| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Tank landing ship |
| Class | LST (Mk 2) |
| Pennant | LST 65 |
| Built by | Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co. (Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 14 Aug 1942 |
| Launched | 7 Dec 1942 |
| Commissioned | 18 Mar 1943 |
| End service | 5 Jan 1946 |
| History | Decommissioned and returned to the USN on 5 January 1946. |
| Former name | USS LST 65 |
Commands listed for HMS LST 65 (LST 65)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. Robert Arthur Crozier, RD, RNR | 1 Feb 1943 | Aug 1943 |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. (retired) Leslie Johnson Smith, RD, RNR | Aug 1943 | mid 1945 |
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Notable events involving LST 65 include:
21 Dec 1943
Convoy MKS 35.
This convoy departed Port Said on 21 December 1943.
On departure from Port Said the convoy was made up of the transports / tankers; City of Eastbourne (British, 5563 GRT, built 1923), City of Exeter (British, 9654 GRT, built 1914), City of Lyons (British, 7063 GRT, built 1926), Empire Prowess (British, 7058 GRT, built 1943), Empire Rosalind (British, 7290 GRT, built 1943), Fort Carlton (British, 7131 GRT, built 1942), Fort Senneville (British, 7131 GRT, built 1942), Ocean Vestal (British, 7174 GRT, built 1942), Samsteel (British, 7219 GRT, built 1943) and Swiftarrow (American (tanker), 8207 GRT, built 1921).
On departure from Port Said the convoy was escorted by the frigate HMS Barle (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Davies, RNVR) and the corvettes HMS Bergamot (Lt. R.T. Horan, RNR) and HMS La Malouine (Lt. W.A. Ives, RNR).
On 22 December 1943 the following transports departed Alexandria to join the convoy; Fort Bell (British, 7127 GRT, built 1943), Fort Bourbon (British, 7133 GRT, built 1942), Fort Connolly (British, 7133 GRT, built 1943), Fort Fidler (British, 7127 GRT, built 1943), Fort la Traite (British, 7134 GRT, built 1942), Fort Louisbourg (British, 7130 GRT, built 1942), Fort St. Regis (British, 7140 GRT, built 1943), Fort Sturgeon (British, 7127 GRT, built 1943), Kepong (British, 1874 GRT, built 1916), Newbrough (British, 5255 GRT, built 1941), Norfjell (Norwegian (tanker), 8129 GRT, built 1942), Nurani (British, 5414 GRT, built 1941) and Petter (Norwegian (tanker), 9109 GRT, built 1935).
They were escorted by the corvettes HMS Bryony (T/Lt. T. Hand, RNR) and HMS Myosotis (T/Lt. R. Lugg, RNR) which also joined the convoy.
On 26 December 1943, the the following transports / tankers departed Augusta to join the convoy; Afghanistan (British, 6992 GRT, built 1940), Auk (British, 1338 GRT, built 1921), Benjamin Huntington (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), British Respect (British (tanker), 8479 GRT, built 1943), British Restraint (British (tanker), 8448 GRT, built 1943), Empire Franklin (British, 7292 GRT, built 1941), Empire Sunbeam (British, 6711 GRT, built 1941), Fort Reliance (British, 7134 GRT, built 1942), Gabriel Duval (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), George Shiras (American, 7200 GRT, built 1943), Houston Volunteers (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Joel Chandler Harris (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), John Steele (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Marion McKinley Bovard (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Newton D. Baker (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Peter Minuit (American, 7191 GRT, built 1942), Thorsholm (Norwegian (tanker), 9937 GRT, built 1937) and William H. Jackson (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943).
On 27 December 1943, the following transports arrived at Augusta after having been detached from the convoy; Fort Bell, Fort Bourbon, Fort Connolly, Fort Fiddler, Fort la Traite, Fort Senneville, Fort St. Regis, Fort Sturgeon and Newbrough.
The ships leaving and proceeding to Augusta, were most likely, escorted to and from the rendezvous with the convoy by the torpedo boats Sagittario, Animoso and the M/S trawler HMS Inchmarnock (T/Lt. C.G.V. Corneby, RNR).
On 27 December 1943, the Kepong arrived at Malta after having been detached from the convoy while the following transports / tankers joined the convoy coming from Malta; Avon Coast (British, 1036 GRT, built 1923) and Ocean Coast (British, 1173 GRT, built 1935).
On 28 December 1943, the transport Bradburn (British, 4736 GRT, built 1930) joined coming from Tunis.
On 28 December 1943, the Afghanistan, Auk, Avon Coast, Benjamin Huntington, British Respect, British Restraint, Fort Reliance, Gabriel Duval, Norfjell, Petter, Swiftarrow, Thorsholm and William H. Jackson arrived at Bizerta after having been detached from the convoy while the following transports / tankers joined the convoy coming from Bizerta; Amos Kendall (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Betty Zane (American, 7177 GRT, built 1942), Cap-Penide (French, 1320 GRT, built 1938), Empire Chivalry (British, 6007 GRT, built 1937), Empire Clive (British, 7069 GRT, built 1941), Felipe de Neve (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Francis Amasa Walker (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), James Iredell (American, 7177 GRT, built 1942), Joseph E. Brown (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Kemp P. Battle (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943) and San Amado (British (tanker), 7316 GRT, built 1935). The tank landing ships HMS LST 65 (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) L.J. Smith, RD, RNR) and HMS LST 407 (?) also joined the convoy as did the AA cruiser HMS Colombo (Capt. D.H. Hall-Thompson, RN).
On 29 December 1943, the transports John Wise (American, 7181 GRT, built 1942) and Southgate (British, 4862 GRT, built 1926) joined coming from Bone. Also joining from Bone was the rescue tug HMRT Mindful.
On 29 December 1943, the transports Betty Zane and Houston Volunteers arrived at Philippeville after having been detached from the convoy.
On 29 December 1943, the transport Sulev (British (former Estonian), 2233 GRT, built 1908) departed Bougie and joined the convoy.
On 30 December 1943, the Amos Kendall, Cap-Pinede, Empire Clive, Joel Chandler Harris, John Wise, Kemp P. Battle, Marion McKinley Bovard and Newton D. Baker arrived at Algiers after having been detached from the convoy while the tanker Empire Harbour (British (tanker), 797 GRT, built 1943) joined the convoy coming from Algiers.
On 31 December 1943, the Empire Harbour, Felipe de Neve/, Francis Amasa Walker, George Shiras, James Iredell, John Steele, Joseph E. Brown and Peter Minuit arrived at Oran after having been detached from the convoy while the transports / tankers British Engineer (British (tanker), 6993 GRT, built 1922), Fort Walsh (British, 7126 GRT, built 1943), Orminster (British, 5712 GRT, built 1914), Pencarrow (British, 4841 GRT, built 1921) and Souliotis (Greek, 4299 GRT, built 1917) joined the convoy coming from Oran.
The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 1 January 1944.