Thomaston-class dock landing ship

Thomaston-class dock landing ship
Name	Thomaston-class dock landing ship
Namesake	USS Thomaston (LSD-28)
Built	1950s–1960s
Operators	United States Navy
Type	Dock landing ship
Displacement	11,000–17,000 long tons (full load)
Length	512 ft (156 m)
Beam	72 ft (22 m)
Draught	23 ft (7.0 m)
Propulsion	Steam turbines, twin screws
Speed	20+ knots
Complement	350–450
Armament	Guns, mortars (varied)

Thomaston-class dock landing ship was a class of United States Navy amphibious warfare vessels commissioned in the 1950s and 1960s to support expeditionary warfare and amphibious assault operations. Designed to transport, launch and support landing craft and amphibious vehicles, the class played roles during the Vietnam War, Cold War deployments, and multinational exercises with allied navies. The ships combined a floodable well deck, extensive cargo spaces and command facilities to serve as mobile platforms for Marine Corps and joint amphibious forces.

Design and Development

The Thomaston class originated from post‑World War II lessons from the Battle of Inchon, Operation Husky and developments in amphibious doctrine influenced by the Naval Amphibious Base communities. Designers at the United States Navy Bureau of Ships incorporated a full-length well deck to operate LCUs, LCMs and later LCAC concepts in mind. Shipbuilders such as Ingalls Shipbuilding and Newport News Shipbuilding produced hulls influenced by earlier Casa Grande-class dock landing ship and Ashland-class dock landing ship designs while integrating features requested by Commander, Amphibious Forces Atlantic Fleet and Commander, Amphibious Forces Pacific Fleet staff. The class emphasized increased troop berthing for United States Marine Corps units, improved vehicle stowage for M48 Patton and amphibious tractors, and command-and-control spaces to host amphibious task force commanders associated with Commander Amphibious Group staffs.

Specifications and Capabilities

Standard displacement and full-load displacement reflected variations among ships and refits; typical figures approached 11,000 long tons light and 17,000 long tons full. Overall length and beam matched contemporaneous amphibious vessels enabling compatibility with Suez Canal transit limitations and berthing alongside aircraft carrier-type piers. Propulsion commonly consisted of steam boilers driving geared turbines to twin screws for speeds exceeding 20 knots, supporting rendezvous with amphibious ready groups and task force schedules. The well deck accommodated multiple LCUs or a mix of LCUs and LCVPs, with a stern gate and bow configuration supporting amphibious seaborne operations similar to concepts employed during Operation Deep Water. Troop capacity enabled carrying reinforced Marine Expeditionary Unit elements with vehicle stowage for armored personnel carriers and tanks. Armament varied over service lives, with gun mounts for close-in defense and updated electronic suites derived from Naval Tactical Data System integration and later sensor upgrades compatible with AN/SPS radar families.

Construction and Career

Keel-laying and launching events took place across yards in the Gulf Coast and mid‑Atlantic regions, with individual ships commissioned between the mid‑1950s and early 1960s. The lead ship, named for Thomaston, Maine, entered service as USS Thomaston (LSD-28) and established class employment patterns including amphibious exercises with Fleet Marine Force Atlantic and Fleet Marine Force Pacific. Crews drew sailors from Naval Training Center San Diego and Great Lakes Naval Training Station cohorts and rotated through deployments to Western Pacific and Mediterranean Sea theaters. Several units later earned campaign credits for Vietnam War operations, earning awards from Secretary of the Navy and recognition by Joint Chiefs of Staff for expeditionary support.

Operational History

Thomaston-class ships participated in large-scale amphibious exercises such as Operation Steel Pike, multinational maneuvers with NATO allies, and contingency operations during Cold War crises like the Cuban Missile Crisis era surge preparations. In the Vietnam War, they conducted ship-to-shore movement of Marines, logistics resupply for coastal bases, and humanitarian assistance operations following storms affecting South Vietnam and Southeast Asian ports. Deployments included amphibious ready group rotations with USS Boxer (CV-21) and escorting surface combatants during transit through Panama Canal and into WestPac logistics chains. The class also supported training missions with partners including Royal Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force forces, contributing to interoperability and doctrine refinement documented by Naval War College analysts.

Modifications and Modernizations

Throughout service, individual ships received phased upgrades: modern communications suites to link with Naval Communications Station networks, radar and electronic countermeasure enhancements influenced by Naval Research Laboratory developments, and habitability improvements requested by Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Armament adjustments removed older gun mounts in favor of stabilized close-in systems and small-caliber cannon to address evolving littoral threats assessed by Office of Naval Intelligence. Some ships underwent structural alterations to support heavier vehicle loads and revised well-deck configurations to accommodate newer landing craft variants developed by Maritime Administration programs and private sector yards.

Decommissioning and Disposition

As newer classes such as the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship entered service, Thomaston-class vessels were gradually decommissioned under force-structure decisions by Secretary of Defense and Chief of Naval Operations. Several were placed in reserve at National Defense Reserve Fleet locations, transferred to allied navies under foreign military sales and grant programs to countries such as Brazil and Taiwan, or used as sources of spare parts for sister ships. A number were stricken and disposed of through scrapping at commercial breakers, while a few found secondary uses as museum exhibits or were sunk as artificial reefs in coordination with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and state agencies. Many former crew members remain active in associations tied to United States Naval Institute and veterans groups documenting amphibious heritage.

Category:United States Navy amphibious warfare vessels