World War II requirements prompted the development by the Allies of a wide variety of amphibious landing ships and landing craft, many of which were based on British designs. Perhaps the best known was the Landing Ship, Tank (LST), designed to transport tanks and other combat vehicles and land them on a beach or dock through clam-shell doors in the bow. The first LSTs, developed in 1942, were converted Maracaibo oil tankers. Over 1, 000 of the 300-foot, 2, 286-ton LST Mark II were built, and they played a central role in World War II amphibious operations. An American variant, the LST Mark VII, began construction in 1944, and was known as the Landing Ship, Medium (LSM). The 203-foot LSM had a speed of 12 knots. A variant of the LSM, the Landing Ship, Medium (Rocket) (LSM[R]), was designed to provide fire support for amphibious landings. Equipped with launchers for up to 1, 040 rockets, the LSM (R), which was first employed in the landings on Okinawa in March 1945, had the firepower of a pre-World War II cruiser. Based on the LST/LSM design, the Landing Ship, Vehicle (LSV) was designed specifically to transport and land wheeled vehicles. Another well-known amphibious landing ship developed during World War II was the Landing Ship, Dock (LSD), which was designed as a combination troop carrier and floating dry dock. The LSD was capable of carrying the largest landing craft in its well deck, which could be flooded to launch the loaded landing craft at sea through a stern gate. Both the LST and the LSD continue to provide the U.S. Navy with significant amphibious shipping capability.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
