Dock Landing Ship - LSD
Description: Dock Landing Ships support amphibious operations including landings via Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), conventional landing craft and helicopters, onto hostile shores.
Background: These ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel in amphibious assault operations.
LSD-41 was designed specifically to operate LCAC vessels. It has the largest capacity for these landing craft (four) of any U.S. Navy amphibious platform. It will also provide docking and repair services for LCACs and for conventional landing craft.
In 1987, the Navy requested $324.2 million to fund one LSD-41 (Cargo Variant). The ship differs from the original LSD-41 by reducing its number of LCACs to two in favor of additional, cargo capacity.
Point of Contact:
Public Affairs Office
Naval Sea Systems Command
Washington, DC 20362
General Characteristics, Harpers Ferry Class
Builders: Avondale Industries Inc., New Orleans, La.
Power Plant: Four Colt Industries , 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower
Length: 609 feet (185.6 meters)
Beam: 84 feet
Displacement: 16,708 tons (16,976.13 metric tons) full load
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour)
Landing Craft: Two Landing Craft, Air Cushion
Ships:
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), San Diego, Calif.
USS Carter Hall (LSD-50); Little Creek, Va.
USS Oak Hill (LSD-51); Little Creek, Va.
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52); San Diego, Calif.
Crew: Ships Company: 22 officers, 397 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge
Armament: Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns, Two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and Six .50 cal. machine guns
Date Deployed: 7 January 1995 (USS Harpers Ferry)
General Characteristics, Whidbey Island Class
Builders:
Lockheed Shipbuilding, Seattle, Wa. - LSD-41, 43
Arondale Shipyards, New Orleans , La. - LSD 44-LSD 48
Power Plant: Four Colt Industries , 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower
Length: 609 feet (185.6 meters)
Beam: 84 feet
Displacement: 15,939 tons (16,194.79 metric tons) full load
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour)
Landing Craft: Four Landing Craft, Air Cushion
Ships:
USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41), Little Creek, Va.
USS Germantown (LSD-42), Sasebo, Japan
USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43), Sasebo, Japan
USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44), Little Creek, Va.
USS Comstock (LSD-45), San Diego, Calif.
USS Tortuga (LSD-46), Little Creek, Va.
USS Rushmore (LSD-47), San Diego, Calif.
USS Ashland (LSD-48), Little Creek, Va.
Crew: Ships Company: 22 officers, 391 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge
Armament: Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns; Two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and Six .50 cal. machine guns
Date Deployed: Feb. 9, 1985 (USS Whidbey Island)
General Characteristics, Anchorage Class
Builders:
Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss.- LSD-36
General Dynamics, Quincy, Mass. - LSD37- LSD40
Power Plant: Two 600 psi boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 24,000 total shaft horsepower
Length: 553 feet (168.6 meters)
Beam: 85 feet (25.9 meters)
Displacement: 14,000 tons (14,224.67 metric tons) full load
Speed: 22 knots (25.3 miles per hour, 40.5 km, per hour)
Aircraft: None
Ships: Homeports listed below
USS Anchorage (LSD-36), San Diego, Calif.
USS Portland (LSD-37), Little Creek, Va.
USS Mount Vernon (LSD-39), San Diego, Calif.
Crew: Ships Company: 18 officers, 340 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 330
Armament: Four 3-inch/50 cal. twin barrel guns; Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns; and two 20mm PhalanxCIWS
Date Deployed: March 15, 1969
