![Quarter view of a Soviet Ivan Rogov class ship](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Quarter_view_of_a_Soviet_Ivan_Rogov_class_ship.JPEG)
A dock landing ship (also called landing ship, dock or LSD) is an
amphibious warfare ship
An amphibious warfare ship (or amphib) is an amphibious vehicle warship employed to land and support ground forces, such as marines, on enemy territory during an amphibious assault.
Specialized shipping can be divided into two types, most crud ...
with a
well dock
A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
to transport and launch
landing craft
Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Pr ...
and
amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, railway vehicles, combat vehicles an ...
s. Some ships with well decks, such as the Soviet
Ivan Rogov class, also have bow doors to enable them to deliver vehicles directly onto a beach (like a
tank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...
). Modern dock landing ships also operate helicopters.
A ship with a well deck (docking well) can transfer cargo to landing craft in rougher seas far more easily than a ship which has to use cranes or a stern ramp.
[
] The
US Navy hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number) to identify their ships by type and by ind ...
for a ship with a well deck depends on its
facilities for aircraft – a (modern) LSD has a
helicopter deck
A helicopter deck (or helo deck) is a helicopter pad on the deck of a ship, usually located on the stern and always clear of obstacles that would prove hazardous to a helicopter landing. In the United States Navy, it is commonly and properly ref ...
, an LPD also has a hangar, and an
LHD or
LHA has a full-length flight deck.
History
The LSD (
US Navy hull classification
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number) to identify their ships by type and by ind ...
for landing ship, dock) came as a result of a British requirement during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
for a vessel that could carry large landing craft across the seas at speed.
The predecessor of all modern LSDs is of the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
, which could launch her infantry landing craft using an internal rail system and a stern ramp. She entered service in 1935 and saw combat in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and during the initial phase of Japanese offenses during 1942.
The first LSD of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
came from a design by
Sir Roland Baker who had designed the British
Landing Craft, Tank
The Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) (or Tank Landing Craft TLC) was an amphibious assault craft for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of ver ...
. It was an answer to the problem of launching small craft rapidly. The "Landing Ship Stern Chute", which was a converted train ferry (
Train Ferry No. 1 which had been built for British Army use in the First World War ), was an early attempt. Thirteen
Landing Craft Mechanized
The landing craft mechanized (LCM) is a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults.
Variants
There was no ...
(LCM) could be launched from these ships down the chute. The Landing Ship Gantry was a converted
tanker with a crane to transfer its cargo of landing craft from deck to sea – 15 LCM in a little over half an hour.
The design was developed and built in the US for the
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
and the Royal Navy. The LSD could carry 36 LCM at . It took one and a half hours for the dock to be flooded down and two and half to pump it out. When flooded they could also be used as docks for repairs to small craft. Smaller landing craft such as LCVPs, could be carried in the hold as could full-tracked and wheeled amphibious assault or support vehicles.
Vessels of the LSD hull classification
In the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, two related groups of vessels classified as LSDs are in service as of 2011, the and es, mainly used to carry hovercraft (
LCAC
LCAC may refer to:
Hovercraft
* A generic term for an air cushioned landing craft, taken from US Navy designation "Landing Craft, Air Cushion".
** Landing Craft Air Cushion, a US Navy hull classification symbol for the Landing Craft Air Cushion-c ...
s), operate helicopters, and carry
Marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
s.
The British
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
(RFA) operates three s based on the Dutch-Spanish
Enforcer
Enforcer or enforcers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Comics
* Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character
* Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team
* New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team
Film and television
* ''The Enforcer ...
design in support of the Royal Navy's operations, while a fourth ship of the class – previously in RFA service – is now operated by the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
.
Former US LSDs include the , , and .
LSD classes
In service
Decommissioned
See also
*
Amphibious transport dock
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operat ...
*
List of amphibious warfare ships
This is a list of amphibious warfare ships.
Algeria
;Algerian National Navy
Active:
*''Kalaat Béni Abbès'' class - LPD
** (commissioned 2014)
*''Kalaat Beni Hammed'' class - LST
**''Kalaat Beni Hammed'' 472
**''Kalaat Beni Rached'' 473
Arg ...
*
List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships § Landing Ship Dock (LSD)
*
Roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
US Navy Office of Information Fact File – LSD
{{Authority control
Ship types
Amphibious warfare vessels