View source for Landing ship, infantry

{{Short description|British troopship class}}
{{About||the United States Navy World War II equivalent|Attack transport|the United States Navy LSI class created in 1949 |Landing Craft, Infantry}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:HMS Rocksand (F184).jpg
|Ship image size=300px
|Ship caption=[[Landing Craft Assault|LCAs]] leave {{HMS|Rocksand|F184|6}}, a landing ship, infantry, for the island of [[Nancowry Island|Nancowry]] in the British occupation of the [[Nicobar Islands]], October 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=Landing ship, infantry
|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}
*{{Flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} [[Ministry of War Transport]]
*[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|border|link=*|24px]] [[Royal Canadian Navy]]
*[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|border|link=*|24px]] [[Royal Indian Navy]]
*[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|border|link=|24px]] [[Royal Australian Navy]]
|Class before=  
|Class after= [[Landing ship logistics]]
|Subclasses=
|Built range= 1938–1945
|In commission range=
|Total ships completed=~40
|Total ships active=0
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost= 
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship displacement=
|Ship deck clearance=
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|Ship length=
|Ship beam=
|Ship draught= 
|Ship propulsion= 
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|Ship craft= 6 to 24 LCAs plus 3 LCMs or similar  
|Ship range=
|Ship troops= 150 to 1,500,
|Ship crew= 120 to 300 officers and ratings 
|Ship armament= Typically a range of anti-aircraft guns
|Ship armour= Typically anti-splinter mattresses and gun shields
|Ship notes=
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|}

A '''infantry landing ship''' (naval designation '''LSI''' for '''landing ship, infantry''') was one of a number of types of British Commonwealth vessels used to transport [[landing craft]] and troops engaged in [[amphibious warfare]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]]. LSIs were operated by the Royal Navy, [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|British Merchant Navy]], [[Royal Canadian Navy]], [[Royal Indian Navy]], and [[Royal Australian Navy]]. They transported British Commonwealth and other Allied troops in sea assaults and invasions throughout the war.

Typically, an LSI would transport its cargo of infantry from its embarkation port to close to the coast to be invaded. This location (<!-- known as a "transport area" in a US Navy task force, or-->the "lowering position" in Royal Navy terminology) was approximately 6–11 miles off shore. <!-- (11 miles was amphibious doctrine for the USN by mid-war, while the RN tended to accept the risks associated with drawing nearer the shore).--> The troops would then transfer to landing craft, most commonly [[assault landing craft|LCAs]], for the journey to the beach. The landing craft would return to the LSI after disembarking their cargo and be hoisted up to embark additional troops.

==Origins==
In the years immediately before war was declared the [[Inter-Service Training and Development Centre]] sought to identify ships suitable to carry Army and Royal Marine formations being employed in amphibious operations. Such ships would not be purpose-built, but would be found within the lists of merchant marine vessels.<ref>Maund, p. 9.</ref> These ships needed to be fast and have [[davit]]s capable of lowering the new landing craft assault fully loaded with troops.<ref>Maund, p. 9.</ref> {{HMS|Glengyle||2}} and her sisters, ''Glenearn'', ''Glenroy'', and ''Breconshire'', then abuilding, were determined to be ideal for infantry landing ships.<ref>Maund, p. 9</ref> This class of four fast passenger and [[cargo liner]]s were intended for the Far East trade route.<ref>Fergusson, p. 41</ref> The Admiralty acquired the four ''Glens'' shortly after their launchings, and converted them into fast supply ships. By June 1940, ''Glengyle'', ''Glenearn'', and ''Glenroy'' were under conversion to LSI(L)s. The Admiralty insisted on keeping ''Breconshire'' in a fast cargo configuration, so the ISTDC consulted the [[Director of Naval Construction]] about suitable requisitioned ships. The Dutch Continental passenger steamers {{HMS|Queen Emma||2}} and {{HMS|Princess Beatrix||2}} were converted to LSIs. Displacing approximately 3,000 [[Gross Register Tonnage|gross registered tons]] and able to make 22 knots, these vessels could carry as many as 800 troops apiece.<ref>Maund, p. 66.</ref> These were the original 5 LSIs. More LSIs would be found in the years to come from requisitioning or new construction provided by the United States under [[Lend-Lease]].

