thumb|Three US amphibious warfare ships in 2011 - the Landing Helicopter Dock leading the Landing Platform Dock , rear, and the Landing Ship Dock , fore

This is a list of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships. This type of ship has been in use with the US Navy since World War I.

Ship status is indicated as either currently active [A] (including ready reserve), inactive [I], or precommissioning [P]. Ships in the inactive category include only ships in the inactive reserve, ships which have been disposed from US service have no listed status. Ships in the precommissioning category include ships under construction or on order.

Historical overview

There have been four generations of amphibious warfare ships, with each generation having more capability than the previous:

  • The first generation simply landed troops and equipment ashore with standard (i.e., non-specialized) boats and barges. These ships are not listed in this article since they were indistinguishable from the troopships and other surface combatants of their day, and as such were not assigned specialized hull classification symbols.
  • The second generation was designed during World War II to land personnel and vehicles ashore, either directly or via carried specialized landing craft.
  • The third generation was designed beginning in the 1950s to use helicopters for amphibious operations, with the result that such operations were no longer limited to beaches.
  • The fourth generation was designed beginning in the 1980s to use hovercraft (Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) specifically), with the result that the numbers and types of beaches which could be accessed dramatically increased.

World War II

During the naval build-up for World War II, almost 200 Maritime Commission (MARCOM) standard designs were converted to US Navy amphibious warfare ships. In the Cold War these and newer standard designs were built under MARCOM's successor agency, the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD):

  • 1 Type C1 ship: 1 AKA
  • 101 Type C2 ships: 15 AGC, 79 AKA, 7 APA
  • 16 Type C3 ships: 15 APA, 1 AKA
  • 3 Type C4 ships: 1 AKA, 2 APA
  • 64 Type S4 ships: 32 AKA, 32 APA
  • 117 Type VC2 Victory ships: all AKA

In the following lists MARCOM types are abbreviated as 'MC type' and MARAD as 'MA type'; 'MC types' became 'MA types' in 1950.

Postwar

The first amphibious warfare ships had a top speed of 12 to 17 knots. With the appearance of higher speed submarines at the end of World War II, the US Navy decided that all new amphibious warfare ships would have to have a minimum speed of to increase their chances of survival. The High Speed Transport destroyer conversions (APD/LPR), the Landing Platform Docks (LPD), and all new ships with a full flight deck (LPH, LHA, LHD) would meet this criterion. The other major types would see relatively small numbers of new ships constructed with this 20 knot requirement, with the last appearing in 1969.

Classifications

Amphibious warfare ships were considered by the US Navy to be auxiliaries and were classed with hull classification symbols beginning with 'A' until 1942. Many ships were reclassed at that time as landing ships and received new hull symbols beginning with 'L'; others would retain 'A' hull symbols until 1969 and then receive 'L' symbols. This article pairs the two lists of what are the same ships, with each 'L' list preceding the respective 'A' list. Littoral Combat Ships also use 'L' hull symbols but are not solely intended for amphibious warfare.

In 2015 the US Navy created new hull classification symbols that began with an 'E' to designate 'expeditionary' vessels. Expeditionary vessels are designed to support low-intensity missions, allowing more expensive, high-value amphibious warfare ships to be re-tasked for more demanding missions. Most of these ships are not commissioned warships, but rather are operated by the Military Sealift Command.

Amphibious assault ship (General Purpose) (LHA)

thumb|right|USS Tarawa (LHA 1)

thumb|right|USS America (LHA-6)

:The Tarawa-class LHA was the first to combine the features of the well deck of the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) or Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and the full flight deck of the Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) into one ship. Though not designed to carry Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)s, they could accommodate one in their well decks.

  • USS Peleliu (LHA-5) [I]

:The America-class LHA would be a follow-on to the Wasp-class LHD. The first two ships, America and Tripoli, would not have a well deck, so as to dedicate more space to the support of air operations. This was criticized as a repeat of the mistakes of the LPH concept, and so it was decided that Bougainville and all future ships of this class would have a well deck.

  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [P]
  • [P]
  • [P]

Amphibious assault ship (multi-purpose) (LHD)

thumb|USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6)

:The well deck of the Tarawa-class LHA was not designed to accommodate the LCAC, which came into service just six years after the last of that class was completed. The Wasp-class LHD and the later units of the America-class LHA were designed to be LCAC compatible; the Wasp-class could carry 3 LCACs.

