USS

LST289

LST289 was constructed on 14th September 1943 at Ambridge, Pennsylvania, by the American Bridge Co. It was launched on 21st November and sponsored by Mrs. Raymond Clapper. The ship was commissioned on 31st December, with Lt. Harry A. Mettler, USNR, assuming command.

LST289 was transferred to the United Kingdom on December 9th, 1944, and then restored to the possession of the United States Navy on October 12th, 1946.

On 15th October 1946, she was removed from the Navy list and subsequently sold to the Netherlands under the name Fendracht on 30th January 1947.

In 1956, she underwent conversion to be used for commerce duty.

	Specifications:	Displacement: 1,625 t.(lt) 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load) 2,366 t. (beaching displacement) Length: 328′ o.a. Beam: 50′ Draft: light: 2′ 4″ fwd, 7′ 6″ aft sea-going: 8′ 3″ fwd, 14′ 1″ aft landing: 3′ 11″ fwd, 9′ 10″ aft (landing w/500 ton load) limitin:g 11′ 2″ maximum navigation: 14′ 1″ Speed: 11.6 kts. (trial) Endurance: 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons Complement: 13 officers 104 enlisted Troop Accommodations: 16 officers 147 enlisted Boats: 2 LCVP Cargo Capacity: (varied with mission – payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons) Typical loads: One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting Armament: varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was: 2 x Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors 4 x Single 40MM gun mounts 12 x single 20MM gun mounts Fuel Capacity: Diesel 4,300 Bbls Propulsion: two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines single Falk Main Reduction Gears three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship’s Service Generators two propellers, 1,700shp twin rudders
	History	LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship: Laid down: 14 September 1943, at the American Bridge Co., Ambridge, MA. Launched, 21 November 1943. Commissioned: USS LST289, 31 December 1943, LT. Harry A. Mettler, USNR, in command. During World War II: USS LST289 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theatre. Action: Severely damaged by a German E-Boat torpedo attack off Slapton Sands, England, 28 April 1944, during Operation Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy invasion Decommissioned and transferred to the United Kingdom, 9 December 1944. Royal Navy History: Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-289, 30 November 1944. – De-equipped and mudberthed at Sandacre Bay, 30 July 1946. – Paid off and returned to US Navy custody, 12 October 1946. Deregistered: Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1946. Final Disposition: Sold, 30 January 1947 to the Netherlands as MV Fendracht.
	Commanding Officers	LT. Mettler, Harry A., USNR 31 December 1943 – 10 September 1944 LT. Wilkes, Johnie Jackson, USN 10 September 1944 – March 1945