==Design and conversion==
LSIs were grouped according to their troop capacity and endurance.<ref>Bruce, p. 16.</ref> Initially, all were requisitioned merchant vessels that exchanged carrying lifeboats for landing craft.<ref>Bruce, p. 16.</ref> During April and June 1940, the ''Glens'' underwent further conversion into LSIs capable of transporting an embarked force of up to 34 officers and 663 [[Other ranks (UK)|other ranks]] and carrying 12 LCAs on Welin-McLachan davits and 1 [[LCM 1|LCM(1)]] stored in chocks on deck and launched by 30-ton derricks.<ref>Ladd,1976 p. 78</ref><ref>Maund, p. 66</ref><ref>Ladd, 1978, p. 245</ref>   ''Glengyle'' was built by [[Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company]], [[Dundee]], for the [[Glen Line]]. The only vital alterations to the 18 knot ''Glengyle'' and her sisters, ''Glenroy'' and ''Glenearn'', were to assure davits strong enough to lower fully loaded LCAs, and to provide accommodation for the army units to be transported.<ref>Maund, p. 10.</ref> This latter alteration entailed introducing tables, forms, and posts for slinging hammocks into the former cargo hold.<ref>Bruce, p. 21.</ref> ''Glengyle'', the first LSI, was accepted into service on 10 September and, on 31 January 1941, she sailed around Africa to the [[Mediterranean]].

Smaller LSI, such as ''Queen Emma'' and ''Princess Beatrix'',  were generally converted cross-[[English Channel|channel]] [[ferries]],<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.theheritagecoast.co.uk/historyfile/portland_and_weymouth/d_day/landing_craft.htm |title=The Heritage Coast: Landing Craft |work=theheritagecoast.co.uk |year=2003 |access-date=13 February 2011}}</ref> or a converted passenger ship.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-40LSI-L-Royal%20Scotsman.htm |title=HMS ''Royal Scotsman'', LSI(L) |first=Geoffrey B. |last=Mason |work=naval-history.net |year=2010 |access-date=13 February 2011}}</ref>

Conversion was accomplished, as with LSI(L), by adding davits for the landing craft, providing troop accommodation, plus some defensive armament, such as [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun]]s, and [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft gun]]s, such as the [[20 mm caliber|20 mm]] [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon cannon]].

In Canada in the spring of 1943, work was under way on the conversion of {{HMCS|Prince David|F89|2}} and ''Prince Henry'' to landing ship infantry (medium) (LSI (M)). They were reconfigured to carry 550 infantrymen transported in six LCAs and two LCM(1)s, and have large sick-bay facilities for the anticipated casualties. Their old {{convert|6|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns were replaced with two twin 4&nbsp;inch mountings, two single [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40mm gun]]s, and ten [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikons]]. The rebuilding, which took place at Esquimalt and [[Vancouver]], was completed in December 1943 and shortly after re-commissioning, she left for the United Kingdom via Panama canal and [[New York City]], under Captain T.D. Kelly RCNR, (her final commanding officer) who had supervised the fitting-out of both ships. The ship's davits were capable of lifting an LCA which, by this time in the war, was approaching 14 tons.

[[File:HMCS PrinceDavid LSM.jpg|thumb|right|Four LCAs go ashore from HMCS ''Prince David'' off [[Bernières-sur-Mer]], France, 6 June 1944]]

In Australia in mid-1942, {{HMAS|Manoora|F48|6}}, an ocean liner that had been converted to armed merchant cruiser, was marked for conversion into the Royal Australian Navy's first landing ship, infantry at [[Garden Island Dockyard]].<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', pp. 218–9</ref> Her armament was removed and replaced with a single 12-pounder gun, six [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|40 mm Bofors]], and eight [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikons]].<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 217.</ref> The [[Supermarine Walrus]] amphibian aircraft was removed, and the ship was modified to carry US manufactured [[landing craft]]: 17 [[Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel|LCVPs]], and two [[Landing craft mechanized|LCM(3)s]].<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 217.</ref><ref name=SPCA>{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-manoora-i |title=HMAS ''Manoora'' (I) |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia |access-date=3 April 2011}}</ref> ''Manoora'' was initially able to accommodate 850 soldiers, but later modifications increased this to 1,250.<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 217.</ref> The ship was recommissioned on 2 February 1943 with the pennant number C77, and after spending six months on [[amphibious warfare]] training in [[Port Phillip]], was deployed to New Guinea.<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', pp. 218–9</ref>

