LST-347
CountryUnited States
BuilderNorfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth
Laid down10 November 1942
Launched7 February 1943
SponsorMrs. J. M. Farrin
Commissioned7 February 1943
Decommissioned19 December 1944
Struck28 April 1949
Identification
HonorsSee Awards
FateTransferred to Royal Navy, 19 December 1944
LST-347
CountryUnited Kingdom
Commissioned19 December 1944
Decommissioned23 January 1946
FateTransferred to France, 23 January 1948
Vire
CountryFrance
NamesakeVire
IdentificationPennant number: LST-347
Commissioned23 January 1948
ReclassifiedL9003
DecommissionedJanuary 1957
FateScrapped, 1957
USS LST-347
ClassLST-1-class tank landing ship
Troops16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement13 officers, 104 enlisted men

USS LST-347 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was later sold to France as Vire (L9003).[1]

Construction and career

LST-347 was laid down on 10 November 1942 at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Launched on 7 February 1943 and commissioned on 7 February 1943.[2]

Service in the United States

During World War II, LST-347 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East theater. She took part in the Invasion of Sicilian from 9 to 15 July 1943 and the Salerno landings from 9 to 21 September 1943.

She participated in the Invasion of Normandy from 6 to 25 June 1944.

LST-347 was decommissioned on 19 December 1944 and transferred to the Royal Navy.

She was struck from the Navy Register on 28 April 1949.[1]

Service in the United Kingdom

HMS LST-347 was commissioned on 18 December 1944 and was part of W Task Force which participated in the recapture of Rangoon, before proceeding to the eventual invasion of Malaya at Morib and Port Swettenham, and to Singapore and Bangkok doing relief work repatriating ex P.O.W.s of the Japanese.

She was paid off at Singapore on 23 January 1946 and leased to France on 23 January 1948.

Service in France

She was transferred to the French Navy and commissioned on 23 January 1948 with the same name LST-347.[3]

In 1950, she was given the name Vire (LST-347).

Liamone took part in the First Indochina War between 19 December 1946 to 1 August 1954.

She was later redesignated as L9003 in the later years of her service in the 1950s.

The ship was out of service and sold for scrap in early 1957.

Awards

LST-347 have earned the following awards:

Citations

  1. ^ "Tank Landing Ship LST". NavSource. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  2. ^ "LST-347". NHHC. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  3. ^ "LST Vire". lst.france.free.fr. Retrieved 2021-11-14.

Sources