127-469: USS Buncombe County (LST-510) was an LST-491 -class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named for Buncombe County, North Carolina , she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. She currently serves as a ferry between New London, Connecticut , and Orient, Long Island . LST-510 was laid down on 27 September 1943 at Jeffersonville, Indiana , by
254-531: A "magnificent" manner, "in the face of existing conditions," laboring throughout the night on the ship's tank deck where an operating room had been set up. In the next three months, LST-510 shuttled between the Isle of Portland and Weymouth , England, and Utah or Omaha Beach, transporting troops and vehicles eastward and casualties westward across the English Channel . In late September, on her 21st passage across
381-459: A 12 by 32 ft (3.7 by 9.8 m) ramp that was hinged at the main deck. This allowed vehicles to be driven directly from the main deck down to the tank deck and then across the bow ramp to the beach or causeway, speeding the process of disembarkation. Changes in the later LST-542 class included the addition of a navigation bridge; the installation of a water distillation plant with a capacity of 4,000 imperial gallons (18,000 L) per day;
508-570: A 64-ship convoy. Like most passages of the North Atlantic during World War II, this one proved hazardous and chilling, both in the physical and the psychological sense. In one three-day period, she endured fog, sleet, and a wind that drove 50-foot (15 m) waves over her bow, and the occasional iceberg. U-boats caused the most concern for the convoy, torpedoing four ships in the convoy, one of them just 400 yards (370 m) away on LST-510 ' s port quarter. On one occasion, maneuvers to evade
635-593: A decade, she was named USS Buncombe County (LST-510) on 1 July 1955. Deemed "unfit for further Naval service" on 27 October 1958, her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1958. In 1960, the ship was sold to the Chesapeake Bay Ferry District of Norfolk, Virginia , and renamed MV Virginia Beach . Resold in 1964 or 1965 to the Delaware River and Bay Authority , she
762-420: A dense fog, she collided bow-to-bow with SS Chapel Hill Victory south of the Isle of Wight , demolishing her own bow as far aft as frame 10. The pea-soup fog had nullified the efforts of her bow lookouts who had but a few seconds warning as the " Victory ship " loomed out of the murk. One of LST-510 ' s bow lookouts died in the mishap. Drydocked at Falmouth until mid-May, LST-510 finally left Plymouth for
889-583: A flat or maisonette costs £110,500. Crime rates are below average—there were 5.4 burglaries per 1000 households in 2009 and 2010; which is lower than South West England (7.6 per 1000) and significantly lower than England and Wales (11.6 per 1000). Unemployment levels are very low, at 1.9 per cent in July 2011, compared to the British average of 7.7 per cent. The most common religious identity in Weymouth and Portland
1016-469: A high priority throughout the war. Since most shipbuilding activities were located in coastal yards that were mainly used for construction of large, deep-draft ships, new construction facilities for the LSTs were established along inland waterways, some converted from heavy-industry plants, such as steel fabrication yards. Shifting the vessels was complicated by bridges across waterways, many of which were modified by
1143-485: A high priority was assigned to the construction of LSTs that the previously laid keel of an aircraft carrier was hastily removed to make room for several LSTs to be built in her place. The keel of the first LST was laid down on 10 June 1942 at Newport News, Virginia , and the first standardized LSTs were floated out of their building dock in October. Twenty-three were in commission by the end of 1942. The LST building program
1270-493: A low-slope beach with no docks or piers . The shallow draft and bow doors and ramps enabled amphibious assaults on almost any beach. The LST had a highly specialized design that enabled ocean crossings as well as shore groundings. The bow had a large door that could open, deploy a ramp and unload vehicles. The LST had a flat keel that allowed the ship to be beached and stay upright. The twin propellers and rudders had protection from grounding . The LSTs served across
1397-433: A month, final working plans were developed that further stretched the overall length to 328 feet (100 m) with a 50-foot (15 m) beam and a minimum draft of 3.8 feet (1.2 m). This scheme distributed the ship's weight over a greater area, enabling her to ride higher in the water when in landing trim. The LST could carry a 2,100 short tons (1,900 t) load of tanks and vehicles. The larger dimensions also permitted
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#17328587737731524-725: A new 600-berth marina and an extension with more on-site facilities were built. Construction was scheduled between October 2007 and the end of 2008, and with its completion and formal opening on 11 June 2009, the venue became the first of the 2012 Olympic Games to be completed. Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour are used for other water sports – the reliable wind is favourable for wind and kite-surfing . Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour are used regularly for angling, scuba diving to shipwrecks, snorkelling, canoeing, and swimming. The limestone cliffs and quarries are used for rock climbing ; Portland has areas for bouldering and deep water soloing, however sport climbing with bolt protection
1651-585: A northbound section through Chiswell and a southbound section through Fortuneswell , then along Chesil Beach and across a bridge to the mainland in Wyke Regis . Formerly the Portland Branch Railway also crossed to the island. The corridor is now a traffic-free walking and cycle path. Local buses are run by FirstGroup , with services to Weymouth. Weymouth is the hub for south Dorset bus routes, with services to Dorchester and local villages. Weymouth
1778-769: A parish in Jamaica . Portland has been inhabited since at least the Mesolithic period (the Middle Stone Age )—there is archaeological evidence of Mesolithic inhabitants at the Culverwell Mesolithic Site , near Portland Bill , and of habitation since then. The Romans occupied Portland, reputedly calling it Vindelis . Although the beginning of the Viking Age in England is dated to their raid in 793, when they destroyed
1905-710: A pier at Castletown , from where the Portland stone was shipped around the country. The Weymouth and Portland Railway was laid in 1865, and ran from a station in Melcombe Regis , across the Fleet and along the low isthmus behind Chesil Beach to a station at Victoria Square in Chiswell . At the end of the 19th century the line was extended to the top of the island as the Easton and Church Ope Railway, running through Castletown and ascending
2032-467: A rabbit was seen in a quarry, the workers would go home for the day, until the safety of the area had been assured. As of 2006, older Portland residents were said to be 'offended' (sometimes for the benefit of tourists) by the mention of rabbits; this superstition came to national attention in October 2005 when a special batch of advertisement posters were made for the Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of