In the United States, a commercial hull was put in war production by the [[United States Maritime Commission|Maritime Commission]]; the  [[Type C1 ship|C1-S-AY1]] subtype of thirteen ships built by the [[Consolidated Steel Corporation]], were modified for use as LSI(L)s under [[lend-lease]].<ref>Buffetaut, p. 32.</ref> These ships were all given two-word names beginning with "Empire", such as [[HMS Ormonde (F172)|SS ''Empire Spearhead'']].  All were able to accommodate two LCA flotillas; a total of 24 craft. The {{SS|Empire Broadsword||2}} was lost during the [[invasion of Normandy]] to a mine.  {{SS|Empire Javelin||2}} was sunk by a U-boat torpedo on 28 December 1944. All these ships had davits fitted to accept LCAs and the other appropriate British manufactured landing craft for LSIs.

Normally British converted LSIs were fitted with heavy-duty power-operated davits.<ref>Bruce, p18</ref> Early landing ships were fitted with [[Axel Welin|Welin-McLachlin]] davits – these being generally in use in the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]] for standard 99 man lifeboats.<ref>Maund, p.10</ref> As the weight of LCAs increased through the war (eventually approaching 14 tons) heavier davits were required. Later LSIs and those being refitted were provisioned with luffing davits of a crossbeam type.<ref>North, p. 25</ref> The davits themselves provided a demarcation between the responsibilities of the LSI crew (either Royal Navy or Merchant Navy) and the members of the LCA flotilla.

==Manning the LSI==
Some of the LSIs were commissioned into the Royal Navy, received navy crews, and flew the [[White Ensign]], while most retained their civilian crews and flew the [[Red Ensign]].<ref>Bruce, p. 17.</ref> Royal Navy LSIs had Royal Navy landing craft flotillas assigned to them until 1943, when a proportion of landing craft flotillas were manned by Royal Marine crews. Merchant Navy LSIs would have Royal Navy gunners for the anti-aircraft equipment, and Royal Navy officers and ratings operating the ship’s flotilla of landing craft.<ref>Bruce, p. 17.</ref> Generally, these divisions of personnel did not cooperate or share in each other's work responsibilities.

LSIs in Royal Canadian Navy service were crewed by Canadians and, by late 1943 onwards, were assigned RCN landing craft flotillas. The crews intermingled, lent a hand as needed in one another's work, and messed together.

==Ship designations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! LSI(S)
| Landing ship, infantry (small)
|-
! LSI(M)
| Landing ship, infantry (medium)
|-
! LSI(L)
| Landing ship, infantry (large)
|-
! LSI(H)
| Landing ship, infantry (hand-hoisting)
|}

