HMS Empire Spearhead was a Type C1-S-AY-1 Infantry Landing Ship built during World War II, constructed by Consolidated Steel Corporation in Wilmington, California. Launched on 7 November 1944 and completed in January 1944, the vessel measured approximately 396 feet 5 inches (120.83 meters) in length with a beam of 60 feet 1 inch (18.31 meters) and a depth of 35 feet (10.67 meters). She had a gross register tonnage of 7,177 and a net register tonnage of 4,823. The ship was powered by two steam turbines, built by Westinghouse Electric Company, which drove a single screw propeller, enabling her to perform her roles efficiently. Initially named Cape Girardeau, the vessel was built for the War Shipping Administration and was chartered by the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), managed by Royal Mail Lines Ltd. She was assigned the code letters MYMR and the UK Official Number 169773. Her primary service during the war included participating in major amphibious operations, notably Operation Overlord, where she carried troops such as the 231st Infantry Brigade and members of the Dorset Regiment to Gold Beach for the Normandy invasion. A Daily Sketch photographer documented her role in this historic event. After D-Day, she was transferred to the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Empire Spearhead in June 1944. She joined Force X, a convoy traveling from Greenock via New York and the Panama Canal to Suva, Fiji, dispersing in late September 1944. She also participated in Exercise Octopus in Queensland in November 1944, training troops for amphibious assaults. In March 1945, she took part in Operation Iceberg, transporting troops from Manus Island to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. In the post-war years, she reverted to civilian hands, passing back to the MoWT in 1946, and later to the U.S. Maritime Commission in 1947, when she was renamed Cape Girardeau. Laid up in 1950 at the James River and renamed Empire Spearhead once again, she remained inactive until being sold for scrap in 1965. Her service record highlights her significant role in wartime amphibious operations and her enduring presence in mid-20th-century maritime history. She was scrapped in 1966.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.