I never went out on one of the flat bottoms. Lucky enough that I could do my job well and always rode on a LKA. Big round bottom piece of crap, but it could ride out a typhoon better. I remember looking over at a LST in a typhoon and thinking thank god I am not on that. You could see about 75% of the bottom when it crested a wave. The splash was incredible. I could only see the antenna tops and about the last 10 feet. The Marines I talked to that where on that ship said they were strapped to their racks for 3 days. Flat bottoms stink.
Trudat....LHA-3 USS BELLEAU WOOD 1981...we were in a bad one off the west coast of Australia, the Marines were laying on the main deck, rolling in their puke, no chow was served for 2 days, PB&J for all....what a nightmare.
You can say that again. The little "Counties" were posted on the flanks of our ARGs, and in rough weather, it was amazing to watch them, as they tried to keep up.
Ironically, those little County-class LSTs were diesels, and they had super "long legs" ie fuel range. As a result, and due to their empty vehicle holds when not carrying the Marines, they were used for long-endurance intel missions. They could spend months at sea in places like the Bering Sea in winter, loaded with commo and intell containers and spooks. Imagine what a ride that must have been....for months.