Amphibious cargo ship

Amphibious cargo ships were U.S. Navy ships designed specifically to carry troops, heavy equipment and supplies in support of amphibious assaults, and to provide naval gunfire support during those assaults.

As amphibious operations became more important in World War II, planners saw the need for a special kind of cargo ship, one that could carry both cargo and the LCM and LCVP boats with which to attack the beach, and that carried guns to assist in anti-air defense and shore bombardment.

[citation needed] After the war, many AKAs were put into the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

Others were converted for other uses, such as oceanographic surveying, undersea cable laying, and repairing other ships.

The last amphibious cargo ship in the U. S. Navy, USS El Paso (LKA-117), was decommissioned in April 1994.

Amphibious Cargo Ship USS Rankin (AKA-103 / LKA-103)
One of USS Rankin's cargo holds. The upper level is the main deck, with cargo-handling winches visible. The lower level is the floor onto which cargo is combat loaded. In between is the mess deck where the crew eats their meals.