HM LST-420

LST-420 was a United States Navy that was transferred to the Royal Navy during World War II. She was lost on 7 November 1944, after hitting a mine in heavy seas off Ostend, Belgium, sinking with great loss of life, particularly amongst her Royal Air Force passengers. It was the greatest loss of life on a British landing craft during World War II.
Construction.
"LST-420" was laid down on 6 November 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 940, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; launched 5 December 1942; then transferred to the United Kingdom and commissioned on 15 February 1943.
She was a purpose designed “tank landing ship” capable of transporting vehicles and personnel to anywhere in the world. She had served in the Mediterranean and in the landings on D-Day. From 20 July 1944, she was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Douglas Harold Everett, Royal Navy Reserve, a 30 year old professional Master Mariner serving with the Royal Navy for the duration of the war.
Background for final operations.
The weather was very poor and had resulted in a relative lull in aerial fighting in North West Europe. This presented the 2nd Tactical Air Force with an opportunity to conduct necessary servicing, repairs and overhaul of radar installations in North West Europe as “partial downtime” was unavoidable in the process and the defences could not be "down" when the Luftwaffe was active. The process involved taking a radar installation "off line" but leaving the site still functioning on its alternative systems.
All such major maintenance after the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, until November 1944, had been accomplished by small “Mobile Signals Servicing Units” (M.S.S.U.) which had been enormously successful. The tactical plan was for the “No. 1 Base Signals and Radar Unit” (B.S.R.U.), which had completed eighteen months training at “Signals Battle Training School”, to land in France once the Normandy bridgehead was sufficiently stable but due to the MSSU’s success and the greater rate of territorial advance than expected, the BSRU had been held in England until a more suitable time.
After meetings at the Air Ministry in London and the HQ of 2nd Tactical Air Force in North West Europe, it was decided to move the unit, its vehicles and personnel to a site at Ghent, Belgium where workshops were set up and equipment began to arrive. On receipt of movement orders in the marshalling area in Essex, the 303 men comprising the unit began boarding "LST-420" which took aboard 19 officers and 250 enlisted personnel of No. 1 BSRU (some sources say 263 officers and men) with their 50 vehicles, equipment and supplies, the remaining officer and 33 enlisted men boarded another LST with several of their vehicles.
Loss.
On 7 November 1944, a small convoy of vessels comprising , , , and "LST-420" crossed the English Channel bound for Ostend, Belgium. The weather had been very poor for a week and a severe storm was rising. By mid-afternoon when they arrived off the Belgian coast conditions were terrible, and as a result they were refused permission to enter port at Ostend due to concerns that an accident in the harbourmouth might cause considerable disruption in the supply line for land forces. The convoy duly altered course back towards England planning to shelter overnight in the Thames Estuary before returning to Ostend on the following day.
At approximately 15:00, within sight of Ostend the bow section of "LST-420" struck a powerful German mine which tore a large hole in the ship's hull causing it to break into two parts. The ship's galley fires were lit at the time due to the evening meal being prepared and gallons of petrol from the damaged fuel tanks of the vehicles caught fire enveloping the stern section of the ship in flame. "LST-420" sank very rapidly and due to the heavy seas only larger vessels were able to attempt to rescue survivors in the water.
Of the ill-fated “BSRU” only 31 or 32 men were saved from life rafts.
The position of the wreck is recorded as .
Casualties.
At least 292 persons were killed, with the total loss of life probably being over 320. (Calculations based on the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission coupled with the “Armed Forces Register” of the General Register Office of England & Wales and Scotland and records held on the “Air of Authority” website.) The dead were washed ashore as far north as the north German coast, on the beaches of the Netherlands, Belgium, England and as far south as Calais, France.
Notes.
A section of the bow of "LST-420" was raised in 1990.
A yellow marker buoy is located above the wreck today.
Bibliography.
Online resources
External links.
 