| Tank Landing Ship USS LST-914, Landing Craft Tank (Mark 5) USS LCT-222, Landing Craft Tank (Mark 5) USS LCT-274, and Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6) USS LCT-1003 unload vehicles, weapons, and cargo for the 3rd Infantry Division at Yellow Alpha Beach, Cap Lardier, Cavalaire-sur-Mer, during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, in August 1944. Note DUKW “Duck” amphibious truck and barrage balloon to prevent low-flying planes from air attack. USS LST-914 was laid down on February 16, 1944, as hull number 3384 LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship and launched into the Weymouth Back River near Boston on April 18, 1944, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts. Commissioned into the United States Navy on May 18, 1944, under the command of Lieutenant Arthur W. Meyer (December 1, 1917 – August 8, 1962). During Operation Dragoon, she grounded hard on a rocky shoal on August 29, 1944, bending her frames, requiring USS Extricate (ARS-16) to repair her hull with underwater cement. After Operation Dragoon, she was transferred to the Pacific, where she served in the amphibious operations at Saipan and Guam. She served in the Philippines until the end of the war. USS LST-914 transferred to the United States Army on June 25, 1946. Returned to the Navy on August 26, 1950, she served in the Korean War. In 1955, she was renamed USS Mahoning County. She was decommissioned on September 5, 1959, and sold for scrap on June 22, 1960. USS LST-914 earned 2 battle stars for World War II service and 6 battle stars for Korean War service. USS LCT-222 was laid down on October 21, 1942, and launched into the Niagara River near Buffalo, New York, by Bison Shipbuilding Corporation in the suburb of North Tonawanda on November 4, 1942. Delivered to the United States Navy on December 13, 1942, USS LCT-222 was loaded onto an LST for transport across the Atlantic, and then participated in the Sicily, Elba, and Pianosa landings before Operation Dragoon. USS LCT-222 was struck from the Naval Register on February 25, 1946, and converted into a ferry by the Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Company. Renamed Amherst Islander, she provided service between Kingston and Amherst Island, Ontario, Canada until she was sold in April 1955 to McNamara Construction Company, Toronto, Canada. Renamed Tante II, she was last reported in the Canadian List of Ships in June 1963. Her final disposition is unknown. LCT-222 earned 3 battle stars for World War II service. USS LCT-274 was laid down on September 7, 1942, and launched into the Missouri River near Leavenworth, Kansas, by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company on October 5, 1942. Delivered to the United States Navy on October 21, 1942, USS LCT-274 was loaded onto an LST for transport across the Atlantic and then participated in the Sicily landing before Operation Dragoon. USS LCT-274 was struck from the Naval Register on February 25, 1946. In 1949, she was registered as the oil exploration vessel Rangely by the California Company, New Orleans, Louisiana. On May 27, 1957, Rangely foundered 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Houma, Louisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico. All 4 crewmen were rescued. USS LCT-1003 was laid down on January 30, 1944, and launched into the Niagara River near Buffalo, New York, by Bison Shipbuilding Corporation in the suburb of North Tonawanda on February 16, 1944. Delivered to the United States Navy on February 18, 1944, USS LCT-1003 was loaded onto an LST for transport across the Atlantic and then participated in Operation Dragoon. Transferred to the Pacific Theatre, LCT-1003 served in support of the occupation of China. Her final disposition is unknown. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0496.jpg |
| Image Size | 339.15 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1920 x 1485 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 15, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Cap Lardier |
| State or Province | Saint-Tropez |
| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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