The Eastway-class dock landing ships were a class of seven amphibious warfare vessels built for the Royal Navy during World War II. After the war, all seven ships were transferred to other navies.
The dock landing ship developed from a British staff requirement for a type of self-propelled drydock to transport beaching craft over long distances, that would in turn deliver trucks and supplies onto the beach. A flooding deck aft capable of holding either two of the larger British tank landing craft or three Canadian tank landing craft was included in the designs. With the option of fitting extra decks, large numbers of vehicles could be transported, and loaded into landing craft via ramps. Despite an initial specification for a speed of 17 knots, the were capable of only 15.6 knots.
Specifications[]
- Type: Dock Landing Ship
- Service Period: 1944-1960
- Characteristics:
- Length: 504 feet (153.62 meters)
- Beam: 79 feet 6 inches (24.23 meters)
- Draft (Light): 9 feet 1.5 inches (2.78 meters)
- Draft: (Loaded): 16 feet (4.88 meters)
- Displacement: 4,900 tons (Light Load); 9,620 tons (Loaded)
- Cargo Capacity: 1,500 tons of cargo (if not carrying boats)
- Crew: 254 (17 officers and 254 enlisted)
- Propulsion: 2 x boilers, 2 x shafts, 11,000 shp (8,250 kW)
- Range: 7,400 nautical miles (13,705 kilometers) at 15 knots (27.78 km/h)
- Speed: 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h)
- Armament:
- 1 x QF 4.5"/45-caliber Mk.IV dual purpose naval gun
- 12 x Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns (2x2, 2x4)
- 16 x Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft cannons (8x2)
- Boats Carried:
- 3 x LCT Mk.V/VI or
- 2 x LCT Mk.III/IV or
- 14 x LCM Mk.III or
- 41 x LVT or
- 47 x DUKWs
Unit Run[]
- HMS Eastway (L140) - transferred to Greece, renamed VP Nafkratousa
- HMS Highway (L141) - transferred to Greece, renamed VP Okeanos
- HMS Northway (L142) - transferred to Germany, renamed BMS Ausonia
- HMS Oceanway (L143) - transferred to France, renamed MN Foudre (L646)
- HMS Portway (L144) - transferred to ROC, renamed ROCS Chung Cheng (L191)
- HMS Swashway (L145) - transferred to ROC, renamed ROCS Chen Hai (L192)
- HMS Waterway (L146) - transferred to Spain, renamed ESPS Galicia (L-31)