U.S.S. Saginaw, (LST 1188), is a tank landing ship, whose keel was laid on May 24, 1969; launched February 7, 1970; and commissioned on January 23, 1971.
She is one of the "Newport" class, with a fully loaded displacement of 8,342 tons. Dimensions: 522.3 ft. o.a. x 69.5 ft. x 15 ft. aft.
Built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company at San Diego, this is a new class of tank landing ship which does not have a bow door. There is a retractable 112 ft. bow ramp for unloading on to a pontoon causeway to the beach and a stern ramp for loading and unloading amphibious vehicles in deep water. An over the bow ramp permits sharper prow design for top speeds.
Main engines are six Abco diesels of 16,000 h.p. driving two shafts, giving a sustained speed of 20 knots. A ramp just forward of the superstructure connects the lower tank deck with the main deck and a vehicle passage through the superstructure provides access to the parking area amidships. Vehicle stowage is rated at 500 tons and is 19,000 sq. ft. in area. This is 5,000 sq. ft. more than in previous LSTs.
The full load draft is 15 ft. aft and 6 ft. forward.
Sea Breezes June 1974
British Virgin Islands SG308