KRI Teluk Langsa (USN LST 512 class) large landing ship
The debut of KRI Teluk Amboina 503 as a Landing Ship Tank (LST) type ship was built based on the LST 542 Class design, which is none other than the light LST that was used by the United States during World War II. The identity of the LST in the Indonesian Navy is marked with the name Teluk [Island], then in the US Navy, the identity of the LST begins with the name of the County, such as USS Solano County LST-1128, which later changed its name to KRI Teluk Langsa 501.
Under the Military Sea Crossing Command (Kolinlamil) there were several 542 Class LSTs that had been operated by the Navy, namely KRI Teluk Langsa 501, KRI Teluk Bayur 502, KRI Teluk Kau 504, KRI Teluk Manado 505, KRI Teluk Tomini 508, KRI Teluk Ratai 509, KRI Teluk Saleh 510, and KRI Teluk Bone 511. Of these, only KRI Teluk Amboina 503 was still operating by 2020. Except for KRI Teluk Amboina, all of the above LSTs are veterans of World War II, especially in their role during the landing operation of Allied troops on the coast of Normandy, France in 1944. There were still four 542 Class LST units operated by the Military Seaborne Command (Kolinlamil) in 2014, namely KRI Teluk Bayur 502, KRI Teluk Amboina 503, KRI Teluk Ratai 509 and KRI Teluk Bone 511.
KRI Teluk Amboina 503 still supported military sea transportation operations according to the main task of Kolinlamil, carrying out troop and logistics shifts for the border security task force, securing vulnerable areas and disaster relief operations. Likewise in training with the Kolinlamil, the Navy and the combined TNI. The LST with a dead weight of 4,145 tons is equipped with 4 units of LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel), capable of landing BMP-3F amphibious tanks and 20 medium tanks.
KRI Teluk Amboina 503 has a length of 99 meters and a width of 15.2 meters. The ship with an empty weight of 2,378 tons is powered by two MAN V6V 22/30 diesel engines that produce 3,200 hp. With two propellers, KRI Teluk Amboina 503 is capable of sailing at a maximum speed of 13 knots. With full fuel, this retro World War II LST is capable of sailing as far as 4,000 nautical miles (or the equivalent of 8,148 km). In another configuration, the payload can be changed to carry 2,100 tons of cargo and 212 Marines. Supporting the function of carrying cargo, this ship is equipped with a crane with a capacity of 30 tons.
As an amphibious landing ship, KRI Teluk Bone is equipped with cargo transport capabilities. Besides being able to load 17 units of tanks on the tank deck (lower deck), the main deck (upper deck) can also be accessed for entering and exiting vehicles, this is possible thanks to the elevator forward after the door on the ramp. In the operation degree, the main deck is often occupied by supporting vehicles such as trucks, artillery, jeeps, etc. Regarding the payload capacity, depending on the type of mission it carries out, in general the LST 542 class can be loaded with a load of between 1,600 tons to 1,900 tons.
KRI Teluk Bone can also transport Marine troops consisting of 16 officers and 147 soldiers. For the task of landing troops to the shore, there are two LCVP units (Landing, Craft, Vehicle and Personnel). So what about the weapons? The ship was designed more to the needs of the PSU (air strike repellency), there were two 40 mm twin cannons (both and stern), four single-barreled 40 mm cannons, and 12 single-barreled 20 mm cannons. All of them are operated manually. This warship as a whole is manned by 7 officers and 104 crew members. Until now, KRI Teluk Bone 511 is commanded by a mid-level officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As a form of originality, the communication mouthpiece of the bridge(bridge) to the engine room still use pipes and not radio like today's military ships. Clocks, bells, instruments, and even the original ship's emblem from the US are still on some of these former World War II LST ships.
On December 6, 1975 , Battalion 403/Raiders Kostrad arrived off the coast of Tailaco with LST KRI Teluk Bone 511. In the afternoon BTP (Landing Team Battalion)-5/Infanteri Brigade-1/Pasrat Marines descended from Atabae and immediately entered the LST to preparations for an amphibious landing in Dli at 05.00 the next day. The recently completed PT-76 tanks and BTR-50P pansam were used to launch an attack on Atabae from Palaka through difficult mountainous terrain and sharp inclines, causing the engines to exceed normal temperatures.
