WORLD WAR 2 IN REVIEW: LST-173: American Tank Landing Ship

LST-173 was laid down on 24 December 1942 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 24 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. John McCone; and commissioned on 18 June 1943.

During World War II, LST-173 served in the European theater and participated in the movement of Convoy UGS-36 in April 1944 and the invasion of southern France in August and September 1944. She was decommissioned and transferred to the United Kingdom on 24 December 1944 and was returned to United States Navy custody on 23 April 1946. On 19 June 1946, LST-173 was struck from the Navy list. The ship was sold to Luria Brothers & Co., of Philadelphia, Pa., on 22 October 1947, for scrapping.

LST-173 earned two battle stars for World War II service.

Laid down: 24 December 1942, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co. Evansville, IN.

Launched: 24 April 1943

Commissioned: USS LST-173, 18 June 1943 at New Orleans, LA., LT. Marvin J. Kapp, USNR. in command

Typical loads:

One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck

Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would have enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting

Commanding Officers

LT. Kapp, Marvin J., USNR, 18 June 1943 - August 1943

LT. Barber, Broughton James, USN, August 1943 - 24 December 1944

During World War II USS LST-173 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following actions/campaigns:

Convoy UGS-36, 1 April 1944

Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944

Decommissioned: 24 December 1944, and transferred to the Royal Navy

Commissioned: into the Royal Navy as HM LST-173, 24 December 1944, at Bizerta, Tunisia

HM LST-173 saw service in the Adriatic area and participated in Operation “Doomsday,” 8 May 1944, the surrender of German forces in Norway.

Returned to US Navy custody, 23 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Final Disposition: sold to Luria Brothers and Co., Philadelphia, PA., 22 October 1947 for scrapping

USS LST-173 showing the original LST configuration, with prominent tank deck ventilators on the upper deck, while underway, NAS Patuxent River, 17 January 1944. The ventilators made it difficult to stow vehicles there, and impossible to stow an LCT.