2159-522: A shallow tidal flat, The Mere, was infilled, and sports fields taken to form a heliport. The station was formally commissioned as HMS Osprey, which then became the largest and busiest military helicopter station in Europe. The base was gradually improved with additional landing areas and one of England's shortest runways, at 229 metres (751 ft). The naval base closed after the end of the Cold War in 1995, and
2286-584: Is Christianity, at 61.0 per cent, which is slightly above the England and Wales average of 59.3 per cent. The next-largest sector is those with no religion, at 29.3 per cent, also slightly above the average of 25.1 per cent. The A354 road is the only land access to Portland, via Ferry Bridge, connecting to Weymouth and to the wider road network at the A35 trunk road in Dorchester . It runs from Easton , splitting into
2413-407: Is a tied island , 6 kilometres (4 mi) long by 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) wide, in the English Channel . The southern tip, Portland Bill, lies 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the resort of Weymouth , forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset , England. A barrier beach called Chesil Beach joins Portland with mainland England . The A354 road passes down the Portland end of
2540-585: Is adjoined by the Weymouth Lowlands to the north. Geologically, Portland is separated into two areas; the steeply sloping land at its north end called Underhill , and the larger, gently sloping land to the south, called Tophill . Portland stone lies under Tophill; the strata decline at a shallow angle of around 1.5 degrees, from a height of 151 metres (495 ft) near the Verne in the north, to just above sea level at Portland Bill . The geology of Underhill
2667-530: Is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by the Jurassic Coast Bus service, which runs for 142 kilometres (88 mi) from Exeter to Poole , through Sidford , Beer , Seaton , Lyme Regis , Charmouth , Bridport , Abbotsbury , Weymouth, Wool , and Wareham . Trains run from Weymouth to London, Southampton , Bristol and Gloucester but ferries no longer transport passengers to
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#17328587737732794-399: Is different to Tophill; Underhill lies on a steep escarpment composed of Portland Sand, lying above a thicker layer of Kimmeridge Clay , which extends to Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour. This Kimmeridge Clay has resulted in a series of landslides, forming West Weares and East Weares. 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) underneath south Dorset lies a layer of Triassic rock salt , and Portland
2921-597: Is one of four locations in the United Kingdom where the salt is thick enough to create stable cavities. Portland Gas applied to excavate 14 caverns to store 1,000,000,000 cubic metres (3.5 × 10 cu ft) of natural gas, which is one per cent of the UK's total annual demand. It was proposed that the caverns should be connected to the National gas grid at Mappowder via a 37-kilometre (23 mi) pipeline. Plans had it that
3048-468: Is one of the United Kingdom's rarest plants. The wild flowers and plants make an excellent habitat for butterflies; over half of the British Isles' 57 butterfly species can be seen on Portland, including varieties that migrate from mainland Europe. Species live on Portland that are rare in the United Kingdom, including the limestone race of the silver-studded blue . The mild seas which almost surround
3175-518: Is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The harbour was made by the building of stone breakwaters between 1848 and 1905. From its inception it was a Royal Navy base, and played prominent roles during the First and Second World Wars ; ships of the Royal Navy and NATO countries worked up and exercised in its waters until 1995. The harbour is now a civilian port and popular recreation area, and
3302-535: Is situated approximately halfway along the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site ; the site includes 153 kilometres (95 mi) of the Dorset and east Devon coast that is important for its geology and landforms. The South West Coast Path runs around the coast; it is the United Kingdom's longest national trail at 1,014 kilometres (630 mi). Portland is unusual as it is connected to
3429-675: Is the most common style. Since June 2003 the South West Coast Path National Trail has included 21.3 kilometres (13.2 mi) of coastal walking around the Isle of Portland, including following the A354 Portland Beach Road twice. Isle of Portland has a Non-League football club Portland United F.C. who play at Grove Corner. They also have a youth set up called Portland United youth football Club. Rabbits have long been associated with bad luck on Portland. Use of
3556-818: Is the nearest further education college, which has around 7,500 students from south west England and overseas, about 1500 studying A-Level courses. In 2000, the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy was built in Osprey Quay in Underhill as a centre for sailing in the United Kingdom. Weymouth and Portland's waters were credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe. Weymouth and Portland regularly host local, national and international sailing events in their waters; these include
3683-449: The 2019 structural changes to local government , Portland is in the Dorset unitary authority , administered by Dorset Council . The whole island forms Portland ward which is one of the 52 wards and elects three members to the council. Portland is an ancient royal manor , and until the 19th century was a separate liberty , with certain judicial functions for the isle held separately from
3810-548: The Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company ; launched on 30 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. C. P. Watson; and placed in reduced commission on 18 January 1944. Departing her builders' yard three days later, on 21 January, LST-510 proceeded down the Mississippi River to New Orleans , where she was placed in full commission on 31 January 1944. After fitting out, LST-510 carried out an abbreviated shakedown cruise to
3937-581: The Salerno landings . Later all three were intended to be converted to fighter direction ships in order to have ground-controlled interception of enemy aircraft during landing operations but only Boxer was converted and it took part in the Normandy landings. The U.S. were to build seven LST (1) but in light of the problems with the design and progress with the LST Mark II the plans were cancelled. Construction of
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4064-584: The United States Navy 's Bureau of Ships with regard to development of ships and the possibility of building further Boxer s in the US. During this meeting, it was decided that the Bureau of Ships would design these vessels. As with the standing agreement, these ships would be built by the US so British shipyards could concentrate on building vessels for the Royal Navy . The specifications called for vessels capable of crossing
