USS LST-177

History
United States
Name	LST-177
Builder	Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville
Laid down	5 February 1943
Launched	16 May 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. James Gibson
Commissioned	22 June 1943
Decommissioned	17 February 1946
Stricken	12 April 1946
Identification	Callsign: NZNC
Honors and awards	See Awards
Fate	Transferred to France, 13 March 1947
History
France
Name	Laita
Namesake	Laita
Commissioned	13 March 1947
Decommissioned	January 1962
Reclassified	L9001
Identification	Pennant number: K05
Fate	Scrapped, December 1977
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,700 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
Troops	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

USS LST-177 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was later sold to France as Laita (K05).^[1]

LST-177 was laid down on 5 February 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, Indiana. Launched on 16 May 1943 and commissioned on 22 June 1943.^[2]

During World War II, LST-177 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East theater. She took part in the Convoy UGS-36 on 1 April 1944 and Operation Dragoon from 15 August to 25 September 1944.

LST-277 was decommissioned on 17 February 1946.

She was struck from the Navy Register on 12 April 1946.^[1]

She was transferred to the French Navy and commissioned on 13 March 1947 with the name Laita (K05). The ship was reclassified L9001 later in her career.^[3]

Laita took part in the Algerian War between 1 November 1954 to 19 March 1962 and the First Indochina War between 19 December 1946 to 1 August 1954.

During the 10th Anniversary of the Landing in Provence, Southern France, she was present in the event.

The ship took part in the Marseille-Bizerte crossing from 7 January to 9 January 1958 but was caught in a storm which forced the captain to take shelter between Corsica and Sardinia. Sick people were present in the ship's holding compartment and was packed with people. In sight of Bizerte, the ship disembarked at night.^[4]

The ship was out of service in January 1962 and sold for scrap later in December 1977.^[4]

LST-177 have earned the following awards:

• American Campaign Medal
• Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (52 battle stars)
• World War II Victory Medal

• U.S. Dept. of the Treasury (1962). Treasury Decisions Under the Customs, Internal Revenue, Industrial Alcohol, Narcotic and Other Laws, Volume 97. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Moore, Capt. John (1984). Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710607959.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710628886.
• Fairplay International Shipping Journal Volume 222. United Kingdom: Fairplay Publishing Limited. 1967.