On the night of December 6, 1975 , LST KRI Teluk Bone 511 which was carrying BTP-5/Infantry Marines became one of the warships in the Seroja Operation Amphibious Task Force under the commander of Marine Colonel (P) Gatot Soewardi. In the task force there are five other role vessels, namely the submarine tender KRI Ratulangi 400, acting as a command ship, the corvette KRI Barakuda 817, the frigate KRI Martadinata 342, the repair and supply ship KRI Jaya Wijaya 921, and the tanker KRI Sorong 911 made Yugoslavia which has a carrying capacity of 3,000 tons of fuel and 300 tons of fresh water.
Another LST involved in the landing operation in Dili was KRI Teluk Langsa 501, this LST which was of the same type as KRI Tekuk Bone carried a Marine Battalion from Brigade-2/Pasrat under the command of Lt. Col. (Mar) Suparmo. After the landing mission in Dili, on the evening of December 9, elements of the Marine Brigade-2/Pasrat Marines returned to LST KRI Teluk Langsa 501 which was anchored off the coast of Dili to make an amphibious landing in Laga, about 20 km east of Baucau.
The amphibious landing process on the coast of Dili was preceded by a series of shootings to the shore, this was intended to lower the morale of the opposing troops and raise the morale of the Marine landing troops. In a series of shots, KRI Ratulangi fired with a 57 mm cannon, KRI Barakuda and KRI Martadinata fired with a 76 mm cannon. KRI Jaya Wijaya fired 4 Bofors 40 mm double-barreled cannons with HE projectiles weighing 0.96 kg. The targets of the fire were the landing areas and Fretilin headquarters.
Four warships, landing ship tanks belonging to the Indonesian Navy, were retired 02 May 2012. These four warships had strengthened the ranks of the Indonesian Navy's weaponry for more than 50 years. The four retired warships are KRI Teluk Langsa-501, KRI Teluk Kau-504, KRI Teluk Tomini-508 and KRI Teluk Saleh-510. This ship was made in America in the 40s. "Currently the ships are at the conservation stage, so they are no longer involved in operational activities, both in the context of military operations for war, military operations other than war or other operational activities," said Head of the Dispen Kolinlamil Marine Lt. Col. Maman Sulaeman in a release.
Kota Pariaman will receive a Ex-Warship Grant from the Indonesian Navy. The warship will be used as a Navy Museum by the local government. The warship named KRI (Warship of the Republic of Indonesia) Teluk Ratai 509, which is a warship that was retired in 2019, where this warship is a former warship belonging to the United States, which witnessed history during World War II. For more than half a century, these warships have been involved in many military operations, including Operation Dwikora, Operation Seroja East Timor, Operation Bhakti Surya Bhaskara Jaya, TNI/ABRI Entering the Village, Military Sea Transport (Anglamil) troops guarding the Indonesian border region, and tsunami disaster management operations in Aceh as well as sea transportation assistance in supporting national development.
On March 31, 1960 this ship was officially handed over to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and entered the ranks of the Indonesian Navy in 1967 as an element of the Koarmatim Amphibious Ship Unit under the name KRI Teluk Ratai-509. On April 1, 1990, this ship was transferred to Kolinlamil to strengthen the ranks of the Surabaya Satlinlamil, until it was discharged on August 15, 2019.
Since it was launched from the Sasebo Heavy Industries shipyard on March 17, 1961, KRI Teluk Amboina (ABN) 503 has reached the age of 59 years. An age that has reached the twilight level, but for KRI Teluk Amboina 503 it does not dampen its ability to continue to take part in strengthening the ranks of the Indonesian Navy, especially the Military Cross-Sea Command (Kolinlamil). KRI ABN 503 is considered still capable and is still actively used in various operations.
On 17 March 2020 on the deck of KRI ABN 503, the Commander of the Military Sea Crossing Unit (Satlinlamil) Jakarta Marine Colonel (F) Heri Winarno with the KRI Commander Marine Lt. Col. (F) Bambang Purnomo along with the entire crew of KRI commemorated the anniversary of the operation of the Landing type warship Ship Tanks is simple.
There were no special events scheduled, the activity begins with a prayer together followed by a briefing from the Jakarta Satlinlamil Commander followed by a question and answer communication forum related to operational readiness and suppression of the corona virus prevention, the activity was attended by all KRI soldiers from commanders, officers to enlisted ships which are still ongoing. ready to operate throughout the territory of the Republic of Indonesia.
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