4191-508: The Western Front . Portland cement has nothing to do with Portland; it was so named due to its similar colour to Portland stone when mixed with lime and sand. There have been railways in Portland since the early 19th century. The Merchant's Railway was the earliest—it opened in 1826 (one year after the Stockton and Darlington railway ) and ran from the quarries at the north of Tophill to
4318-609: The abbey on Lindisfarne , their first documented landing occurred in Portland four years earlier, in 789, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . Three lost Viking ships from Hordaland (the district around Hardanger fjord in west Norway ) landed at Portland Bill. The king's reeve tried to collect taxes from them, but they killed him and sailed on. A castle on the site of the present Rufus Castle , standing over Church Ope Cove , may have been built for William II of England (also known as William Rufus) soon after
4445-405: The invasion of Algeria in 1942, but their bluff bows made for inadequate speed and pointed out the need for an all-new design incorporating a sleeker hull . The Boxer class was the first purpose-built LST design. This work was started before any of the converted Maracaibo class were in service, so there was no opportunity to learn from the effectiveness of that design. The urgency in building
4572-428: The 1970s. Some LST (3)s were converted to LST (A) (A for "assault") by adding stiffening so they could safely carry the heaviest British tanks. Two LST (3)s were converted to command vessels, LST (C): LST 3043 and LST 3044 . Post war they became HMS Messina (L112) and HMS Narvik (L114). They were better armed with ten 20 mm Oerlikons and four 40 mm Bofors. Isle of Portland The Isle of Portland
4699-457: The 1970s. In 2011 there were 6,312 dwellings in an area of 11.5 square kilometres (2,840 acres), with a population density of 1112 people per km . The population is almost entirely native to the United Kingdom and 93.9 per cent of residents are of white British ethnicity, well above the England and Wales average of 80.5 per cent. The average price of a detached house on Portland in 2010 was £ 194,200; terraced houses are cheaper, at £149,727, and
4826-478: The Atlantic, and the original title given to them was "Atlantic Tank Landing Craft", abbreviated as "Atlantic (T.L.C.)". Calling a vessel 300 ft (91 m) long a "craft" was considered a misnomer and the type was re-named "Landing Ship, Tank (2)", or "LST (2)". The LST (2) design incorporated elements of the first British LCTs from their designer, Sir Rowland Baker , who was part of the British delegation. One of
4953-634: The Boxers was that the Maracaibos were considered to be too slow for operational requirements. As events turned out, the LST(2) had the same slow speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), but given the much larger numbers of the LST(2), that had to be accepted. The Boxer class was a scaled-down design from ideas penned by Prime Minister Winston Churchill . In order that it could carry 13 Churchill infantry tanks , 27 other vehicles and nearly 200 men (in addition to
5080-492: The EMD engines could have provided. However, the only engines available were very heavy steam reciprocating engines from frigates that had been cancelled. These delivered two and a half times the power of the diesels. So large were they that significant changes had to be made to accommodate them. Lack of welded construction facilities meant that the hull had to be riveted. This combination of heavy hull and heavy engines meant that speed
5207-453: The East Weares part of the island to control scrub in 2007. The comparatively warm and sunny climate allows species of plants to thrive which do not on the mainland. The limestone soil has low nutrient levels; hence smaller species of wild flowers and grasses are able to grow in the absence of larger species. Portland sea lavender can be found on the higher sea cliffs; unique to Portland, it
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5334-801: The French port of St Malo and the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey . St George's Community Primary School is located in Easton . The only other school on Portland is the Atlantic Academy , an all-through school for pupils aged 3 to 19 based at two different sites. Formerly known as the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy, it formed in 2012 by merging four primary schools and one secondary school. Some students commute to Weymouth or Dorchester to study A-Levels , or to attend other secondary schools nearby. Weymouth College in Melcombe Regis
5461-403: The Isle of Portland has an extensive range of flora and fauna ; the coastline and disused quarries are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest . The Isle of Portland SSSI encompasses 352 hectares (870 acres), and includes 17 monitored features ranging from Jurassic fossils, calcareous grassland, rock sea-lavender and nationally scarce butterflies. Sea and migratory birds occupy
5588-861: The J/24 World Championships in 2005, trials for the 2004 Athens Olympics, the ISAF World Championship 2006, the BUSA Fleet Racing Championships, and the RYA Youth National Championships. In 2005, the WPNSA was selected to host sailing events at the 2012 Olympic Games —mainly because the academy had recently been built, so no new venue would have to be provided. However, as part of the South West of England Regional Development Agency 's plans to redevelop Osprey Quay,
5715-642: The LCT was ready for operation. This method was used for moving LCT5s from Britain to the Far East, although there seems to be no reference to LST (3)s being used, most being completed late in or after the war. Even at the end of the war there was a need for more ships able to carry minor landing craft, and two of the LST (3)s then completing were specially fitted to carry LCM (7). These craft, which were 58 ft (18 m) long and weighed about 28 tons, were carried transversely on
5842-668: The LST (1)s took until 1943 and the first US LST (2) was launched before them. At their first meeting at the Atlantic Conference in Argentia , Newfoundland , in August 1941, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill confirmed the Admiralty's views. In November 1941, a small delegation from the Admiralty arrived in the United States to pool ideas with
5969-711: The LST (2), but suffered from a deeper draught, and, to some extent, from the haste of construction. The first orders were placed in December 1943 with British builders, and 35 with Canadian builders. Swan Hunter delivered the first ships in December 1944. During 1944, follow up orders were placed in Canada for a further 36. These programmes were in full swing when the war ended, but not all vessels were completed. The ships were numbered numbers LST-3001 to LST-3045 and LST-3501 to LST-3534 . LST−3535 and later were cancelled. Fifteen 40-ton tanks or 27 25-ton tanks could be carried on
