USS LST-559

History
Name: USS LST-559
Builder: Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana
Laid down: 14 February 1944
Launched: 18 April 1944
Sponsored by: Mrs. Carl J. Futter
Commissioned: 9 May 1944
Decommissioned: 1 June 1946
Struck: 19 June 1946
Honors and
awards:		 Four battle stars for World War II
Fate:
General characteristics
Class & type: LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full (seagoing draft with 1,675-ton 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
  • Landing with 500-ton load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 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)
Range: 24,000 nautical miles (44,448 kilometerss) at 9 knots while displacing 3,960 tons
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 x LCVPs
Capacity: 1,600-1,900 tons cargo depending on mission
Troops: 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement: 7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:

USS LST-559 was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship in commission from 1944 to 1946.

Construction and commissioning

LST-559 was laid down on 14 February 1944 at Evansville, Indiana, by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company. She was launched on 18 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Carl J. Futter, and commissioned on 9 May 1944 with Lieutenant Richard T. Smith, USNR, in command.

Service history

During World War II, LST-559 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 invasion of at Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. She then participated in the assault on and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April 1945.

Following the war, LST-559 performed occupation duty in the Far East and service in China until mid-May 1946.

Decommissioning and disposal

LST-559 was decommissioned on 1 June 1946 at Naval Station Subic Bay on Luzon in the Philippines. She stricken from the Navy List on 19 June 1946. On 5 December 1947, she was sold to Bosey in the Philippines, where her hulk was sunk to extend the breakwater in Subic Bay.

Honors and awards

LST-559 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.