Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

Landing Craft at Penarth - World War II

This unit took over a large part of the dock as a servicing and repair base for amphibious craft. The Americans quickly built fitting and repair workshops, offices, recreation rooms and kitchens. The U.S.N. Officer's Club was established at 10 Beach Road, and the Junior Officers were quartered at 9 Clive Crescent.

Nearly 150 craft, including 71 L.S.T. (Landing Ships Tanks) which were 328 feet long were serviced. The pontoon was used with its excellent facilities.

After the Salerno landing south of Naples in September 1943 many of the landing craft were brought back to Penarth for repair and servicing. On one occasion 56 amphibious craft were in the dock with their numbers on their bows covered by blue plywood to hide their identity. This was a sign of the invasion preparations, and on 6th June 1944 the invasion of Northern France took place.

On "D-Day" twenty coasters were in the dock loaded with ammunition to supply the invasion forces. From then on there was a continual stream of vessels from Penarth supplying the armies in Europe. There were some imports, too, including salvaged equipment from Iceland, North Africa and Europe.

After the Normandy invasion the base at Penarth was transferred in its entirety, in July 1944, to the Mediterranean to be used for the invasion of Southern France. Capt. Chapin flew to Casablanca and his officers and men sailed aboard four L.S.T.'s to the Mediterranean transferring the base from the Eleventh Amphibious Force to the Eighth Amphibious Force.

The U.S. Navy regretted moving from Penarth Dock, "As this was not only one of the best repair establishments, but also one of the very few places in the entire command where L.S.T.'s could be taken alongside for repair, its loss was seriously felt and soon apparent. [1178]