6096-498: The LST shipyards. The Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. built the most LSTs of any shipyard, with 171 constructed at Evansville, Indiana . Chicago Bridge and Iron 's shipyard in Seneca, Illinois , launched 156 ships and was specifically chosen because of their reputation and skills, particularly in welding. The American Bridge Company in Ambridge, Pennsylvania , built 119. By 1943,
6223-578: The Navy to permit passage. A dedicated Navy "Ferry Command" orchestrated the transportation of newly constructed ships to coastal ports for final fitting out. Of the 1,051 LSTs built during the war, 670 were supplied by five "cornfield shipyards" in the Midwest. Dravo Corporation 's facility at Neville Island, Pennsylvania , designated the lead shipyard for the project, built 145 vessels and developed fabrication techniques that reduced construction time and costs at all of
6350-488: The Navy, the balance of the procurement was handled centrally by the Material Coordinating Agency—an adjunct of the Bureau of Ships—so that the numerous builders in the program would not have to bid against one another. Through vigorous follow-up action on materials ordered, the agency made possible the completion of construction schedules in record time. The need for LSTs was urgent, and the program enjoyed
6477-536: The North , with reference to its similarities with Gibraltar ; its physical geography, isolation, comparatively mild climate, and Underhill 's winding streets. A. E. Housman wrote of the place in his poem, "The Isle of Portland", from A Shropshire Lad . Hilaire Belloc 's book The Cruise of the " Nona " is about sailing near Portland, and the reflections it occasions. He describes Portland Race as "the master terror of our world", and says "... if you were to make
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#17328587737736604-584: The Portland Breakwaters from 1848. For a few years until 2005 Britain's only prison ship , HMP The Weare , was berthed in the harbour. There are two tiers of local government covering Portland, at parish (town) and unitary authority level: Portland Town Council and Dorset Council . The town council is based at the Portland Community Venue, a converted school in Fortuneswell. Since
6731-503: The Portland area dealt with almost 1000 incidents in 2005. Portland lends its name to one of the BBC 's Shipping Forecast regions. There are still two prisons on Portland: HMP The Verne , which until 1949 was a Victorian military fortress, and a Young Offenders' Institution ( HMYOI ) on the Grove clifftop. This was the original prison ( HM Prison Portland ) built for convicts who quarried stone for
6858-430: The Royal Naval Air Station closed in 1999, although the runway remained in use for Her Majesty's Coastguard Search and Rescue flights as MRCC Portland until 2014. MRCC Portland's area of responsibility extended midway across the English Channel , and from Start Point in Devon to the Dorset/ Hampshire border, covering an area of around 10,400 square kilometres (4,000 sq mi). The 12 Search and Rescue teams in
6985-470: The United Kingdom average, and monthly rainfall totals throughout the year are less than the UK average, particularly in summer; this summer minimum of rainfall is not experienced away from the south coast of England. The average annual rainfall of 672.3 millimetres (26.5 in) is well below the UK average of 1,163.0 millimetres (45.8 in). The population of Portland in 2021 was 13,417; this figure has remained around twelve to thirteen thousand since
7112-473: The United Kingdom. Portland averaged 1822.6 hours of sunshine annually between 1991 and 2020, which is 42% of the maximum possible, and 36% above the United Kingdom average of 1402.7 hours. December is the cloudiest month (62.2 hours of sunshine), November the wettest (82.6 millimetres (3.3 in) of rain) and July is the sunniest and driest month (237.4 hours of sunshine, 36.9 millimetres (1.5 in) of rain). Sunshine totals in all months are well above
7239-488: The United States on 7 June 1945. After touching at Norfolk, Virginia , the tank landing ship proceeded via New Orleans to Galveston, Texas , where she prepared for Pacific service. However, Japan's capitulation in August 1945 cancelled plans for her journey to the Pacific. Instead, LST-510 reported to Green Cove Springs, Florida , where she was placed out of commission on 1 July 1946. LST-510 received one battle star for her World War II service. Inactive for over
7366-403: The Were-Rabbit . Out of respect for local beliefs the adverts omitted the word 'rabbit' and replaced the film's title with the phrase "Something bunny is going on" . Thomas Hardy described Portland as "the peninsula carved by Time out of a single stone", and named it the Isle of Slingers and Isle of the Race in his Wessex novels; it was the main setting of The Well-Beloved (1897), and
7493-489: The annual mean is 11.8 °C (53.2 °F). The mild seas that surround Portland act to keep night-time temperatures above freezing, making air frost rare: on average 6.3 days per year — this is far below the United Kingdom's average annual total of 55.6 days of frost. Days with snow lying are equally rare: on average zero to five days per year; almost all winters have no more than one day with snow lying. It may snow or sleet in winter, yet it almost never settles on
7620-407: The basic design for the more than 1,000 LST (2) that were built during World War II. To meet the conflicting requirements of deep draft for ocean travel and shallow draft for beaching, the ship was designed with a large ballast system that could be filled for ocean passage and pumped out for beaching operations. An anchor and mechanical winch system also aided in the ship's ability to pull itself off
7747-509: The beach and then over the Fleet Lagoon by bridge to the mainland. The population of Portland is 13,417. Portland is a central part of the Jurassic Coast , a World Heritage Site on the Dorset and east Devon coast, important for its geology and landforms. Portland stone , a limestone famous for its use in British and world architecture, including St Paul's Cathedral and the United Nations Headquarters , continues to be quarried here. Portland Harbour , in between Portland and Weymouth,
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#17328587737737874-431: The beach. The rough sketch was sent to Britain on 5 November 1941 and accepted immediately. The Admiralty then requested that the United States build 200 "LST (2)" for the Royal Navy under the terms of lend-lease . The preliminary plans initially called for an LST 280 feet (85 m) in length; but, in January 1942, the Bureau of Ships discarded these drawings for a slightly longer ship of 290 feet (88 m). Within
8001-416: The bow doors and ramp were electrical, but otherwise, steam auxiliaries replaced the electrical gear on the LST (2). The general arrangements of the tank deck were similar, but the design increased headroom and added a ramp to the top deck, as in later LST (2)s. Provision was made for carrying LCA on gravity davits instead of the American built assault boats. The arrangements were generally an improvement over
