USS HARPERS FERRY LSD 49
SLCP
SECTION III
EMBARKATION/DEBARKATION PROCEDURES
1. Embarkation Procedures. Embarkation can be accomplished by surface or air with ship
moored to a pier, at anchor, or underway.
a. Surface. Surface embarkation is the primary method of embarkation for HARPERS
FERRY. Embarkation is generally accomplished with the ship moored to a pier, but can be
accomplished with the ship at anchor and, in some cases, underway. Abilities of some craft to
overtake the ship in various sea conditions normally preclude underway embarkation and is not
conducted as a normal practice.
(1) Embarkation. Vehicles and cargo may be brought aboard via the stern gate or
topside crane. Troops may be brought aboard via the stern gate or accommodation ladder.
Landing craft are used for vehicle, cargo, and troop embarkation with the ship at anchor or
underway. Landing craft are also used for embarkation via the stern gate with the ship at a pier
when water depth permits ballasting. Landing craft may enter the well deck for payload transfer
or may marry to the stern gate. Stern gate marriage requires less water depth under the ship's
hull. Amphibious vehicles may be brought aboard in landing craft or by swimming to the ship and
crossing the stern gate.
(2) Internal Movement. Once vehicles are brought aboard either via the stern gate or
by crane, they move to storage locations under their own power via ramps, VTA, and the vehicle
tunnel; connecting all storage and embark/debark locations. Cargo may be unloaded from landing
craft in the well deck via forklift trucks. Cargo and vehicle movement from the well deck to
topside storage locations is accomplished by forklift trucks, crane, and cargo elevator. Troops
move from embarkation locations in the well deck/VSA or topside to troop living areas via
designated routes.
b. Air. Air embarkation is normally used when the ship is at anchor or underway.
Vehicles, cargo, and personnel can be brought aboard via helicopters as large as the CH-53E, and
can land at one of the two helicopter spots. Land/launch operations from the forward spot will
not be conducted when a helicopter is positioned on the aft spot. Vehicles and troops can move
from the flight deck under their own power. Cargo is moved by forklift trucks. The forward
helicopter spot may be designated vehicle stowage and may not be available for helicopter
operations.
2. Debarkation Procedures. Debarkation can be accomplished viav surface or air methods with
the ship underway, at anchor, or moored to a pier.
a. Surface. Surface debarkation is the primary method of debarkation for HARPERS
FERRY. The specific procedures involved vary somewhat with the type of landing craft available
and the types of vehicles to be debarked.
(1) Landing Craft and Amphibious Vehicles
(a) LCAC. Loaded LCAC's can be launched while underway on their
own power. The ship needs to be ballasted at 0 - 6 inches at the sill.
(b) LCU/LCM. Loaded conventional landing craft (such as LCU, LCM-8,
or LCM-6) are launched under their own power with the ship ballasted down sufficiently to float
the craft.
(c) Amphibious Vehicles. Amphibious vehicles (such as LVT and
LARC-V) are launched under their own power with the ship ballasted just below the sill.
(d) The practice of carrying AAVP7s and conventional landing craft in the
same well should be avoided for safety reasons. It does not provide a dry well for an AAVP7 in
trouble to return due to the ballasting for the launch of the landing craft. In addition, if AAVP7s
are stowed alongside a LCU in the well deck there is not enough room to fully shore up the LCU,
thus creating a safety hazard in heavy weather.
(2) Vehicles and Cargo
(a) Vehicles. Landing craft are used to transport landing force vehicles
ashore. If not pre-loaded, vehicles are normally backed aboard landing craft via the landing craft
bow ramp.
(b) Cargo. Landing craft are used to transport cargo to shore. Cargo may
be loaded into the landing craft in the well deck or alongside. Cargo is moved to the debark
positions in the VSA via cargo lifts, elevators, or forklift truck. Cargo is loaded into landing craft
in the well deck by forklift truck, or into landing craft alongside by the B/A crane.
(3) Troops
(a) Surface. Surface troop debarkation is accomplished via landing craft
with troop movement following pre-designated routes. Ship guides will be assigned for troop
movement to debarkation points and embarked in assigned landing craft when directed by the
First Lieutenant. Landing craft teams will muster in troop compartments and move to the staging
area (Vehicle Turning Area) when called away.
(b) Air. Air debarkation of troops, vehicles, and cargo can be
accomplished via ship's flight deck using helicopters provided by other ship(s) of the force. With
the ship fully loaded with vehicles, air debarkation will be limited initially to one debarkation
position, the aft helicopter spot. However, vehicles loaded at the forward spot can be adjusted to
facilitate vehicle debarkation using the helicopter external lift method. Later in the operation both
helicopter spots can be used sequentially for debarkation of vehicles and cargo using the external
method and for troops, vehicles or cargo using the internal method.
USS HARPERS FERRY LSD-49 (CV)
SHIP’S LOADING CHARACTERISTICS PAMPHLET