesman in North Carolina.

SS <i>Ragnhild</i> (1941) Cargo ship built in 1941

Ragnhild was a 2,866 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1941 for the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Carey. In 1942 she was transferred to the Norwegian Government in exile and renamed Ragnhild. Her war service is very well documented, and serves to illustrate a typical tramp ship's service life during the Second World War.

USS Westport (ID-3548) was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919.

Empire Deed was a 6,766 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1943 by Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Deed. In 1951, she was sold to Panama and renamed Doro. A sale to Greece in 1956 saw her renamed Leonidas Cambanis. In 1964, she was sold to Liberia and renamed Ever Fortune followed by a sale to Taiwan later that year and renaming to Ever Happiness. She served until 1967, when she was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Belgian Sailor was a 7,028 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1941 as Empire Drayton by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend, Northumberland, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1942, she was transferred to the Belgian Government and renamed Belgian Sailor. She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed Capitaine Biebuyck. In 1957, she was sold to Yugoslavia and renamed Kastav. A further sale in 1965 to Hong Kong saw her renamed Ivory Tellus, she served until 1970 when she was scrapped.

Habib Marikar was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1943 by Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham as Empire Duchess for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into merchant service in 1949 and renamed Braemar Castle. A further sale in 1950 saw her renamed King James.

Empire Duke was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship that was used during the Second World War in investigations into the metallurgical problems that Liberty ships were suffering from.

Norlom was a 6,326 GRT Design 1105 cargo ship that was built in 1919 as Editor by Skinner & Eddy Corporation, Seattle, Washington, United States for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), which became the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) in 1937. In 1941, she was transferred to the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Dunlin. She was transferred to Norway in 1942 and renamed Norlom. She served until 2 December 1943 when she was bombed and sunk at Bari, Italy.

Pengreep was a 8,806 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1914 by Irvine's Shipbuilding and Drydock Co Ltd, West Hartlepool, Co Durham, United Kingdom for a British company. She was requisitioned by the Admiralty on completion and returned to her owners in 1920. She was seized in June 1940 by Vichy French forces and renamed Ste Jacqueline. In 1942, she was seized by British forces, being renamed Pengreep in 1943. She was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) later that year and renamed Empire Fal. In July 1945, she was scuttled with a cargo of gas bombs.

USS <i>LST-12</i> US World War II naval vessel

USS LST-12 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy. LST-12 was transferred to the Royal Navy in early 1943, to serve in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during 1943 and 1944. She never saw service with the US Navy.

HM <i>LST-13</i>

HM LST-13 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Navy in April 1943, before being commissioned into the USN. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-17</i>

USS LST-17 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the European Theater of Operations and Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II and manned by a United States Coast Guard crew. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-24</i>

USS LST-24 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II and manned by a United States Coast Guard crew. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-25</i> U.S Navy tank landing ship

USS LST-25 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the European Theater of Operations and Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

Graigaur was a 7,047 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1941 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom, as the CAM ship Empire Foam for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1946 to Graigaur Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Graigaur. She was sold in 1957 to Marinos & Frangos Ltd and renamed Maltezana. She was sold to the Great Southern Steamship Co Ltd., Hong Kong in 1958 and renamed Johore Bahru, serving until she was scrapped in 1963.

Stad Schiedam was a 6,140 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1942 as Empire Fortune by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was transferred to the Dutch Government in 1943 and was renamed Van Honthorst. She was sold to the Halcyon Lijn in 1945 and renamed Stad Schiedam, serving until she was withdrawn in 1961. She was scrapped in 1962.

Hazelbank was a 6,140 GRT cargo ship built in 1942 as Empire Franklin by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was converted to a CAM ship shortly after completion. She was sold to Bank Line in 1945 and was renamed Hazelbank. She was sold Compagnia Navigazione Nuevo Mundo SA, Panama in 1957 and renamed Irinicos. She was sold to Paleocrassos Bros, Greece in 1962 then to Salinas Compagnia Navigazione SA, Panama in 1963 and was renamed Iris II, serving until 1967 when she was scrapped in Hong Kong.

USS LST-33 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 18 August 1943, before being commissioned into the USN, and was renamed Samos (Σάμος).

USS LST-35 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 18 August 1943, before being commissioned into the USN, and was renamed Chios.

USS LST-36 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 23 August 1943, before being commissioned into the USN, and was renamed Lemnos (Λήμνος).

References

  1. ↑ Navsource 2018.
  2. 1 2 DANFS 2015.
  3. ↑ Convoy HK 125.
  4. ↑ Convoy SC 144.
  5. ↑ Convoy WN 497.
  6. ↑ Convoy EN 314(2).
  7. ↑ Convoy OS 61/KMS 35.
  8. ↑ Convoy KMS 35G.
  9. ↑ Convoy KMS 35.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.