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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

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) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia/Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - 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. Elith 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, 27 April to 5 May 1945
    Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Palawan Islands landings, 28 February 1945
    Mindanao Island landings, Zamboanga, 10 March 1945
     

  • Following World War II USS Rushmore was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    9 to 13 September 1945
    13 to 21 October 1945
    4 November to 2 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 16 August 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Pascagoula, MS.
  • Recommissioned, 21 September 1950, at Charleston, S.C.
  • USS Rushmore was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 26 June to 26 September 1951
  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1970
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976
  • USS Rushmore earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • 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
    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 kts (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Complement
    Officers 17
    Enlisted 237
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 218
    Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)
    three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
    two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
    fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
    forty-seven DUKW or
    forty-one LVT or
    Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
    Aircraft (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
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 11,720 Bbls
    Diesel 160 Bbls
    Gasoline 5,085 Gals
    Propulsion
    two Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines
    two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
    single Newport New Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators
    twin propellers, 7,000shp


    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 107626
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Rushmore 54k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) underway, date and location unknown. Bob Allport USS Carter Hall.
    Rushmore 23k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Rushmore 325k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) under way, probably at Hampton Roads, in July 1944.
    US Navy photo # 80-G-236735 taken by NAS Hampton Roads, VA., released July 10, 1944.
    National Museum of the US Navy
    Rushmore 325k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) moored pierside, date and location unknown. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 401k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) liberty party ready to go ashore, date and location unknown. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 353k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) crew relaxing on the boat deck while underway, date and location unknown. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 353k Three views USS Rushmore (LSD-14) forecastle area. Two looking forward and one looking aft towards the superstructure. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 353k
    Rushmore 238k
    Rushmore 461k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) well deck loaded with LCMs and Marine LVTs, date and location unknown William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 277k
    Rushmore 339k LCMs exiting the well deck of USS Rushmore (LSD-14) probably at Mindoro, date unknown. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 352k
    Rushmore 361k
    Rushmore 348k
    Rushmore 170k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) at anchor, date and location unknown. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 123k
    Rushmore 302k Loading the Japanese submarine Yu3 into the well deck of USS Rushmore (LSD-14) at Samar, Philippine Islands for transit to San Francisco, circa May 1945. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Japanese Supply Submarines 952k Yu-3 being secured inside the docking well of USS Rushmore (LSD-14) in 1945. Yu-3 had been lost in an accident at Lingayen Gulf in January 1945, salvaged by USS Grasp (ARS-24) on 18 January 1945, she was then carried by USS Rushmore back to the United States. USN photo from The Maru Special No.43, Japanese submarines III, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
    Rushmore 372k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) liberty party returning to the ship after a day at Grande Island, Subic Bay, Philippines, circa early 1946.
    Photo by J.L. Brown.
    William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 307k
    Rushmore 338k
    Rushmore 245k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) in the Columbia River near Portland, OR. preparing to enter a local shipyard, January 1946. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 362k
    Rushmore 508k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) moored in a shipyard in the Portland, Oregon area, in January 1956.
    Across the pier is the Victory ship SS Stetson Victory which would see Naval service as USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192)
    William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 586k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) moored in a shipyard in the Portland, Oregon area, circa January 1956. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 280k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) partial crew photo, taken at Portland, Oregon, 16 January 1946. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    Rushmore 34k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Rushmore 356k Aerial starboard view and aerial starboard quarter view of USS Rushmore (LSD-14), underway in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after recommissioning, circa early-1951.
    US Navy photo
    Robert M. Cieri
    Rushmore 247k
    Rushmore
    10121435
    152k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) underway, circa 1950s, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Rushmore 36k USS Rushmore (LSD-14) at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Glacier 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
    Rushmore
    10121436
    462k Overhead views of USS Rushmore (LSD-14) underway in the Mediterranean Sea, in 1963.
    10121436 - U.S. Navy photo from the USS Rushmore (LSD-14) 1963 cruise book
    Robert Hurst
    Rushmore
    10121437
    86k

    USS Rushmore Memorabilia
    Rushmore
    Royal Order of the Bluenose
    Contributed by Linda Whealton daughter of LT. Peter L. Stamner USN
    Rushmore
    Imperial Domain of Golden Dragoon
    Contributed by William Brown EM3 son of J. D. Brown
    Rushmore
    Domain of Neptunus Rex
    Contributed by William Brown EM3 son of J. D. Brown


    For more photos and information about USS Rushmore, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • Navigation Dept. Log 1944 to 1946 submitted by William Brown
  • Ship's History 1944 to 1945 submitted by William Brown
  • Christmas Dinner Menu 1945 submitted by William Brown
  • USS Rushmore 1963 Mediterranean Cruise book from the LT. Peter L Stamer USN collection, donated by his daughter Linda Whealton, submitted by Robert Hall
  • USS Rushmore 1965 Arctic and Mediterranean Cruise book from the LT. Peter L Stamer USN collection, donated by his daughter Linda Whealton, submitted by Robert Hall
  • USS Rushmore Change of Command program, 23 December 1965 from the LT. Peter L Stamer USN collection, donated by his daughter Linda Whealton, submitted by Robert Hall
  • "She Was Reluctant To Go Down" by LT. Kirk R. Benson, USN

  • Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Jansen, Elith A., USNR3 July 1944 - 11 August 1945
    02LCDR. Tobey, Clarence O., USNR11 August 1945 - 14 December 1945
    03CDR. Patrick, Willard T., USNR14 December 1945 - 16 August 1946
      Decommissioned16 August 1946 - 21 September 1950
    04CDR. Rhodemyre, John Lynn, USN21 September 1950 - 8 October 1951
    05CDR. Rosenberg, Marvin Irving, USN (USNA 1934)8 October 1951 - 23 January 1952
    06CDR. Mecklenburg, Herman John (Mecky), USN (USNA 1935)23 January 1952 - 22 July 1953
    08CDR. Pond, Charles Ellsworth, USN (USNA 1938)22 July 1953 - 16 September 1954
    08CDR. Joerg III, Robert Conrad, USN16 September 1954 - 14 October 1955
    09CDR. Germershausen, Bernard Joseph, USN (USNA 1939)14 October 1955 - 6 January 1958
    10CDR. Palm, John Werner, USN (USNA 1941)6 January 1958 - March 1959
    11CDR. Lowe, Richard Lyman, USN (USNA 1942)March 1959 - 10 July 1960
    12CDR. Cantwell Jr., Richard Andrew, USN10 July 1960 - 1962
    13CDR. Ady, Joseph Wesley, USN1962 - 1963
    14CDR. Seibert, Eric Theodore, USNR1963 - November 1964
    15CDR. Witham Jr., Burton Brooks, USNNovember 1964 - 23 December 1965
    16CAPT. Burton, John Howard, USN 23 December 1965 - 21 October 1966
    17CDR. Carter, Robert Dalton, USN (USNA 1953)21 October 1966 - 1968
    18CDR. Edwards Jr., Frederick Andrews, USN (USNA 1950)1968 - 30 September 1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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    Last Updated 8 December2023