History
United States
Name	LST-33
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down	23 February 1943
Launched	21 June 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Paul J. Walsh
Stricken	23 June 1947
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-33
Fate	Transferred to the Hellenic Navy, 18 August 1943
Greece
Name	Samos
Namesake	Samos
Acquired	18 August 1943
Decommissioned	25 September 1977
Identification	Hull symbol: L179
Fate	Sold to Greece, January 1947 Decommissioned 1977
General characteristics [1]
Type	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,700 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
Troops	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

USS LST-33 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy built during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 18 August 1943, before being commissioned into the USN, and was renamed Samos (Σάμος).

Construction

LST-33 was laid down on 23 February 1943, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 21 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Paul J. Walsh; and transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 18 August 1943, and renamed Samos (L179).^[2] Her commander was Captain Pyrros Lappas.

Service history

Samos, ex-LST-33, sailed from Galveston Bar for Key West, Florida, on 28 August 1943, with convoy HK 125, arriving in Key West, 1 September 1943.^[3]

On 11 October 1943, Samos left Halifax, Nova Scotia, in convoy SC 144,^[4] en route she joined convoy WN 497 that had departed Loch Ewe, on 26 October. She arrived in Methil, Scotland, on 28 October with a load of lumber.^[5]

Samos departed Methil, on 3 December 1943, in convoy EN 314 (series 2), arriving in Loch Ewe, on 5 December.^[6] She departed Liverpool, England, in convoy OS 61/KMS 35, on 8 December 1943.^[7] The convoy split on 19 December, with Samos continuing on in convoy KMS 35G, arriving in Gibraltar, on 21 December.^[8]

She sailed out of Taranto, Italy, in convoy HP 1, on 24 October 1944, arriving in Piraeus, Greece, on 27 October 1944.^[9]

Her last recorded convoy was from New York City, on 2 March 1945, in convoy NG 493, arriving in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on 9 March 1945.^[10]

Post-war service

She was sold to the government of Greece in January 1947. She was struck from the Navy list on 23 June 1947.^[2] She served in the Greek navy until being decommissioned on 25 September 1977.

References

Bibliography

External links

• Photo gallery of USS LST-33 at NavSource Naval History
• Σάμος L-179 (1943-1977) (in Greek), Hellenic Navy website