8128-417: The bow. By January 1942, the first scale model of the LST had been built and was undergoing tests at the David Taylor Model Basin in Washington, D.C. Provisions were made for the satisfactory ventilation of the tank space while the tank motors were running, and an elevator was provided to lower vehicles from the main deck to the tank deck for disembarking. In April 1942 a mock-up of the well-deck of an LST
8255-469: The capital after the Great Fire of London of 1666. Well-known buildings in the capital, including St Paul's Cathedral and the eastern front of Buckingham Palace feature the stone. After the First World War, a quarry was opened by The Crown Estate to provide stone for the Cenotaph in Whitehall and half a million gravestones for war cemeteries, and after the Second World War hundreds of thousands of gravestones were hewn for soldiers who had fallen on
8382-433: The channel, LST-510 beached over a hollow on the bottom which produced abnormal stresses on her hull, throwing her starboard shaft out of alignment. Forced to return to England on one engine, the tank landing ship was drydocked for repairs at Plymouth for a month. LST-510 spent the first half of November, 1944 at anchor off Le Havre with a low-priority cargo waiting word to move inshore. Following two voyages to Rouen ,
8509-439: The cliffs at East Weares, to loop back north to a station in Easton . The line closed to passengers in 1952, and the final goods train (and two passenger 'specials') ran in April 1965. The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck stationed a lifeboat at Portland in 1826, which was withdrawn in 1851. Coastal flooding has affected Portland's residents and transport for centuries—the only way off
8636-406: The cliffs in different seasons, sometimes these include rare species which draw ornithologists from around the country. Rare visitors to the surrounding seas include dolphins, seals and basking sharks. Chesil Beach is one of only two sites in Britain where the scaly cricket can be found; unlike any other cricket it is wingless and does not sing or hop. Ten British Primitive goats were introduced to
8763-478: The coast of France, but put about to return to Plymouth when foul weather compelled postponement. Finally, at 0355 on 5 June, LST-510 again shaped a course for France. By daybreak, LST-510 had formed up with Convoy B 1 of the 4,000-vessel Western Task Force. Neither LST-510 nor her embarked soldiers took part in the initial assault at Normandy . The invasion was already eight hours old when she began approaching Omaha Beach , near Vierville . She could not get all
8890-506: The commanding officer of the first U.S. LST to drive his ship onto the beach at full speed of 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h). The LST(2) was built as the LST-1 class and the LST-491 class . In three separate acts dated 6 February 1942, 26 May 1943, and 17 December 1943, Congress provided the authority for the construction of LSTs along with a host of other auxiliaries, destroyer escorts , and assorted landing craft . The enormous building program quickly gathered momentum. Such
9017-410: The conquest of England by his father William the Conqueror . None of that castle remains; the existing castle probably dates from the 15th century. In 1539 King Henry VIII ordered the construction of Portland Castle for defence against attacks by the French; the castle cost £4,964 (equivalent to £4.21 million in 2024 ). It is one of the best preserved castles from this period, and is opened to
9144-400: The construction time for an LST had been reduced to four months. By the end of the war, this had been cut to two months. Considerable effort was expended to hold the ship's design constant, but, by mid-1943, operating experience led to the incorporation of certain changes in the new ships. From LST-513, the elevator to transfer equipment between the tank deck and the main deck was replaced with
9271-436: The continent of Europe. As an interim measure, three 4,000 to 4,800- gross register ton " Lake tankers ," built to pass over the restrictive bars of Lake Maracaibo , Venezuela , were selected for conversion because of their shallow draft . Bow doors and ramps were added to these ships, which became the first tank landing ships, LST (1): HMS Misoa , Tasajera and Bachaquero . They later proved their worth during
9398-562: The crew) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), it could not have a shallow draught sufficient for easy unloading. As a result, each of the three ( Boxer , Bruiser , and Thruster ) ordered in March 1941 had a very long ramp stowed behind the bow doors. The ships were built at Harland and Wolff from 1941 and the first completed early in 1943. Work was delayed by the complexities of an entirely new type of design and German air raids on Belfast. Bruiser and Thruster took part in
9525-700: The current MP is Lloyd Hatton ( Labour ). Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with the town of Holzwickede in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany since 1986, and the French town of Louviers , in the department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959. The borough and nearby Chickerell have been a Fairtrade Zone since 2007. The Isle of Portland lies in the English Channel , 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Wyke Regis , and 200 km (120 mi) west-southwest of London, at 50°33′0″N 2°26′24″W / 50.55000°N 2.44000°W / 50.55000; -2.44000 (50.55, −2.44). Portland
9652-403: The designers to increase the width of the bow door opening and ramp from 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.3 m) in order for it to be able to accommodate most Allied vehicles. As the dimensions and weight of the LST increased, steel plating thickness increased from 1 ⁄ 4 -inch (6.4 mm) to 3 ⁄ 8 -inch (9.5 mm) on the deck and sides, with 1-inch-thick (25 mm) plating under
9779-446: The elements provided for sufficient buoyancy in the ships' sidewalls so that they would float the ship even when the tank deck was flooded. The LST (2) gave up the speed of HMS Boxer , at only 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), but carried a similar load while drawing only three feet (91 cm) forward when beaching. Within a few days, John C. Niedermair of the Bureau of Ships sketched out an awkward looking ship that proved to be
9906-466: The engine to be turned end to end to suit either port or starboard side fitting. When the LST (3)s were ordered, the LST (2) programme was in full swing, and similar arrangements were made to enable the LSTs to carry the 112 feet (34 m) long LCT5 or LCT6 that were being built in America for the Royal Navy. The LCT needed lifting onto the deck of the ship, being carried on wedge-shaped support blocks; at
10033-651: The facilities to maintain the landing craft (which the Dock Landing Ships provided). The Landing Craft Assault were wooden-hulled vessels plated with armour, 41 ft 6 in (12.65 m) long overall, 10 ft (3.0 m) wide, and displacing 13 tons fully loaded. Draught was 2 ft 3 in (0.69 m), and normal load was 35 troops with 800 lb (360 kg) of equipment. A pair of Scripps marine conversions of Ford V8 engines gave it speeds of 11 knots (20 km/h) unloaded, 8 knots (15 km/h) service speed, 3 knots (5.6 km/h) on one engine. Range
