Mathew Payne when he was visiting and diving in Subic Bay.

wreck diving courses philippines

Landing Ship, Tank (LST) was the military designation for naval vessels designed during World War II to support amphibious and landing operations.   They were able to carry huge quantities of vehicles, cargo and assault troops directly onto beaches, without need for docking facilities.

Displacement: 1,780 long tons (1,809 t) light
3,880 long tons (3,942 t) full load
Length: 327 ft 9 in (99.90 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draught: Unloaded :
3 ft 4 in (1.02 m) bow
7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) stern
Loaded :
8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) bow
14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) stern
Boats & landing
craft carried:
2 to 6 LCVPs
Troops: Approx. 140 officers and other ranks
Complement: 8 to 10 officers, 100 to 115 enlisted
Armament: • 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun
• 6 × 40 mm Bofors guns
• 6 × 20 mm guns
• 2 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns
• 4 × .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns

During their design, naval planning teams had to overcome conflicting demands for the craft.  It needed a deep draft for long-range, stable ocean-going travel, but also a shallow draft for beaching/landing operations.   As a result, the ship was designed with a large variable ballast system, similar to a submarine.  This variable ballast could be filled for ocean passage (sinking the ship deeper for stability) and then pumped out to raise the ship in the water for beaching operations.  The design also included a powerful mechanical winch and anchor system, which allowed the ship to drag itself back off the beach once loading/unloading had been completed.

landing ship tank lst lsm lct

Allied WWII Landing Craft compared. We also have an LCT within recreational diving depths in Subic Bay!

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