Landing ship, infantry

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LCAs leave HMS Rocksand for the island of Nancowry in the British occupation of the Nicobar Islands, October 1945

Landing Ship, Infantry (LSI) was a British term for a type of ship used to transport infantry in amphibious warfare during the Second World War

The LSI would take its cargo of infantry close to the target area. They would then transfer to landing craft, such as the Landing Craft, Assault for the journey to the beach. A small LSI would be around 3,000 gross registered tons and could carry up to 800 troops. The largest LSI(L) could carry 1,800 and would need 20 or so landing craft for that number.

LSI were generally converted cross-channel ferries and other similar ships of that size[1] or converted passenger ships[2]

Conversion was accomplished by adding davits for the landing craft plus some defensive armament, such as QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns, and anti-aircraft guns, such as the 20 mm Oerlikon cannon.

The Attack Transport (APA) was the US Navy's equivalent of the LSI, during World War II.

Post-war the US renamed their Landing Craft, Infantry as "Landing Ship Infantry" - these were vessels that could beach and carried around 200 troops.

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

  • Ben-my-Chree – Isle of Man Steam Packet Company passenger ferry. Served at Pointe du Hoc with 2nd US Rangers, 6 June 1944
  • Duke of York
  • El Hind – LSI(L), destroyed by fire, April 1944[3]
  • Empire Arquebus
  • Empire Battleaxe
  • Empire Broadsword – LSI(L)
  • Empire Cutlass was a 7,177 GRT Type C1-S-AY1 infantry landing ship which was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California. Laid down as Cape Compass and completed in November 1943 as Empire Cutlass for MoWT. Damaged by a mine on 21 November 1944 off the Digne Light, Le Havre, towed to port and repaired. To Royal Navy in January 1945 as HMS Sansovino. Returned in June to MoWT and reverted to Empire Cutlass. To USMC in 1947, proposed sale to China in 1948 postponed due to communist revolution. Laid up in the James River, Virginia. Sold in 1960 to China Merchants Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Taiwan and renamed Hai Ou. Scrapped in 1970 at Kaohsiung.
  • Empire Javelin – LSI(L)
  • Empire Spearhead
  • Glengyle – LSI(L), 10,000 tons, 700 troops
  • Glenearn LSI(L)
  • Glenroy LSI(L)
  • Invicta
  • Kanimbla
  • Karanja – LSI(L), sunk off Algeria, 1942
  • Manoora
  • Monowai – formerly an ocean-going passenger ship
  • Nemesis – former Belgian ferry SS Princesse Marie-José, also served as HMS Baldur[4]
  • Prince Charles
  • Prince David – LSI(M), 500 troops
  • Prince Henry – LSI(M)
  • Prince Leopold – LSI(S), former Belgian cross channel ferry, torpedoed in 1944 by U-621[5]
  • Princess Astrid – LSI(S)
  • Princess Beatrix – LSI(M)
  • Princess Josephine Charlotte – LSI(S)
  • Prins Albert
  • Queen Emma – LSI(M)
  • Rocksand – formerly Empire Anvil
  • Royal Scotsman – LSI(H), former passenger ferry operating in the Irish Sea
  • Royal Ulsterman
  • Sainfoin – formerly Empire Crossbow
  • Sobieski with LCP(L)s
  • Westralia

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Landing Ship, Infantry.
  • Auxiliary Personnel Attack Ship - US term for a similar ship

References

  1. ↑ "The Heritage Coast: Landing Craft". theheritagecoast.co.uk. 2003. Retrieved 13 February 2011. 
  2. ↑ Mason, Geoffrey B. (2010). "HMS Royal Scotsman, LSI(L)". naval-history.net. Retrieved 13 February 2011. 
  3. ↑ "SS EL HIND". clydesite.co.uk. 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011. 
  4. ↑ "HMS Nemesis". scribd.com. 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011. 
  5. ↑ Groenenberg, Joanne (24 November 2004). "Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Press Releases". mcanet.mcga.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2011. 

External links

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