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Concept
Landing Ship, Tank (Hospital)
Summary
A Landing Ship, Tank (Hospital) (LSTH) was a Tank Landing Ship (LST) converted to act as a hospital ship, but because they retained armaments they were not officially designated as such. The LST was a vessel designed to beach itself and unload equipment, vehicles, tanks, and troops onto an enemy beach. The convenience of a ship beached ashore proved to be a giant morale booster for the sick and injured, who could simply walk aboard.
On D-Day most of the troops were not landed by LSTs, however 41,035 wounded were brought back on approximately 150 of such ships over the next 114 days, which was twice their troop capacity. The sheer numbers overwhelmed the modest sick bay facilities on these craft, which were staffed by one or two Pharmacist Mates. The troops' berthing quickly filled to capacity with walking wounded and litter patients laid on the tank deck. Further, the inclusion of refugees on LSTs created additional needs, such as an Italian woman who gave birth at sea.
Future operations in the Pacific sought to reduce these problems by augmenting several LSTs with surgical teams to treat unstable patients. Occasionally referred to as LST Hospitals, these surgically augmented LSTs carried troops into battle and, upon unloading, set up an organized hospital on the well deck. During the battles of Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Philippines, and Okinawa, surgical teams consisting of at first three and then five physicians as well as 35 Pharmacist Mates were attached to LSTs.
In preparation for Operation Olympic, the initial invasion of Japan planned for 1 November 1945, 36 LSTs were to be redesignated LSTHs. These ships were to be augmented with a surgical team and provided large amounts of consumable and medical personnel to meet the anticipated demand for beachhead casualty evacuation. The official written order for redesignation took effect 15 September 1945, 13 days after the end of the war. All 36 LSTHs were assigned duty in Asia and the Far East, but their designation served merely a formality as their new mission was to return US troops.
Official source
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