| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Tank landing ship |
| Class | LST (Mk 2) |
| Pennant | LST 73 |
| Built by | Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co. (Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 10 Dec 1942 |
| Launched | 29 Mar 1943 |
| Commissioned | 8 Jun 1943 |
| End service | 13 Jul 1946 |
| History | Decommissioned on 13 July 1946. |
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Notable events involving LST 73 include:
10 Nov 1943
Combined convoys AB 20(F) / AB 20(S) / AP 52.
They departed Aden on 10 November 1943.
Convoy AP 52.
This convoy was made up of the following tankers / transports;
Aedanus Burke (American, 7191 GRT, built 1943),
American Press (American, 6778 GRT, built 1941),
Corilla (Dutch (tanker), 8096 GRT, built 1939),
Diplodon (British (tanker), 8149 GRT, built 1041),
Empire Envoy (British, 7046 GRT, built 1942),
Empire Miranda (British, 7054 GRT, built 1943),
Empire Symbol (British, 7027 GRT, built 1943),
Ena (Dutch (tanker), 6229 GRT, built 1936),
Convoy AP 52 was escorted by the minesweepers HMAS Geraldton (Cdr.(Retd.) H.M. Harris, RNR) and HMIS Bengal (T/Lt. U.J.S. Chopra, RINR).
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Convoy AB 20F (fast).
This convoy was made up of the following (troop) transports; Bergensfjord (Norwegian, 11015 GRT, built 1913), City of Agra (British, 6361 GRT, built 1936), City of Dieppe (British, 7958 GRT, built 1929), Mooltan (British, 20952 GRT, built 1923), Sobieski (Polish, 11030 GRT, built 1939) and Volendam (Dutch, 15434 GRT, built 1922).
The landing ship HMS Glengyle (A/Capt. E.C.L. Turner, RN) was also part of this convoy.
Convoy AB 20F was escorted by the destroyer HMS Rapid (Lt.Cdr. M.W. Tomkinson, DSC and Bar, RN).
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Convoy AB 20S (slow).
This convoy was made up of the following transports; Historian (British, 5074 GRT, built 1924), Lafonataine Park (British, 7131 GRT, built 1943), Markhor (British, 7917 GRT, built 1928) and Samarkand (British, 7219 GRT, built 1943).
The USS LST 73 (Lt. H.M. Crossan, USNR) and HMS LST 239 (T/Lt. F. Dyer, RNR) were also part of the convoy as was the landing craft repair ships (former LST) USS Achelous (Lt. W. Ringies, USNR).
Convoy AB 20S was escorted by the frigate HMS Trent (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.G. Rankin, DSC, RNR), corvette HMS Nigella (T/Lt. C.L.L. Davies, RNVR) and minesweeper HMAS Ipswich (T/Lt.Cdr. J.S. McBryde, RANR(S)).
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These convoys remained in company with each other until around 0630DE/14 when convoy AP 52 parted company to proceed to the Persian Gulf where it arrived on 17 November.
Around 0930DE/14, the escort carrier HMS Battler (A/Capt. F.M.R. Stephenson, RN) and the destroyers HMS Rotherham (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN), HMAS Norman (Cdr. H.J. Buchanan DSO, RAN) and HMAS Nepal (Cdr. F.B. Morris, RAN) joined in position 16°44'N, 57°04'E and parted company half an hour later taking convoy AB 20F with them to proceed to Bombay where it arrived on 17 November.
Convoy AB 20S arrived at Bombay on 19 November 1943.
22 Dec 1943
Convoy CJ 9A.
This convoy departed Calcutta on 22 December 1943.
It was made up of the following LST's; HMS LST 180 (?), HMS LST 215 (Cdr.(Retd.) G.H.F. Owles, RN), HMS LST 238 (?), USS LST 17 (Lt. H.B. Gallagher, USCGR), USS LST 21 (Cdr. T.W. Greene, USN), USS LST 25 (Lt. E.F. Macellus, USNR), USS LST 72 (Lt. J.A. Lombard, USNR), USS LST 73 (Lt. H.M. Crossan, USNR), USS LST 175 (Lt. E.J. Fitzgerald, USNR), USS LST 176 (Lt.(jg) J.A. Salt, USNR), USS LST 208 (Lt. A. Strickland, USNR) and USS LST 209 (Lt. F.T. Ratchford, USNR).
On departure from Calcutta the convoy was escorted by the minelayer HrMs Willem van der Zaan (Lt.Cdr. G.P. Küller, RNN) and the auxiliary patrol vessel HMIS Kalavati (T/Lt. S. Gill, RINR).
Around 0730FG/25, the convoy escort was reinforced when the destroyer HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN) joined.
The destroyer HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN), which had been in company with HMAS Quiberon proceeded to Madras with HMS LST 180 and HMS LST 238 arriving there later on the 25th.
The convoy arrived at Colombo on 27 December 1943. (1)
28 Dec 1943
Convoy MB 59A.
This convoy departed Colombo on 28 December 1943.
