USS LST-6

LST-6 after launching, 21 October 1942, at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware
History
United States
Name	USS LST-6
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware
Laid down	20 July 1942
Launched	21 October 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. H.E. Haven
Commissioned	30 January 1943
Stricken	22 December 1944
Honors & awards	3 battle stars (WWII)
Fate	Mined and sunk 17 November 1944
General characteristics
Class & 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	Varied, depending on load
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	6 LCVP
Capacity	between 1600 and 1900 tons
Troops	14 officers, 131 enlisted men
Complement	129 officers and enlisted men
Armament	2 × twin 40 mm gun mounts w/Mk.51 directors 4 × single 40 mm gun mounts 12 × single 20 mm gun mounts

USS LST-6 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy. LST-6 served in the European Theater of Operations, participating in the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Salerno Landings, and the Normandy landings. She hit a mine in the English Channel on 17 November 1944 and sank in six fathoms (36 feet) of water the same day. ^[1]

Construction

LST-6 was laid down on 20 July 1942 at Dravo Corporation in Wilmington, Delaware, launched on 21 October 1942, sponsored by Mrs. H. E. Haven; ^[2] and commissioned on 30 January 1943. ^[2]

Service history

LST-6 was assigned to the European Theatre and participated in the following operations, for which she received three battle stars: ^[2]

• Sicilian Occupation – 9–15 July 1943
• Salerno landings – 9–21 September 1943
• Invasion of Normandy – 6–25 June 1944

LST-6 participated in the landings at Omaha Beach as part of Assault Group O3. ^[3] In August 1944, Lieutenant W.H. Weddle took command. LST-6 struck a mine and sank in the English Channel while returning from a supply movement from Portland to Rouen on 17 November 1944. She was struck from the Navy List on 22 December 1944. ^{[1] [2]}

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.

1. "USS LST-6". NavSource. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
2. "LST-6". DANFS. Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
3. Ford, Ken (2014). Operation Neptune 1944: D-Day's Seaborne Armada. Oxford: Osprey. p. 23. ISBN   9781472802729.