The hull was the same as the Landing Craft Infantry ships. They were long, displaced , wide and drew when fully loaded. The flat bottom and skegs between and on either side of the twin screws allowed the ships to safely beach. The anchor is at the stern of the ship so it can be used to help pull the ship off the beach if necessary. The twin variable pitch screws were each driven by a bank of four Grey Marine (later General Motors) diesel engines, with a total power for all eight engines of . These engines gave a maximum speed of , but normally the ships sailed at . The ships had a range of . Armour for the gun mounts, pilot house and conning tower was provided by STS splinter shields. The ships had a smoke generator which was used to obscure landing craft approaching the beach.