LST Mark I comprised three tanker conversions and three purpose-built Boxer-class ships, followed by the American-built Mark II and British Mark III. The naming depended on autonomy: a tank landing craft that could cross an ocean under its own power qualified as a landing ship. Across the three marks, improvised conversions and small British production runs gave way to an ocean-going American type and a British refinement. This opening comparison establishes the terminology and family tree used throughout the design discussion.
Chapter · 1:40-3:22
How three LST marks divided the design problem
The three Landing Ship Tank marks trace the move from British conversions and limited new builds to American mass production and British refinement.