USS LST-553
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS LST-553 |
| Builder | Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana |
| Laid down | 24 January 1944 |
| Launched | 16 March 1944 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Agnes L. Maulding |
| Commissioned | 22 April 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 13 February 1947 |
| Stricken | 25 April 1947 |
| Honors and awards | Five battle stars for World War II |
| Fate | Transferred to United States Army 13 February 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | tank landing ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Installed power | 1,800 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 enlisted men |
| Complement | 8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted men |
| Armament |
|
USS LST-553 was a
tank landing ship
in commission from 1944 to 1947.
Construction and commissioning
LST-553 was laid down on 24 January 1944 at
launched on 16 March 1944, sponsored by Miss Agnes L. Maulding, and commissioned
on 22 April 1944.
Service history
During
Okinawa
Gunto from April through June 1945.
Following the war, LST-553, commanded by
Home Islands of Japanin the Port of Yokohoma and performed occupation duty in the Far East (South China Sea) until late January 1947. Minesweeping Operations were conducted with mattresses padding the wheel house to buffer personnel from detonating mines, and occupation duties included survey visits by ships officers to both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On 22 September 1945, she struck a mine and sank, but she was refloated and returned to service.[1]
Decommissioning and disposal
LST-553 was
Navy List
on 25 April 1947.
Honors and awards
LST-553 received five
battle stars
for her World War II service.
References
- ^ Rohwer, Jürgen; Gerhard Hümmelchen. "Seekrieg 1945, Juli". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive LST-553
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1945 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
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