USS LST-554

History
Name: USS LST-554
Builder: Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana
Laid down: 30 January 1944
Launched: 18 March 1944
Sponsored by: Mrs. T. R. Davis
Commissioned: 27 April 1944
Decommissioned: 20 July 1946
Struck: 25 September 1946
Honors and
awards:		 Four battle stars for World War II
Fate: Sold for scrapping 29 March 1948
General characteristics
Class & type: LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,780 long tons (1,809 t) light
  • 3,640 long tons (3,698 t) full load
Length: 328 ft (100 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • Unloaded 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
Installed power: 1,800 horsepower (1.34 megawatts)
Propulsion: Two 900-horsepower (0.67-megawatt) General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 x LCVPs
Troops: 140 officers and enlisted men
Complement: 8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted men
Armament:
  • 1 × 3-inch (76.2-millimeter 50-caliber gun mount, 8 x 40-millimeter guns
  • 12 × 20-millimeter guns
  • 2 × .50-caliber (12.7-millimeter) machine guns
  • 4 × .30-caliber (7.62-millimeter) machine guns

USS LST-554 was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship in commission from 1944 to 1946.

Construction and commissioning

LST-554 was laid down on 30 January 1944 at Evansville, Indiana, by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company. She was launched on 18 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. T. R. Davis, and commissioned on 27 April 1944.

Service history

During World War II, LST-554 was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. She participated in the capture and occupation of the southern Palau Islands in September and October 1944. She then took part in the Philippines campaign, participating in the Leyte landings in October and November 1944 and the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945. She then participated in the assault on and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April 1945.

Following the war, LST-554 returned to the United States.

Decommissioning and disposal

LST-554 was decommissioned on 20 July 1946 and stricken from the Navy List on 25 September 1946. On 29 March 1948, she was sold to Kaiser Shipyards, of Vancouver, Washington, for scrapping.

Honors and awards

LST-554 earned four battle stars for her World War II service.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, January 30, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.