Hi All

There's plenty of information out there about LSTs and those that ended up in Vietnam.

I'm struggling to find what modifications were made to LSTs that served in Vietnam, however.

Any websites or books I could go to?

Obviously I'm thinking of the AFV Club LST as a future project

Do one with helicopters!

That's what I'd love to do....and some PBRs at the side of it.....

I know the AFV Club kit isn't quite right for one of the converted ones, but a good starting point.

Looks like there are good resources out there

http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160821.htm


but I'd love to find some plans

Oh, boy, just what I need. ANOTHER kit in my stash. I'd also love to do a more modern version which would take some plans to figure out what to scratch build.

My plan would be to build the ex LST-963 which was re-designated as the ARL-24 USS Sphinx (Landing Craft Repair). She had an interesting history. Immediately following WW II she was part of the Repair and Service Unit for the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll. She next served in Korea and then again in Vietnam. At some point in this (probably for Vietnam) she had a large structure built amidships with a helicopter landing platform on the top.

She was finally recommissioned again in 1985. Still listed as "Landing Craft Repair" she had quite a different mission. Based out of Rodman Naval Station in Panama, she was in fact an intelligence gathering ship, (AGI) used to operate off Central America to intercept radio and radar emissions from Marxist Nicaragua. I had the opportunity to visit the ship during my time as an Army Ground Liaison officer attached to an Air National Guard Fighter wing which had the mission to provide "support" should anything "untoward" have been attempted during her missions (think USS Pueblo).

She had the distinction of not only being the LAST of the LSTs converted to repair and support ships in commission in the Navy, she also was the last USS Naval vessel to retain her quad 40mm mounts from WW II.

If anyone has an idea where plans might be available I'd love to know!

Not full plans, but drawings before she was scrapped. Scroll down on this page and you will find her:

https://www.maritime.dot.gov/history/vessels-maritime-administration/historic-american-engineering-record-surveys

At some point, I want to build the Achilles ARL-41 that a family member served on. Just waiting for something larger than 1/350 or the ancient Lindberg kit.

WOW! What a terrific find! This is extremely helpful. Now to figure out how to get the drawings to print out full size.