  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • , scrapped after a 12 July 2020 pierside fire
  • [A]
  • [A]

Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH)

thumb|right|USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2)

thumb|right|USS Princeton (LPH-5)

thumb|right|Thetis Bay (LPH-6)

The Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) would be the first ships to operate helicopters for large scale air assault behind beaches. One major defect of the LPH concept was that these ships did not carry landing craft to disembark Marines when weather or hostile anti-aircraft systems grounded helicopters; only Inchon would be modified to carry two landing craft. In such situations the LPH would be reliant on landing craft supplied by other ships, which proved awkward in practice. This defect would drive the design of the Tarawa-class LHA, in effect a LPH with a well deck.

: MC type T3

  • , ex-CVE-106, conversion under project SCB 159 canceled

:As the 'definitive' LPH design under project SCB 157, the Iwo Jima class would be the only class to be built as such, with sufficient 'hotel' accommodations for the embarked Marines. All other LPH ships would be conversions of aircraft carriers, and so had accommodation deficiencies (for example, some Marine units could not bunk together, and water evaporation was insufficient to allow all personnel showers within a 24 hour period).

:After their retirement as amphibious warfare ships, one (Inchon) would be converted to carry minesweeping helicopters as a mine countermeasures support ship (MCS). All of these ships would be scrapped or sunk as targets by 2018.

  • , Operation Dominic nuclear test participant
  • , later MCS-12

:The following LPH ships were converted Essex class aircraft carriers, due to budget constraints with the construction of the Iwo Jima class ships.

  • , ex-CV-21
  • , ex-CV-37, Operation Dominic participant
  • , Operation Castle nuclear test participant
  • , later MCS-7
  • , Operation Crossroads nuclear test participant, later ARA Cándido de Lasala
  • , nuclear tests participant
  • , Project SHAD chemical/biological test participant
  • , Operation Dominic participant
  • , ex-DD-79, sunk by naval gunfire 5 September 1942, 65 killed
  • , ex-DD-90, sunk in air attack 17 November 1943, 116 killed
  • , ex-DD-83
  • , ex-DD-114
  • , ex-DD-115
  • , ex-DD-116
  • , ex-DD-232, heavily damaged by Kamikaze 6 January 1945 (never repaired and decommissioned in August 1945), 8 killed
  • , ex-DD-233
  • , ex-DD-236
  • , ex-DD-243

Wickes-class

  • , ex-DD-103
  • , ex-DD-137
  • , ex-DD-139 sunk by Kamikaze 7 December 1944
  • , ex-DD-164

Clemson-class

  • , ex-DD-235

Wickes-class

  • , ex-DD-125
  • , ex-DD-147
  • , ex-DD-157, scuttled after Kamikaze attack 4 April 1945, 54 killed
  • , ex-DD-160

Clemson-class

  • , ex-DD-239
  • , ex-DD-343, sunk in collision 12 September 1944, no deaths

Wickes-class

  • , ex-DD-113

Clemson-class

  • , DD-237 — conversion canceled
  • , ex-DD-244
  • , DD-342 — conversion canceled
  • , ex-DD-248, sunk by Kamikaze 21 June 1945
  • , ex-DD-186
  • , ex-DD-188
  • , ex-DD-196
  • , ex-DD-251, heavily damaged by Kamikaze 11 January 1945 (never repaired and decommissioned in August 1945), 38 killed
  • , ex-DD-255
  • , ex-DD-266, ex-AVD-13, wrecked by Typhoon Louise Okinawa October 1945

Charles Lawrence class

  • , sunk by Kamikaze 25 May 1945, 21 killed or missing
  • , Operation Crossroads nuclear test participant
  • PCC-549, ex-PC-549
  • PCC-555, ex-PC-555
  • PCC-563, ex-PC-563
  • PCC-578, ex-PC-578
  • USS Lenoir (PCC-582), ex-PC-582
  • USS Houghton (PCC-588), ex-PC-588
  • USS Metropolis (PCC-589), ex-PC-589
  • PCC-598, ex-PC-598
  • PCC-802, ex-PC-802, later to Republic of Korea as Sam Gak San (PC-703)
  • PCC-803, ex-PC-803
  • PCC-1136, ex-PC-1136
  • PCC-1137, ex-PC-1137
  • USS Escandido (PCC-1169), ex-PC-1169
  • USS Guymon (PCC-1177), ex-PC-1177
  • USS Kewaunee (PCC-1178), ex-PC-1178
  • USS Martinez (PCC-1244), ex-PC-1244
  • USS Ukiah (PCC-1251), ex-PC-1251

