Greek landing ship Lemnos (L158)

Summary

USS LST-36 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 23 August 1943, before being commissioned into the USN, and was renamed Lemnos (Λήμνος).

History
United States
NameLST-36
BuilderDravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down21 April 1943
Launched10 July 1943
Sponsored byMrs. Franklin Keen
Stricken23 June 1947
IdentificationHull symbol: LST-36
FateTransferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy, 23 August 1943
Greece
NameLemnos
NamesakeLemnos
Acquired23 August 1943
Decommissioned10 May 1977
IdentificationHull symbol: L158
FateSold to Greece, January 1947
General characteristics [1]
TypeLST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load
  • 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam50 ft (15 m)
Draft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing
craft carried
2 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity
  • 2,100 tons oceangoing maximum
  • 350 tons main deckload
Troops16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament

Construction edit

LST-36 was laid down on 21 April 1943, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 10 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Franklin Keen; and transferred to the Hellenic Navy on 23 August 1943, and renamed Lemnos (L158).[2]

Service history edit

Lemnos sailed from Galveston Bar for Key West, Florida, on 28 August 1943, with convoy HK 125, arriving in Key West, 1 September 1943.[3]

On 11 October 1943, Lemnos left Halifax, Nova Scotia, in convoy SC 144,[4] en route she joined convoy WN 497 that had departed Loch Ewe, on 26 October. She arrived in Methil, Scotland, on 28 October with a load of lumber.[5]

Lemnos departed Methil, on 3 December 1943, in convoy EN 314 (series 2), arriving in Loch Ewe, on 5 December.[6] She departed Liverpool, England, in convoy OS 61/KMS 35, on 8 December 1943.[7] The convoy split on 20 December 1943, with Lemnos continuing on in convoy KMS 35G, arriving in Gibraltar, on 21 December.[8]

On 22 May 1944, Lemnos departed Augusta, Sicily, with convoy VN 41, arriving in Naples, Italy, the following day.[9] She later returned to Augusta, in convoy NV 46, departing Naples, on 16 June, and arriving the next day.[10]

Lemnos sailed for Taranto, Italy, on 9 January 1945, in convoy HP 19, arriving in Piraeus, Greece, on 12 January 1945.[11]

Post-war service edit

She was sold to the government of Greece in January 1947, and struck from the Navy list on 23 June 1947.[2] She was decommissioned from the Greek navy on 10 May 1977.

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • "LST-36". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2018.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "LST-36". Navsource. Navsource.org. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  • "Convoy EN.314 (Series 2)". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  • "Convoy HK.125". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  • "Convoy KMS.35G". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  • "Convoy OS.61/ KMS.35". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  • "Convoy NV.46". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  • "Convoy SC.144". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  • "Convoy HP.19". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  • "Convoy VN.41". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  • "Convoy WN.497". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 8 September 2017.

External links edit

  • Photo gallery of USS LST-36 at NavSource Naval History
  • Λήμνος L-158 (1943-1977) (in Greek), Hellenic Navy website