10160-405: The feature; at 10 metres (about 5 fathoms) deep and 2.4 kilometres (1.3 nmi) long, it causes a tidal race to the south of Portland Bill, the so-called Portland Race. The current only stops for brief periods during the 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 -hour tidal cycle and can reach 4 metres per second (9 mph) at the spring tide of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in). Due to its isolated coastal location,
10287-586: The globe during World War II, including in the Pacific War and in the European theatre . The first tank landing ships were built to British requirements by converting existing ships; the UK and the US then collaborated upon a joint design. The British ships were used in late 1942 during the Allied invasion of Algeria . In 1943, LSTs participated in the invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy . In June 1944 they were part of
10414-513: The ground—coastal areas in South West England such as Portland generally experience the mildest winters in the UK. Portland is less affected by the Atlantic storms that Devon and Cornwall experience. The growing season lasts for more than 310 days per year, and the borough is in Hardiness zone 9. Weymouth and Portland, and the rest of the south coast, has the sunniest climate in
10541-459: The headland and its tidal race . The current lighthouse was refurbished in 1996 and became remotely controlled. It now contains a visitors' centre giving information and guided tours of the lighthouse. Portland Ledge is an underwater extension of Portland Stone into the English Channel at a place where the depth of Channel is 20 to 40 metres (about 10 to 20 fathoms). Tidal flow is disrupted by
10668-685: The highest in the British Isles, and by far warmer than the United Kingdom average. However, due to the island's proximity to the sea, summers are cooler than the national average, with temperatures rarely climbing to the extremes seen in in-land areas further north. As a result of its coastal extremity and mild winter minimum temperatures, Portland is suitable for plants with the Royal Horticultural Society 's hardiness rating H2. Mean sea surface temperatures range from 7.0 °C (44.6 °F) in February to 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in August;
10795-594: The huge invasion fleet for the Normandy landings . Over 1,000 LSTs were laid down in the United States during World War II for use by the Allies ; the United Kingdom and Canada produced eighty more. The British evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 demonstrated to the Admiralty that the Allies needed relatively large, ocean-going ships that could handle shore-to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles in amphibious assaults upon
10922-528: The island by land is along the causeway in the lee of Chesil Beach. At times of extreme floods (about every 10 years) this road link is cut by floods. The low-lying village of Chiswell used to flood on average every 5 years. Chesil Beach occasionally faces severe storms and massive waves, which have a fetch across the Atlantic Ocean. Following two severe flood events in the 1970s, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and Wessex Water decided to investigate
11049-582: The island of Portland. The Bill has three lighthouse towers. The Higher Lighthouse is now a dwelling and holiday apartments whilst the Lower Lighthouse is now a bird observatory and field centre providing records of bird migration and accommodation for visitors, which opened in 1961. The white and red lighthouse on Bill Point replaced the Higher and Lower Lighthouses in 1906. It is a prominent and much photographed feature; an important landmark for ships passing
11176-432: The mainland at Abbotsbury by Chesil Beach , a tombolo which runs 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west to West Bay . Portland is sometimes defined incorrectly as a tombolo—in fact Portland is a tied island, and Chesil Beach is the tombolo (a spit joined to land at both ends). There are eight settlements on Portland, the largest being Fortuneswell in Underhill and Easton on Tophill. Castletown and Chiswell are
11303-438: The name is still taboo—the creatures are often referred to as "underground mutton", "long-eared furry things" or just "bunnies". The origin of this superstition is obscure (there is no record of it before the 1920s) but it is believed to derive from quarry workers. They would see rabbits emerging from their burrows immediately before a rock fall and blame them for increasing the risk of dangerous, sometimes deadly, landslides . If
11430-409: The nature of that assignment flew furiously. Orders to load vehicles only heightened the excitement and accelerated the pace of work. Then, on 1 June 1944, LST-510 embarked 200 men and 70 vehicles of the 29th Infantry Division , and the ship backed out into the bay and anchored. From that moment on, no one was allowed off the ship. At 0337 on 4 June, LST-510 weighed anchor and got underway, bound for
11557-512: The north of Chiswell, an extended sea wall in Chesil Cove , and a culvert running from inside the beach, underneath the beach road and into Portland Harbour , to divert flood water away from low-lying areas. At the start of the First World War, HMS Hood was sunk in the passage between the southern breakwaters to protect the harbour from torpedo and submarine attack. Portland Harbour
11684-460: The other villages in Underhill, and Weston , Southwell , Wakeham and the Grove are on the Tophill plateau. Many old buildings are built out of Portland Stone; several parts have been designated Conservation Areas to preserve the unique character the older settlements which date back hundreds of years. The Isle of Portland has been designated by Natural England as National Character Area 137. It
11811-539: The problem, but heavy grounding skegs and the N.L. pontoon causeways were finally accepted as standard; the pontoon causeways were formed of pontoons 7 ft (2.1 m) × 5 ft × 5 ft (1.5 m), made up into strings and rafts. When offloading, the rafts were secured to the fore end of the ship, and the load discharged directly onto the shore, or towed on the raft to the shore. The ships were fitted out for service in both very cold and tropical conditions. The accommodation provided for both crew and army personnel
11938-532: The public by the custodians English Heritage . In the 17th century, chief architect and Surveyor-General to James I, Inigo Jones , surveyed the area and introduced the local Portland stone to London, using it in his Banqueting House, Whitehall , and for repairs on Old St Paul's Cathedral . His successor, Sir Christopher Wren , an architect and the Member of Parliament for nearby Weymouth, used six million tons of white Portland limestone to rebuild destroyed parts of
