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Notable events involving LST 180 include:

25 Oct 1943

Combined Convoy AB 18 / AP 50.

This combined convoy departed Aden in company on 25 October 1943.

Convoy AB 18 was made up of the following transports;
City of Lille (British, 6588 GRT, built 1928), Clan MacInnes (British, 4672 GRT, built 1920), Clement Clay (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Esperance (British, 5072 GRT, built 1923), Fort Buckingham (British, 7122 GRT, built 1943), Glenapp (British, 9503 GRT, built 1920), Heimvard (Norwegian, 4851 GRT, built 1930), Jalavihar (British, 5330 GRT, built 1911), Kohistan (British, 5884 GRT, built 1930), Kong Sverre (Norwegian, 7238 GRT, built 1941), Mahout (British, 7921 GRT, built 1925), Pasha (British, 5307 GRT, built 1919), Tjibadak (Dutch, 7083 GRT, built 1929) and William Whipple (American, 7181 GRT, built 1942).

The tug Empire Harry (British, 458 GRT, built 1943) was also part of the convoy.

The landing ship HMS Royal Scotsman (Lt.Cdr.(Emgy.) R.C. Gervers, RN), tank landing ships HMS LST 180 (?) and the cable ship HMS Bulan (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J. Donaldson-Palmer, RNR) were also part of this convoy.

On departure from Aden this convoy was escorted by the sloop HMIS Jumna (A/Cdr. I.B.W. Heanly, RIN), frigate HMS Kale (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Houchen, OBE, RD, RNR) and the corvette HMS Rockrose (T/Lt. H.J. Makepeace, RNR).

Convoy AP 50 was made up of the following transports / tankers;
A.C. Bedford (British (tanker), 9485 GRT, built 1918), Bradford City (British, 7266 GRT, built 1943), British Fidelity (British (tanker), 8465 GRT, built 1938), British Sailor (British (tanker), 5576 GRT, built 1918), Charles Henderson (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Egero (Norwegian (tanker), 7590 GRT, built 1929), Esso Baytown (American (tanker), 7991 GRT, built 1937), Harry Lane (British, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Havkong (Norwegian (tanker), 9666 GRT, built 1937), Jalapa (American (tanker), 10195 GRT, built 1943), Juan de Fuca (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Mark Twain (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Samoa (British, 7219 GRT, built 1943), Santa Margarita (American, 6507 GRT, built 1942) and Thomas Pollock (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943).

On departure from Aden this convoy was escorted by the minesweepers HMAS Cessnock (Lt.Cdr. T.S. Marchington, RANR(S)), HMIS Madras (Lt. S.G. Karmarkar, RINR) and HMIS Punjab (T/Lt. V.V. Pogoretsky, RINR).

The convoys were to split on reaching longitude 56°E.

Around 1600F/31, convoy AB 18 was joined by the destroyers HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN), HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN).

Convoy AB 18 arrived at Bombay on 3 November 1943.

Convoy AP 50 arrived off Bandar Abbas on 3 November 1943.

2 Nov 1943

Convoy AB 18A.

This convoy departed Aden on 2 November 1943.

It was made up of the following LST's;
HMS LST 180 (?), HMS LST 215 (Cdr.(Retd.) G.H.F. Owles, RN), USS LST 17 (Lt. H.B. Gallagher, USCGR), USS LST 21 (Cdr. T.W. Greene, USN), USS LST 25 (Lt. E.F. Macellus, USNR), USS LST 72 (Lt. J.A. Lombard, USNR), USS LST 175 (Lt. E.J. Fitzgerald, USNR), USS LST 176 (Lt.(jg) J.A. Salt, USNR), USS LST 208 (Lt. A. Strickland, USNR), USS LST 209 (Lt. F.T. Ratchford, USNR) and USS LST 261 (Lt. L.I. Reilley, USCG).

On departure from Aden the convoy was escorted by the corvette HMS Aster (Lt. W.L. Smith, RNR) and the minesweeper HMAS Lismore (T/Lt. L.C.G. Lever, RANR(S)).

Around 1500FG/6, the convoy was joined by the escort carrier HMS Battler (A/Capt. F.M.R. Stephenson, RN) and the destroyers HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN) and HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN) which came from Bombay.

The convoy arrived at Bombay around 1230FG/9. (1)

22 Dec 1943

Convoy CJ 9A.

This convoy departed Calcutta on 22 December 1943.

It was made up of the following LST's;
HMS LST 180 (?), HMS LST 215 (Cdr.(Retd.) G.H.F. Owles, RN), HMS LST 238 (?), USS LST 17 (Lt. H.B. Gallagher, USCGR), USS LST 21 (Cdr. T.W. Greene, USN), USS LST 25 (Lt. E.F. Macellus, USNR), USS LST 72 (Lt. J.A. Lombard, USNR), USS LST 73 (Lt. H.M. Crossan, USNR), USS LST 175 (Lt. E.J. Fitzgerald, USNR), USS LST 176 (Lt.(jg) J.A. Salt, USNR), USS LST 208 (Lt. A. Strickland, USNR) and USS LST 209 (Lt. F.T. Ratchford, USNR).

On departure from Calcutta the convoy was escorted by the minelayer HrMs Willem van der Zaan (Lt.Cdr. G.P. Küller, RNN) and the auxiliary patrol vessel HMIS Kalavati (T/Lt. S. Gill, RINR).

Around 0730FG/25, the convoy escort was reinforced when the destroyer HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN) joined.

The destroyer HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN), which had been in company with HMAS Quiberon proceeded to Madras with HMS LST 180 and HMS LST 238 arriving there later on the 25th.

The convoy arrived at Colombo on 27 December 1943. (2)

23 Dec 1943
Around 1600FG/23, HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN) departed Trincomalee for an A/S hunt off Madras as an enemy submarine had attacked convoy JC 30 and sunk a transport.

Around 1900FG/23, HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN) departed Trincomalee also for an A/S hunt off Madras.

The destroyers joined company around 1100FG/24. They abandoned the A/S hunt around 2300FG/24 to make rendezvous with and join the escort of convoy CJ 9A. HMAS Quiberon joined the convoy around 0730FG/25. HMS Quality arrived at Madras later the 25th escorting HMS LST 180 (?) and HMS LST 238 (?) which had been detached from the convoy.

[For more info on this convoy see the event 'Convoy CJ 9A ' for 22 December 1943.] (3)