It was made up of the following LST's; HMS LST 215 (Cdr.(Retd.) G.H.F. Owles, RN), USS LST 17 (Lt. H.B. Gallagher, USCGR), USS LST 21 (Cdr. T.W. Greene, USN), USS LST 25 (Lt. E.F. Macellus, USNR), USS LST 72 (Lt. J.A. Lombard, USNR), USS LST 73 (Lt. H.M. Crossan, USNR), USS LST 175 (Lt. E.J. Fitzgerald, USNR), USS LST 176 (Lt.(jg) J.A. Salt, USNR), USS LST 208 (Lt. A. Strickland, USNR) and USS LST 209 (lt. F.T. Ratchford, USNR).
The repair ship (former LST) USS Achelous (Lt. W. Ringies, USNR) was also part of the convoy.
On departure from Colombo the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN) and the minesweeper HMIS Khyber (T/Lt. H.C.H. Berry, RINR).
During the night of 30/31 December 1943, HMIS Khyber parted company.
In the morning of 4 January 1944, the corvette HMS Rockrose (T/Lt. H.J. Makepeace, RNR) joined.
The convoy arrived at Aden on 5 January 1944. (2)
6 Jan 1944
The LST's, HMS LST 215 (Cdr.(Retd.) G.H.F. Owles, RN),
USS LST 17 (Lt. H.B. Gallagher, USCGR),
USS LST 21 (Cdr. T.W. Greene, USN),
USS LST 25 (Lt. E.F. Macellus, USNR),
USS LST 72 (Lt. J.A. Lombard, USNR),
USS LST 73 (Lt. H.M. Crossan, USNR),
USS LST 175 (Lt. E.J. Fitzgerald, USNR),
USS LST 176 (Lt.(jg) J.A. Salt, USNR),
USS LST 208 (Lt. A. Strickland, USNR) and
USS LST 209 (lt. F.T. Ratchford, USNR) and the repair ship (former LST) USS Achelous (Lt. W. Ringies, USNR) departed Aden for the Suez Canal.
On departure from Aden they were escorted by the destroyer HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN).
The destroyer parted company around 0330C/7 and set course to return to Aden where she arrived around 0930C/7.
The LST's and repair ship arrived at Suez on 12 January 1944. (3)
26 Jan 1945
LST return convoy No.3
This convoy departed Cawsand Bay (Plymouth) around 0930A on 26 January 1945.
It was made up of ten LST's, seven YMS's and a tanker.
The ten LST's were the following; USS LST-1 (Lt. l. Emley, USNR), USS LST-16 (Lt.(jg) W.J. Kenneally, USCGR), USS LST-72 (Lt. C.B. Huber, USNR), USS LST-73 (Lt. H.M. Crossan, USN), USS LST-309 (Lt. Wm.H.A. Hauser, USNR), USS LST-377 (Lt. J.P. Cunningham, USNR), USS LST-378 (Lt. E.C. Anderson, USNR), USS LST-379 (Lt. J.B. Chase, USNR), USS LST-522 (Lt. S.W.W. Ravel, USNR) and USS LST 980 (Lt. W.F. Westfall, USN).
The seven YMS's were the following, USS YMS-346 (Lt. J.W. Wilke, USNR), USS YMS-348 (Lt. H.C. Lavine, USNR), USS YMS-349 (Lt. R.L. Neal, USNR), USS YMS 351 (Lt. J.J. McDonald, USNR), USS YMS-352 (Lt. N.C. Tomson, USNR), USS YMS-356 (Lt. J.C. Buckley, USNR) and USS YMS-375 (Lt. E.C. Darnell, USNR).
The tanker was the Chr. Th. Boe (Norwegian, 6192 GRT, built 1930).
On departure from Cawsand Bay the convoy was escorted by the escort destroyers USS Gillette (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Daniel, Jr. USNR, with COMCORTDIV 56, T/Cdr. W.L. Harmon, USN on board) and USS Henry R. Kenyon (Lt.Cdr. G.F. Stearns, USNR).
Around 1200A/26, ' Force 26 ' joined, which was made up of the destroyers ORP Blyscawica (Cdr. L. Lichodziejewski), HrMs Van Galen (Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) and the escort destroyers HMS Melbreak (A/Lt.Cdr. G.J. Kirkby, DSC, RN) and HMS Tanatside (Cdr. B.J. de St. Croix, DSC, RN). ' Force 26 ' had departed Plymouth around 1030A/26.
Around 1000A/27, ORP Blyscawica, HrMs Van Galen, HMS Melbreak and HMS Tanatside parted company to join westbound convoy CU 55.
On 4 February, USS Gillette fuelled from the Chr. Th. Boe.
On 6 February and 7 February, USS Henry R. Kenyon fuelled from the Chr. Th. Boe. The attempt on 6 February had to be broken off.
On 9 February, all seven YMS's fuelled from the Chr. Th. Boe. Around 1600?/9, [time zone not known but probably P or O] the tanker parted company to proceed to Curacao.
Around 0430Q/17, the Norfolk section of the convoy (all LST's, YMS-349 and USS-YMS 375) parted company and entered the Norfolk swept channel.
The remainder of the convoy, the New York Section, arrived at New York on the 18th.
Sources
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for December 1943 + War diary of USS LST 21 for December 1943
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for December 1943 + Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for January 1944 + War diary USS LST-21 for December 1943 + War diary USS LST-21 for January 1944
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for January 1944 + War diary of USS LST 21 for January 1944