12065-399: The removal of the tank deck ventilator tubes from the center section of the main deck; the strengthening of the main deck in order to carry a smaller Landing Craft Tank (LCT); and an upgrade in armor and armament, with the addition of a 3"/50 caliber gun . The LST (2) design was successful and production extensive, but there was still a need for more LSTs for British operations. As such, it
12192-399: The rest of Dorset. The whole isle was also an ancient parish ; the original parish church was St Andrew's at Church Ope Cove on the east side of the island, which was replaced by St George's Church in the eighteenth century after St Andrew's was damaged by landslips. The isle was gradually divided into smaller ecclesiastical parishes , but remained a single civil parish . The parish
12319-430: The ship was proceeding to Cherbourg when she hit an underwater obstruction which holed her hull, flooding both engine rooms and plunging the ship into darkness. The next day, in tow of another LST, the ship headed back to Portland for temporary repairs, and to Falmouth for another month of drydocking and engine repairs. Even after that, bad luck continued to dog LST-510 . On 5 February 1945 while returning from Le Havre in
12446-449: The ships were expected to land would be very flat, but it was not possible to produce a satisfactory vessel with a 3 ft (0.91 m) draught forward, and very little keel slope, so the 1 in 50 keel slope was maintained. It was known that the 1:50 slope would often result in the LST grounding aft on a shallow beach, resulting in the vehicles being discharged into comparatively deep water. Various methods had been investigated to overcome
12573-408: The structure of the beach, and coastal management schemes that could be built to protect Chiswell and the beach road. In the 1980s it was agreed that a scheme to provide storm protection with a 20% annual exceedance probability to reduce flood depth and duration in more severe storms. Hard engineering techniques were employed in the scheme, including a gabion running 550 metres (600 yd) to
12700-401: The stuffing boxes, and all pistons fitted with packing rings and springs. The high-pressure valve was of the piston type, whilst the remaining ones were of the balanced type. The main engines were designed to develop 2,750 hp (2,050 kW) at 185 rpm continuously. With the ships being twin screw, the engines were fitted with a shaft coupling to the crank shaft at the forward end, allowing
12827-451: The surface facilities should be complete to store the first gas in 2011, and the entire cavern space available for storage in winter 2013. As part of the £350 million scheme, the Grade II listed former Old Engine Shed would be converted into a £1.5 million educational centre with a café and an exhibition space about the geology of Portland. Portland Bill is the southern tip of
12954-536: The tank deck with an additional fourteen lorries on the weather deck. Steam was supplied by a pair of Admiralty pattern 3-drum water-tube type boilers , working at 225 pounds per square inch (1,550 kPa). The main engines were of the 4-cylinder triple expansion 4-crank type, balanced on the Yarrow -Tweedy-Slick system, the cylinders being as follows: The common stroke was 30 inches (760 mm). The piston and slide valve rods were all fitted with metallic packing to
13081-479: The tied island produce a temperate climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The average annual mean temperature from 1991 to 2020 was 11.5 °C (52.7 °F). The warmest month is August, which has an average temperature range of 14.8 to 19.5 °C (58.6 to 67.1 °F), and the coolest is February, which has a range of 4.7 to 8.4 °C (40.5 to 47.1 °F). Mean winter temperatures are amongst
13208-430: The time of launching she was set down on the "launch ways" by simply slacking off bolts in the wedge blocks, allowing the launch way to take the weight. To carry out a launch, the LST was heeled over about 11 degrees by careful flooding of tanks in the hull. The height of the drop was about 10 ft (3.0 m). Once launched in this way, the propeller shafts were reconnected (together with some minor "unpacking" work) and
13335-688: The unseen enemy briefly threw the convoy into disorder in dense fog. To make matters worse, LST-510 ' s engines broke down. All on board shared the certain fear that a torpedo would soon set off her explosive cargo until successful repairs allowed her to resume her harried voyage. LST-510 reached Derry , Northern Ireland safely on 13 April. From there, LST-510 crossed the Irish Sea and stopped briefly at Milford Haven , Wales before proceeding on to Plymouth, England , where she delivered LCT-709 . During May, 1944 LST-510 outfitted at Falmouth and Fowey for her next mission while " scuttlebutt " over
13462-450: The upper deck of the ship. They were hoisted on by means of a specially fitted 30-ton derrick; This 30-ton derrick replaced a 15-ton derrick, two of which were the standard fit of the LST (3). The 30-ton derrick was taller and generally more substantial than the 15 ton one. The LCM (7)s were landed on trolleys fitted with hydraulic jacks. These ran on rails down each side of the deck, and were hauled to and fro by means of winches. The stowage
13589-485: The upper deck, and the ship was enlarged to accommodate the more bulky machinery. Provision was made for carrying the British Landing Craft Assault (LCA) in gravity davits , instead of American assault craft. Provision was also made for carrying Landing Craft Tank (LCT) and Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM), and NL pontoon causeways . When the design commenced, engineers knew that the beaches where
13716-438: The vicinity of Panama City, Florida , returning to New Orleans in February for post-shakedown availability. On 1 March LST-510 loaded the 150-ton tank landing craft USS LCT-709 onto her upper deck. She then headed to New York City , where she embarked additional crewmen and took on board 600 tons of ammunition. From there, she proceeded via Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia , and then left North American waters on 29 March in
13843-431: The way in to the beach itself, so LST-510 unloaded her cargo and disembarked her men via LCTs and "Rhino" pontoon barges . That night, LST-510 endured her first air raid, but her only loss proved to be sleep. The raids continued sporadically throughout the night. Even before all of LST-510 ' s cargo had been unloaded, she began embarking wounded men for treatment. The three doctors on board performed their work in
13970-655: The world and one of the few ships which served in World War II still in active service. USS LST-510 received the following awards for its service in World War II - [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . LST-491-class tank landing ship A landing ship, tank , ( LST ) is a ship first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks , vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto
