HM LST-13

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|Ship image= LFD 13 ex LST 13 Greenock 1944.jpeg

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|Ship caption= HM FDT-13, ex-LST-13, 23 March 1944, Greenock, Scotland.

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|Ship country=United States

|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}

|Ship name= LST-13

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|Ship builder=Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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|Ship laid down=1 September 1942

|Ship launched=5 January 1943

|Ship sponsor= Mrs. Jean A. Brackmann

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|Ship fate=Transferred to the Royal Navy, 3 April 1943

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|Ship country= United Kingdom

|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}

|Ship name=* LST-13 (1943–1944)

FDT-13 (1944–1946)

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|Ship acquired=3 April 1943

|Ship commissioned= 3 April 1943

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|Ship out of service= 27 February 1946

|Ship reclassified=Fighter Direction Tender, January 1944

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|Ship fate= Returned to US Naval custody, 27 February 1946

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|Ship country= United States

|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}

|Ship acquired= 27 February 1946

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|Ship struck= 5 June 1946

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|Ship fate= Sold for scrapping, 11 October 1947

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|Header caption= {{sfn|Navsource|2017}}

|Ship type= {{sclass|LST-1|tank landing ship}}

|Ship displacement={{LST-1 class tank landing ship displacement}}

|Ship length={{LST-1 class tank landing ship length}}

|Ship beam={{LST-1 class tank landing ship beam}}

|Ship draft={{LST-1 class tank landing ship draft}}

|Ship power={{LST-1 class tank landing ship power}}

|Ship propulsion={{LST-1 class tank landing ship propulsion}}

|Ship speed={{LST-1 class tank landing ship speed}}

|Ship range={{LST-1 class tank landing ship range}}

|Ship boats={{LST-1 class tank landing ship boats}}

|Ship capacity={{LST-1 class tank landing ship capacity}}

|Ship troops=163

|Ship complement=117

|Ship armament={{LST-1 class tank landing ship armament}}

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| operations =Normandy landings (6–13 June 1944)

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HM LST-13 was an {{sclass|LST-1|tank landing ship}} of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Navy in April 1943, before being commissioned into the USN. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

Construction

LST-13 was laid down on 1 September 1942, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 5 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Jean A. Brackmann; transferred to the Royal Navy on 3 April 1943,{{sfn|DANFS}} and commissioned the same day.{{sfn|Navsource|2017}}

Service history

LST-13 left Galveston, Texas, on 10 April 1943, with Convoy HK 168, en route to Key West, Florida, arriving 14 April 1943.{{sfn|Convoy HK 170}}

LST-13 left from Halifax, Nova Scotia, for Liverpool on 18 May 1943, with convoy SC 131, carrying general cargo, however, due to defects she had to return to Halifax.{{sfn|Convoy SC 131}} She then sailed with convoy SC 132 on 26 May 1943, arriving in Liverpool 11 June 1943.{{sfn|Convoy SC 132}}

LST-13 was sent to the Clyde area where she remained until November 1943. She then sailed for Southampton but returned to Clydebank 31 December 1943. She was sent to the John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Shipyards to be converted into a Fighter Direction Tender, being redesignated FDT-13 in January 1944.{{sfn|Navsource|2017}}

FDT-13 participated in the Invasion of Normandy from 6–13 June 1944. She provided aircraft control for both US and British fighters defending the main shipping route from the United Kingdom to the invasion beaches in France.{{sfn|Navsource|2017}}

Final disposition

FDT-13 was returned to the US Navy on 27 February 1946, at Norfolk, Virginia, and struck from the Naval Register on 5 June 1946. FDT-13 was sold on 11 October 1947, to Luria Brothers, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{sfn|DANFS}}