USS LST-50

USS LST-50 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II.

History
United States
Name:	USS LST-50
Builder:	Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down:	29 August 1943
Launched:	16 October 1943
Commissioned:	27 November 1943
Decommissioned:	6 February 1946
Reclassified:	USS ARB-13 (Battle Damage Repair Ship), 14 November 1952
Stricken:	8 September 1952
Honours and awards:	3 battle stars (WWII)
Fate:	Transferred to Norway, 1952
Norway
Name:	HNoMS Ellida
Acquired:	1952
Identification:	A534
Fate:	Returned to the United States, 1 July 1960
Greece
Name:	Sakipia
Acquired:	16 September 1960
Identification:	A329
Fate:	Unknown
General characteristics
Class and type:	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full
Length:	328 ft (100 m)
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	Unloaded: Bow: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) Stern: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) Loaded : Bow: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) Stern: 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
Depth:	8 ft (2.4 m) forward, 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) aft (full load)
Propulsion:	2 General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed:	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried:	Two or six LCVPs
Troops:	14-16 officers, 131-147 enlisted men
Complement:	7-9 officers, 104-120 enlisted men
Armament:	2 × twin 40 mm gun mounts w/Mk.51 directors 4 × single 40 mm gun mounts 12 × single 20 mm gun mounts

LST-50 was laid down on 29 August 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 16 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Tito Tarquinio; and commissioned on 27 November 1943.

Service history

US Navy, 1942–1946

The tank landing ship was initially assigned to the European Theater and participated in the invasion of Normandy between 6 and 25 June 1944 and the invasion of southern France between 15 August and 25 September 1944. She was later transferred to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of operations where she took part in the Okinawa assault between 18 and 30 June 1945. Following the war, LST-50 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early February 1946. Upon her return to the United States, the ship was decommissioned on 6 February 1946 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 8 September 1952.

Norway & Greece, 1952–

On 14 November 1952, she was redesignated USS ARB-13 and transferred to Norway as HNoMS Ellida (A534). She was returned to the United States on 1 July 1960, but was retransferred to Greece on 16 September 1960 and served with the Greek Navy as Sakipia (A329). Her final fate is unknown.

LST-50 earned three battle stars for World War II service.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

• "LST-50". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved 9 April 2007.
• "LST-50 / ARB-13". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved 9 April 2007.