14097-431: Was 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m), and propulsion was provided by a pair of Hudson Invader petrol engines, later replaced with Grays diesels, both sets providing 290 bhp (220 kW), giving a speed of 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h). The main requirement of the design was to carry a 40-ton Churchill tank or bulldozer at 10 knots (19 km/h). 140 had been completed when the war ended, and some saw service through to
14224-418: Was 50–80 miles (80–130 km) miles on 64 imperial gallons (290 L). Armament was typically a Bren light machine gun aft; with two Lewis Guns in a port forward position. The LCM (7)s that were carried on the LST (2) were considerably larger, 60 ft 3 in (18.36 m) in length, 16 ft (4.9 m) beam, with a hoisting weight of 28 tons, full load displacement of 63 tons. Beaching draught
14351-589: Was completed in three months. This historic building remains at Fort Knox today. Early LST operations required overcoming the 18th-century language of the Articles for the Government of the United States Navy: "He who doth suffer his ships to founder on rocks and shoals shall be punished..." There were some tense moments of concept testing at Quonset, Rhode Island , in early 1943 when designer Niedermair encouraged
14478-476: Was constructed at Fort Knox , Kentucky, to resolve the problem of ventilation within the LST well-deck. The interior of the building was constructed to duplicate all the features found within an actual LST. Being the home to the Armored Force Board, Fort Knox supplied tanks to run on the inside while Naval architects developed a ventilation system capable of evacuating the well-deck of harmful gases. Testing
14605-543: Was created for the former urban district, with its council taking the name Portland Town Council. The town council continued to be based at the old urban district council's building at Fortuneswell until 2016. In 2019, the borough of Weymouth and Portland was abolished when Dorset moved to a unitary authority structure of local government. Portland forms part of the South Dorset parliamentary constituency , created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament;
14732-433: Was decided to build a further 80 of the ships in the UK and Canada to be available in the spring of 1945. The British Staff drew up their own specification, requiring that the ship: Two major problems made a redesign necessary. The preferred light weight medium-speed (locomotive type) Electro-Motive Diesel 12- 567 diesel engines were not immediately available. Staff wanted more power and higher speeds if possible, which
14859-628: Was featured in The Trumpet-Major (1880). The cottage that now houses Portland Museum was the inspiration for the heroine's house in The Well-Beloved . Portlanders were expert stone-throwers in the defence of their land, and Hardy's Isle of Slingers is heavily based on Portland; the Street of Wells representing Fortuneswell and The Beal Portland Bill. Hardy also called Portland the Gibraltar of
14986-413: Was filled from fore to aft as each craft was jacked down onto fixed cradles between the rails. The ships completed to this standard were LST-3043 /HMS Messina , and LST-3044 /HMS Narvik . While these ships were able to carry LCMs, they were only able to carry out loading and unloading operations under nearly ideal weather conditions, and therefore could not be used for assault operations; they also lacked
15113-517: Was formed (1848–1905) by the construction of breakwaters, but before that the natural anchorage had hosted ships of the Royal Navy for more than 500 years. It was "the home of the Asdics," a centre for Admiralty research into asdic submarine detection and underwater weapons from 1917 to 1998; the shore base HMS Serepta was renamed HMS Osprey in 1927. During the Second World War Portland
15240-460: Was greatly improved compared with LST (2). The main hazard, apart from enemy action, was fire on the tank deck. Fire sprinklers were provided, but the water drenching system installed in later American vessels could not be provided. The bow door arrangements were similar to the LST (2), but the design arranged the bow ramp in two parts in an attempt to increase the number of beaches where direct discharge would be possible. The machinery for operating
15367-471: Was made a local government district in 1867, governed by an elected local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts in 1894. In 1933/1934, Portland Urban District Council built itself a new headquarters at 3 Fortuneswell. Portland Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 to become part of the borough of Weymouth and Portland . A successor parish
15494-518: Was only 3 knots (5.6 km/h) faster than the LCT (2). At the same time, other improvements were made—as well as simplifications required so most of the structure could be assembled with rivets . The cutaway hard chine that had been dropped in the American version of the Mark 2 vessels was restored. The tank deck, which was above the waterline, was made parallel to the keel , there was to be no round down to
15621-454: Was renamed MV Cape Henlopen and converted to a passenger and auto ferry in 1966, operating between Lewes, Delaware , and Cape May, New Jersey . Purchased in 1983 by Cross Sound Ferry Services, Inc. of New London, Connecticut , she underwent a total refurbishment before entering service between Orient, New York ( Long Island ) and New London, perhaps making it the only D-Day veteran ship to still be in active service ( map ). The ferry
15748-427: Was repowered during the winter of 1995 with EMD 12-645 diesel engines, and repowered again in 2016 with Caterpillar 3516C diesel engines certified to EPA Tier 3 emissions standards. In 2019, the ship underwent a major overhaul, renovating the ships' passenger accommodations and adding a new lounge, honoring the history and service of the ship in World War II. MV Cape Henlopen is one of the oldest operating ferries in
15875-451: Was the target of 48 air raids and a total of 532 bombs, although most warships had moved north as Portland was within enemy striking range across the Channel. Mulberry Harbour Phoenix Units can be seen at Black Barge beach, near Portland Castle . Portland was a major embarkation point for Allied forces on D-Day in 1944. Early helicopters were stationed at Portland in 1946–1948, and in 1959
16002-454: Was unique in several respects. As soon as the basic design had been developed, contracts were let and construction was commenced in quantity before the completion of a test vessel. Preliminary orders were rushed out verbally or by telegrams, telephone, and air mail letters. The ordering of certain materials actually preceded the completion of design work. While many heavy equipment items, such as main propulsion machinery, were furnished directly by
16129-562: Was used for the 2012 Olympic Games . The name Portland is used for one of the British Sea Areas , and has been exported as the name of several North American and Australian towns, such as Portland, Victoria , and Portland, Oregon ; the latter of which was named after the city in Maine , which named itself after the isle. The name is also used for a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong , and
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