 A cargo ship with an opening bow capable of beaching itself, it enabled armored support of landings without the need to capture a port.This greatly increased the choice of invasion locations and made defense against the landings more difficult.The Dravo Corporation, founded by brothers Francis Dravo (Lehigh Class of 1887) and Ralph Dravo (Lehigh Class of 1889), was the lead yard responsible for the LST shipbuilding program and produced hundreds of them for use in the Allied landings in Normandy and the Pacific.