USS LST-553

Last updated
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS LST-553
Builder Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana
Laid down24 January 1944
Launched16 March 1944
Sponsored byMiss Agnes L. Maulding
Commissioned22 April 1944
Decommissioned13 February 1947
Stricken25 April 1947
Honors and
awards		Five battle stars for World War II
FateTransferred to United States Army 13 February 1947
General characteristics
Class and 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
Length328 ft (100 m)
Beam50 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 power1,800 horsepower (1.34 megawatts)
PropulsionTwo 900-horsepower (0.67-megawatt) General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 x LCVPs
Troops140 officers and enlisted men
Complement8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted men
Armament

USS LST-553 was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship in commission from 1944 to 1947.

Contents

Construction and commissioning

LST-553 was laid down on 24 January 1944 at Evansville, Indiana, by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company. She was launched on 16 March 1944, sponsored by Miss Agnes L. Maulding, and commissioned on 22 April 1944 with Lieutenant John K. Alegeo in command.

Service history

During World War II, LST-553 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, the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945, and the landings at Zambales and Subic Bay in January 1945. She then participated in the assault on and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945.

Following the war, LST-553, commanded by Lieutenant William George Keat, conducted minesweeping operations in the waters surrounding the 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 decommissioned on 13 February 1947 and transferred to the United States Army at Yokohama, Japan, the same day. She was stricken from the Navy List on 25 April 1947.

Honors and awards

LST-553 received five battle stars for her World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS LST-558 was a United States Navy tank landing ship in commission from 1944 to 1946.

USS LST-991 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>Shelter</i> (AM-301) Admirable-class minesweeper of the United States Navy

USS Shelter (AM-301) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the United States Navy during World War II. After service in the Pacific during World War II, Shelter was decommissioned in June 1946 and placed in reserve. In January 1964, she was transferred to South Vietnam for service in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Chi Linh (HQ-11). She remained in South Vietnamese service until the collapse of that country in 1975. Chi Linh was one of several ships that fled from South Vietnam to the Philippines. She was then commissioned into the Philippine Navy in April 1976 as RPS Datu Tupas (PS-18), named after a chieftain of Cebu. The ship's fate is not reported in secondary sources.

USS LST-552 was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship in commission from 1944 to 1946.

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

USS <i>LST-459</i>

USS LST-459 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-20</i>

USS LST-20 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II and manned by a United States Coast Guard crew. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-486</i>

USS LST/LST(H)-486 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II.

USS <i>LST-454</i>

USS LST-454 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

USS <i>LST-456</i>

USS LST-456 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

USS <i>LST-457</i>

USS LST-457 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

USS <i>LST-458</i>

USS LST-458 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

USS <i>LST-465</i>

USS LST-465 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-466</i>

USS LST-466 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-470</i>

USS LST-470 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-474</i>

USS LST-474 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-475</i>

USS LST-475 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-935</i>

USS LST-935 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS <i>LST-941</i>

USS LST-941 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS LST-34 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

References

  1. ↑ Rohwer, Jürgen; Gerhard Hümmelchen. "Seekrieg 1945, Juli". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German). Retrieved 17 October 2015.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.