LTS 380 USS Landing Ships, Tank

[aukepalmhof]

In 2004 Palau issued two miniature sheets to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of D Day. The first sheet shows 6 ship stamps and the second a single LST. The stamp is based on a photograph taken at Brixham Harbour, England, on 1 June 1944. However the stamp designer has used a mirror image of the photograph on his stamp design and has erased the pennant number US 380. You can see that the word `Ramp' is back to front. Looking at a mirror image of the stamp and comparing it with the original photo the stamp designer has also transposed Ramp A and Ramp B.

The original photo was also used for a miniature sheet issued by Tanzania (SG MS 2016A) in 1994.

Laid down, 10 December 1942, at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, MA.
Launched, 10 February 1943
Commissioned USS LST-380, 15 February 1943

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
Length 328' o.a.
Beam 50'
Draft
(light) - 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
(sea-going) 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
(landing) 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
Complement
7 officers, 104 enlisted
Troop Accommodations
16 officers, 147 enlisted
Boats 2 LCVP
Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
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 enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
12 single 20MM gun mounts

During World War II USS LST-380 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns: Sicilian occupation, July 1943. Salerno landings, September 1943. Invasion of Normandy, June 1944

Transferred (loaned) 20 November 1944 to the United Kingdom
Commissioned HMS LST 380, 20 November 1944
Returned to US Naval custody, 11 April 1946
Decommissioned and sold, 7 June 1946 to the United States Military Government, Korea, renamed WAN LI, renamed in 1955 CHUNG YU.
Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946.
Final Disposition, possible torpedoed off Quemoy 25 August 1958.

USS LST-380 earned three battle stars for World War II service

I have cropped the MS to show only the stamp and am posting the stamp as issued, the mirror image of the stamp and the a cropped version of the source photograph.
Palau 2004 $2 sgMS2049, scott?

Source: http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160380.htm

Peter Crichton