Australian landing ship medium Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355)

The Australian landing ship medium Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355) was a United States Navy landing ship medium which was later sold to Australia and operated by the Australian Army.

History
United States
Name:	LSM-315
Builder:	Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Illinois
Commissioned:	13 July 1944
Decommissioned:	14 June 1946
Fate:	sold to Australia
Australia
Name:	Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355)
Namesake:	Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Sturdee
Acquired:	26 January 1960
Decommissioned:	1972
Fate:	sold to commercial interests
General characteristics
Class and type:	LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium
Displacement:	638 tons
Length:	203 ft (62 m)
Beam:	34 ft (10 m)
Draft:	6 ft (1.8 m) light, 5 ft (1.5 m) loaded
Propulsion:	two Fairbanks Morse 18 cylinder opposed piston diesels, each 1,900 hp (1,400 kW), twin screws
Speed:	14.5 knots (26.9 km/h)
Range:	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi)
Capacity:	Up to 306 tons, including four Centurion tanks
Complement:	2 officers, 25 men
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar
Armament:	1 × 40mm gun, 4 × 20mm gun mounts
Armour:	10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station

The ship was built by the Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Illinois and was commissioned into the United States Navy (USN) as USS LSM-315 on 13 July 1944. She was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations and saw action during the liberation of the Philippines during 1944 and 1945. Following the war she was decommissioned on 14 June 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

The ship was purchased by the Australian Army and was named Vernon Sturdee (AV 1355) in honour of the Australian World War II general Vernon Sturdee. The ship was one of four LSMs operated by the newly formed 32nd Small Ship Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers and was refitted in Japan before she arrived in Australia. From 1960 to 1970 she performed routine duties in support of the Australian Army, and carried equipment between ports in Australia, New Guinea, Malaysia and New Zealand.

The ship was deployed to Vung Tau in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, where she operated in South Vietnamese waters. Vernon Sturdee was decommissioned on 30 September 1971 when the 32nd Small Ship Squadron was disbanded.

References

• Priolo, Gary P. "Landing Ship Medium LSM-315". NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved 13 January 2010.

Further reading

• Gillett, Ross. "Australia's Medium Landing Ships. The Galloping Green Ghosts". Australian Warship Review (9/2001).