Patrol craft sweeper, control (PCSC)

Thirteen Patrol Craft Sweepers (which were built on 134-foot hulls) were converted into amphibious landing control vessel during World War II and reclassified as Patrol Craft Sweeper, Control.

  • , ex-PCS-1379
  • , ex-PCS-1389
  • , ex-PCS-1390
  • , ex-PCS-1391
  • , ex-PCS-1402
  • , ex-PCS-1403
  • , ex-PCS-1418
  • , ex-PCS-1421
  • , ex-PCS-1429
  • , ex-PCS-1452
  • , ex-PCS-1455
  • , ex-PCS-1460
  • , ex-PCS-1461

Expeditionary medical ship (EMS)

Expeditionary fast transport (EPF)

thumb|right|USNS Spearhead (T-EPF-1)

  • [I]
  • [I]
  • [I]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [P]
  • [P]

:In January 2023, the Navy announced that three Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS) had been approved in the 2023 military budget. By May 2023 the three ships had been officially reclassified from EPF to EMS.

  • (T-EPF-17), later
  • (T-EPF-18), later
  • (T-EPF-19), later

Expeditionary mobile base (ESB)

thumb|right|USS Lewis B. Puller ESB-3

:Note there is no ESB-1 or ESB-2, the ESB and ESD hulls have one sequence.

  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [A]
  • [P]
  • [P]

Afloat forward staging base (AFSB)

The Afloat forward staging base (AFSB) was reclassified as the Expeditionary mobile base (ESB) on 4 September 2015.

  • , ex-LPD-15
  • USS Lewis B. Puller (AFSB-1), ex-MLP-3, later ESB-3

Expeditionary transfer dock (ESD)

thumb|right|USNS Montford Point (T-ESD-1)

  • [A]
  • [A]

Mobile landing platform (MLP)

The Mobile landing platform (MLP) was reclassified as the Expeditionary transfer dock (ESD) on 4 September 2015.

  • USNS Montford Point (T-MLP-1), later T-ESD-1
  • USNS John Glenn (T-MLP-2), later T-ESD-2
  • USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3) later AFSB-1, ESB-3

Littoral combat ship (LCS)

Barracks ships

Barracks ships are auxiliaries that are used in a variety of roles, not only for amphibious warfare.

Self-propelled barracks ship (APB)

Non self-propelled barracks ship (APL)

Offshore petroleum distribution system (OPDS) ships

thumb|right|USNS Vice Adm. K. R. Wheeler (T-AG-5001)

thumb|right|SS Chesapeake (AOT-5084), note the green barge-like Single Anchor Leg Mooring (SALM) on the deck aft of center for use in deploying the OPDS hoses, hose reels are forward

OPDS ships support amphibious operations by pumping needed fuel ashore without the need for port facilities. They do not have unique hull classification symbols.

Pump vessels

  • USNS Vice Adm. K. R. Wheeler (T-AG-5001) [A]

Tankers

All OPDS tankers have been scrapped.

See also

  • Amphibious assault ship
  • Amphibious warfare ship
  • List of current ships of the United States Navy
  • List of United States Navy ships
  • - abbreviated list
  • - detailed list
  • Mobile offshore base

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

Museum ships

  • USS LCI(L)-713 - Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum, Portland, OR
  • USS LCI(L)-1091 - Humboldt Bay Naval Sea/Air Museum, Eureka, CA
  • USS LCS(L)(3)-102 - Landing Craft Support Museum, Mare Island, CA
  • USS LST-325 - The USS LST Ship Memorial, Evansville, IN
  • USS LST-393 - USS LST 393 Veterans Museum, Muskegon, MI
  • USS Stark County (LST-1134) - Surat Thani, Thailand