Landing ship, infantry

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the United States Navy World War II equivalent, see
Landing Craft, Infantry
.
LCAs leave HMS Rocksand, a landing ship, infantry, for the island of Nancowry in the British occupation of the Nicobar Islands, October 1945
Class overview
NameLanding ship, infantry
Operators
Succeeded byLanding ship logistics
Built1938–1945
Completed~40
Active0
General characteristics
Troops150 to 1,500,
Crew120 to 300 officers and ratings
ArmamentTypically a range of anti-aircraft guns
ArmourTypically anti-splinter mattresses and gun shields

A landing ship, infantry (LSI) or infantry landing ship was one of a number of types of British Commonwealth vessels used to transport landing craft and troops engaged in amphibious warfare during the Second World War. LSIs were operated by the Royal Navy, British Merchant Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Indian Navy, and Royal Australian Navy. They transported British Commonwealth and other Allied troops in sea assaults and invasions throughout the war.

Typically, a landing ship, infantry would transport its cargo of infantry from its embarkation port to close to the coast to be invaded. This location (the "lowering position" in Royal Navy terminology) was approximately 6–11 miles off shore. The troops would then transfer to landing craft, most commonly LCAs, for the journey to the beach. The landing craft would return to the LSI after disembarking their cargo and be hoisted up to embark additional troops.

Origins

In the years immediately before war was declared the

gross registered tons and able to make 22 knots, these vessels could carry as many as 800 troops apiece.[5] These were the original 5 LSIs. More LSIs would be found in the years to come from requisitioning or new construction provided by the United States under Lend-Lease
.

Design and conversion

LSIs were grouped according to their troop capacity and endurance.

Mediterranean
.

Smaller LSI, such as Queen Emma and Princess Beatrix, were generally converted cross-

ferries,[13] or a converted passenger ship.[14]

Conversion was accomplished, as with LSI(L), by adding davits for the landing craft, providing troop accommodation, plus some defensive armament, such as

QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns, and anti-aircraft guns, such as the 20 mm Oerlikon cannon
.

In Canada in the spring of 1943, work was under way on the conversion of

Bofors 40mm guns, and ten Oerlikons. The rebuilding, which took place at Esquimalt and Vancouver, was completed in December 1943 and shortly after re-commissioning, she left for the United Kingdom via Panama canal and New York City
, under Captain T.D. Kelly RCNR, (her final commanding officer) who had supervised the fitting-out of both ships. The ship's davits were capable of lifting an LCA which, by this time in the war, was approaching 14 tons.

Four LCAs go ashore from HMCS Prince David off Bernières-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944

In Australia in mid-1942,

LCM(3)s.[17][18] Manoora was initially able to accommodate 850 soldiers, but later modifications increased this to 1,250.[19] The ship was recommissioned on 2 February 1943 with the pennant number C77, and after spending six months on amphibious warfare training in Port Phillip, was deployed to New Guinea.[20]

In the United States, a commercial hull was put in war production by the

invasion of Normandy to a mine. Empire Javelin
was sunk by a U-boat torpedo on 28 December 1944. All these ships had davits fitted to accept LCAs and the other appropriate British manufactured landing craft for LSIs.

Normally British converted LSIs were fitted with heavy-duty power-operated davits.[22] Early landing ships were fitted with Welin-McLachlin davits – these being generally in use in the Merchant Navy for standard 99 man lifeboats.[23] As the weight of LCAs increased through the war (eventually approaching 14 tons) heavier davits were required. Later LSIs and those being refitted were provisioned with luffing davits of a crossbeam type.[24] The davits themselves provided a demarcation between the responsibilities of the LSI crew (either Royal Navy or Merchant Navy) and the members of the LCA flotilla.

Manning the landing ship, infantry

Some of the LSIs were commissioned into the Royal Navy, received navy crews, and flew the White Ensign, while most retained their civilian crews and flew the Red Ensign.[25] Royal Navy LSIs had Royal Navy landing craft flotillas assigned to them until 1943, when a proportion of landing craft flotillas were manned by Royal Marine crews. Merchant Navy LSIs would have Royal Navy gunners for the anti-aircraft equipment, and Royal Navy officers and ratings operating the ship’s flotilla of landing craft.[26] Generally, these divisions of personnel did not cooperate or share in each other's work responsibilities.

LSIs in Royal Canadian Navy service were crewed by Canadians and, by late 1943 on, were assigned RCN landing craft flotillas. The crews intermingled, lent a hand as needed in one another’s work, and messed together.

Ship designations

LSI(S) Landing ship, infantry (small)
LSI(M) Landing ship, infantry (medium)
LSI(L) Landing ship, infantry (large)
LSI(H) Landing ship, infantry (hand-hoisting)

Ships

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Landing Ship, Infantry.
  • Auxiliary personnel attack ship
    - US term for a similar ship
  • Landing craft assault

Notes and citations

  1. ^ Maund, p. 9.
  2. ^ Maund, p. 9.
  3. ^ Maund, p. 9
  4. ^ Fergusson, p. 41
  5. ^ Maund, p. 66.
  6. ^ Bruce, p. 16.
  7. ^ Bruce, p. 16.
  8. ^ Ladd,1976 p. 78
  9. ^ Maund, p. 66
  10. ^ Ladd, 1978, p. 245
  11. ^ Maund, p. 10.
  12. ^ Bruce, p. 21.
  13. ^ "The Heritage Coast: Landing Craft". theheritagecoast.co.uk. 2003. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  14. ^ Mason, Geoffrey B. (2010). "HMS Royal Scotsman, LSI(L)". naval-history.net. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  15. ^ Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, pp. 218–9
  16. ^ Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, p. 217.
  17. ^ Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, p. 217.
  18. ^ "HMAS Manoora (I)". HMA Ship Histories. Sea Power Centre – Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  19. ^ Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, p. 217.
  20. ^ Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, pp. 218–9
  21. ^ Buffetaut, p. 32.
  22. ^ Bruce, p18
  23. ^ Maund, p.10
  24. ^ North, p. 25
  25. ^ Bruce, p. 17.
  26. ^ Bruce, p. 17.
  27. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8
    . p.126
  28. ^ Groenenberg, Joanne (24 November 2004). "Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Press Releases". mcanet.mcga.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.

References

External links
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