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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Rushmore (LSD-14)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Papa - Alpha
NZPA

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Authorized under the Lend-Lease Act as British Mechanized Artillery Transport BAPM-6

Reclassified Landing Ship Dock LSD-14, 1 July 1942

Contract awarded for LSD-14 to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 10 September 1942

Laid down, 31 December 1943 as HMS Sword at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA.

Lend-Lease canceled or modified never commissioned in Royal Navy as HMS Swashway (F-145)

Launched, 10 May 1944 as Rushmore

Commissioned USS Rushmore (LSD-14), 3 July 1944, LCDR. E. A. Jansen, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Rushmore was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Luzon operation Leyte landings, Dulag, Yellow Beach, 20 October 1944	Borneo operation Tarakan Island operation, 1 May 1945
Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines Palawan Islands landings, 28 February 1945 Mindanao Island landings, Zamboanga, 10 March 1945	.

Decommissioned, 16 August 1946

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Pascagoula, MS.

Recommissioned, 21 September 1950, at Charleston, S.C.

Decommissioned, 30 September 1970

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976

Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.

Final Disposition, disposed of as a target 28 April 1993

USS Rushmore earned three battle stars for World War II service

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
Length 457' 9" o.a.
Beam 72"
Draft 8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft); 15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
Landing Craft 6 officers, 30 men
Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
Well Deck Capacity (without prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)

3 LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or

2 LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or

14 LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or

47 DUKW or

41 LVT or

Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
Well Deck Capacity (with prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)

108 DUKWs or

92 LVTs or

Any combination of tracked/wheeled vehicles up to capacity
(Note: LSDs were incapable of repairing landing craft in this configuration)
Aircraft LSDs 1 - 27 (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks
Armament

1 - 5"/.38 caliber Dual Purpose single barrel mount in open tub (w/director)

2 - 40MM quad barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)

2 - 40MM twin barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)

16- 20MM single barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (local control)
Propulsion

2 - Babcock and Wilcox Boilers, D Type, 2 Drum, Single Furnace, Single Uptake,
Oil Fired

2 - Skinner Engines - steam turbine (geared)

Twin screws

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
54k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD)** underway, date and location unknown.	Bob Allport USS Carter Hall.
23k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD)** underway, date and location unknown.	Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
34k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD)** underway, date and location unknown.	.
36k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD)** at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
245k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway in convoy off the Greenland coast with other Arctic DEW Line supply and support ships, circa June-July 1959.	Marc Schenck, Photo by his father LTjg. Bernard Schenck USS Glacier

View the USS Rushmore (LSD-14)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
The LSDs of the US Navy

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Last Updated 29 February 2008