USS LST 173 on Film

USS LST 173 on Film

On August 15, 1944, USS LST 173 participated in the Invasion of Southern France (Operation Dragoon (aka Operation Anvil)) as part of Task Unit 84.1.2, Red Beach Assault Group, Alpha Attack Force, Western Naval Task Force. USS LST 173 landed at beach number 259 in the Baie De Cavalaire, Lat. 43° 11' 30"N., Long. 06° 34' 00"E. This ship was an Assault Troop Carrier with 5 LCVP's, and 1 LCS(Scout) and 2 sections of causeway pontoons which landed troops and vehicles of various units of the Third U.S. Army Infantry Division.

The following film footage was obtained from the National Archives at College Park, MD. It has been broken down into 3 short clips that are in .avi format and are compatable with RealPlayer and Windows Media Player. To view a clip, select one of the three images below. Please be patient and allow for a couple of minutes for download time.

Clip1.avi - Bulldozers and trucks unloading from USS LST 173.

Film Clip #1

Clip2.avi - A truck being towed on the beach followed by a large explosion.

Film Clip #2

Clip3.avi - Trucks unloading from USS LST 173 onto a pontoon bridge.

Film Clip #3