HMS Oceanway (F143)

HMS Oceanway (F143) was a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship of the Royal Navy provided under Lend-Lease from the US.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Foudre and HMS Dagger.

HMS Oceanway (F143) off Norfolk, Virginia (USA), in April 1944
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Oceanway
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia
Laid down: 23 July 1943
Launched: 29 December 1943
Commissioned: 29 March 1944
Decommissioned: 1947
Identification: F143
Fate: Loaned to Greece
Greece
Name: Okeanos
Commissioned: March 1947
Decommissioned: 1952
Fate: Returned to the United States
France
Name: Foudre
Namesake: lightning
Acquired: 1952
Commissioned: 1952
Decommissioned: 1969
Identification:
  • A646 (1952)
  • L9020, (c. 1965)
Fate: sunk as target, 10 February 1970
General characteristics
Displacement:
  • 7,930 tons (loaded),
  • 4,032 tons (light draft)
Length: 457 ft 9 in (139.52 m) overall
Beam:   72 ft 2 in (22.00 m)
Draft:
  •     8 ft 2 1⁄2 in (2.50 m) fwd,
  •   10 ft 1⁄2 in (3.06 m) aft (light);
  •   15 ft 5 1⁄2 in (4.71 m) fwd,
  •   16 ft 2 in (4.93 m) aft (loaded)
Propulsion: 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 Skinner geared steam turbines, 2 propeller shafts
Speed: 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Range: 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:
  • 3 × LCT (Mk V or VI)
  •   each w/ 5 medium tanks or
  • 2 × LCT (Mk III or IV)
  •   each w/ 12 medium tanks or
  • 14 × LCM (Mk III)
  •   each w/ 1 medium tank
  •   or 1,500 long tons cargo or
  • 47 × DUKW or
  • 41 × LVT or
  • Any combination of landing vehicles, amphibious and landing craft up to capacity
Capacity: 22 officers, 218 men
Complement:
  • 17 officers, 237 men (ship);
  • 6 officers, 30 men (landing craft)
Armament:
  • 1 × 5 in / 38 cal. DP gun;
  • 16 × 20 mm single barrel AA guns;
  • 4 × 2 pound pom pomAA guns;
Notes: Characteristics are as of April 1944

History

The ship was authorised under the United States Lend-Lease act as BAPM-4 ("British Mechanized Artillery Transport 4"), but was reclassified as LSD-12 ("Landing Ship Dock 12") on 1 July 1942. The vessel was originally to have been named HMS Dagger, but the name HMS Oceanway was assigned to it in August 1943. The vessel was formally transferred to the United Kingdom on 29 March 1944.

Oceanway took part in the Normandy Landings, transporting 20 landing craft, arriving at Omaha Beach at 15:30 on 6 June 1944. After the landing the ship was of value transporting damaged landing craft for repair, in one case transporting 17 damaged LCM(3) craft to United Kingdom repair bases.[1] The vessel served in the Far East in 1945 before being returned to the US.

It was loaned to Greece in Match 1947, where it served as Okeanos, before being returned to the United States in 1952. Later that year, it was loaned to France, where it served as Foudre (A646) and was eventually purchased by the French Government, serving in the French Navy until 1969. The ship was sunk as a target in 1970.

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References
  1. Naval Conmander Western Task Force (CTF 122) (26 July 1944). Report of Normandy Invasion (Annex "C"—Logistics (p. 7 of annex) (PDF) (Report). p. 72. Retrieved 25 May 2015.


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