Doyen Class, U.S. Attack Transports

U.S. Navy. Via Friedman (2002)

Specifications:

The Doyens were standard Maritime Commission P1 passenger liners converted to attack transports (as standard type P1-S2-L2.) Their conversion apparently came at the direct request of President Roosevelt to the Maritime Commission to construct a pair of small attack transports modelled on the British LSI concept, with added provisions for tanks. They were the first purpose-built attack transports in the U.S. Navy and tok an unusually long time to complete.

The Marine Corps was unhappy with the design, which was about a third the size required to land a regimental combat team. As a result, the ships were sometimes described as Marine battalion transports. They were ostensibly for use in the Caribbean, where their shallow draft would have been useful, but were seen within the Roosevelt adminstration as prototypes for operations in Europe. After modifications were made to allow each ship to carry half a combat team, the Marines warmed to the idea, liking the larger number of boats available to two small transports versus a large transport, as well as the shallow draft and easier cargo access.

None were lost in the Pacific.

Units in the Pacific:

References

DANFS
Friedman (2002)
NavSource.Org (accessed 2009-2-10)

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