==Ships==
* {{SS|Ben-my-Chree|1927|6}} &ndash; [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]] passenger ferry. Served at [[Pointe du Hoc]] with [[2nd Ranger Battalion (United States)|2nd US Rangers]], 6 June 1944
* {{Ship|TSS|Duke of York|1935|6}}
* SS ''El Hind'' &ndash; hired as LSI(L) in 1943, destroyed by fire in Bombay docks, April 1944<ref>{{Cite Colledge2006}} p.126</ref>
* {{HMS|Cicero|F170|6}}
* {{HMS|Empire Battleaxe||6}}
* {{SS|Empire Broadsword||6}} &ndash; LSI(L)
* {{HMS|Sansovino|F162|6}} 
* {{SS|Empire Javelin||6}} &ndash; LSI(L)
* {{HMS|Empire Spearhead||6}}
* {{HMS|Glengyle||6}} &ndash; LSI(L), 10,000 tons, 700 troops
* HMS ''Glenearn'' &ndash; LSI(L)
* HMS ''Glenroy'' &ndash; LSI(L)
* {{HMS|Invicta||6}} &ndash; LSI(S)
* {{HMAS|Kanimbla|1936|6}}
* {{SS|Karanja|1930|6}} &ndash; LSI(L), sunk off Algeria, 1942
* {{MV|Llangibby Castle}} 
* SS ''Llanstephan Castle'' - [[Union Castle Line]], 11,293 GRT - sister ship of {{HMHS| Llandovery Castle}}
* {{HMAS|Manoora|F48|6}}
* {{HMNZS|Monowai|F59|6}} &ndash; formerly an ocean-going passenger ship
* Belgian ferry SS ''Princesse Marie-José''<!--this is not a reliable source, and it is not supported by Colledge, which is reliable: also served as HMS ''Baldur''<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.scribd.com/doc/26061327/HMS-Nemesis-WWII-Campbeltown-Anti-Submarine-Training-Ship |title=HMS Nemesis |work=scribd.com |year=2011 |access-date=13 February 2011}}</ref>-->
* {{HMS|Prince Charles|1941|6}}
* {{Ship|HMCS|Prince David|F89|6}} &ndash; LSI(M), 500 troops
* {{HMCS|Prince Henry||6}} &ndash; LSI(M) former passenger liner
* {{HMS|Prince Leopold||6}} &ndash; LSI(S), former Belgian cross channel ferry, torpedoed in 1944 by {{Ship|German submarine|U-621||2}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/public/news/release.asp?mcga_news_id=2750&month=11&year=2004 |title=Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Press Releases |first=Joanne |last=Groenenberg |work=mcanet.mcga.gov.uk |date=24 November 2004 |access-date=13 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724014700/https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/public/news/release.asp?mcga_news_id=2750&month=11&year=2004 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{HMS|Princess Astrid||6}} &ndash; LSI(S)
* {{HMS|Princess Beatrix||6}} &ndash; LSI(M)
* {{HMS|Princess Josephine Charlotte||6}} &ndash; LSI(S)
* {{HMS|Prince Albert|1941|6}}
* {{HMS|Queen Emma||6}} &ndash; LSI(M)
* {{HMS|Rocksand|F184|6}} &ndash; formerly ''Cape Argos'' then ''Empire Anvil''
* {{HMS|Royal Scotsman||6}} &ndash; LSI(H), former passenger ferry operating in the [[Irish Sea]]
* {{HMS|Royal Ulsterman||6}}
* {{HMS|Sainfoin|F183|6}} &ndash; formerly ''Empire Crossbow''
* [[TSS St Helier (1925)|HMS ''St Helier'']] &ndash; LSI(H) former Channel Island ferry
* {{ship|MS|Sobieski}} with LCP(L)s
* {{HMS|Ulster Monarch}} &ndash; LSI(H), former passenger ferry operating in the Irish Sea
* {{HMAS|Westralia|F95|6}}

==See also==
{{Commons category|Landing Ship, Infantry}}
* [[Attack Transport|Auxiliary personnel attack ship]] - US term for a similar ship
* [[Landing craft assault]]

==Notes and citations==
{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==
*Bruce, Colin J. ''Invaders'', Chatham Publishing, London, 1999. {{ISBN|1-84067-533-0}}
* Bastock, John. ''Australia's Ships of War'' Sydney : Angus and Robertson Publishers, 1975. {{ISBN|0207129274}}
*Buffetaut, Yves. ''D-Day Ships'', Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1994. {{ISBN|1-55750-152-1}}
*Fergusson, Bernard. ''The Watery Maze; The Story of Combined Operations'', Holt, New York, 1961.
*Ladd, JD. ''Assault From the Sea: 1939–1945'', Hippocrene Books, Inc., New York, 1976. {{ISBN|0-88254-392-X}}
*Ladd, James D. ''Commandos and Rangers of World War 2'', Macdonalds and Jane's, London, 1978. {{ISBN|0-356-08432-9}}.
*Ladd, JD. ''Royal Marine Commando'', Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., London, 1982. {{ISBN|0-600-34203-4}}
*Lavery, Brian. ''Assault Landing Craft'', Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, UK, 2009. {{ISBN|978-1-84832-050-5}}
*Lund, Paul, and Ludlam, Harry. ''War of the Landing Craft'', New English Library, London 1976. {{ISBN|0-450-03039-3}}
*Maund, LEH. ''Assault From the Sea'', Methuen & Co. Ltd., London 1949.
*Saunders, Hilary A. St. George. ''Combined Operations: The Official Story of the Commandos'', New York: Macmillan, 1943.
*US Navy ONI 226. ''Allied Landing Craft and Ships'', US Government Printing Office, 1944.

==External links==
*http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-40LSI-L-Royal%20Scotsman.htm
*http://www.maritimequest.com/liners/02_pages/p/prince_leopold_1930_data.htm

{{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries}}

[[Category:Ship types]]
[[Category:Troop ships]]
[[Category:Amphibious warfare vessels]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s]]