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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

LSD-26 Tortuga

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (5)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (6)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 16 October 1944, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 21 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS Tortuga (LSD-26), 8 June 1945
  • Decommissioned, 18 August 1947, at San Diego
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 15 September 1950
  • During the Korean War Tortuga (LSD-26) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    7 February to 8 March 1951
    20 to 21 April 1951    		 Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    17 to 18 October 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    22 April to 20 June 1951    		 Third Korean Winter
    7 to 16 December 1952
    19 to 20 December 1952
    18 February 1953
    26 February to 7 March 1953
    10 March 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    23 September to 3 November 1951
    6 November 1951    		 .
  • During the Vietnam War Tortuga (LSD-26) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    6 to 9 July 1965    		 Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 2 February 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    16 April to 30 June 1966    		 Tet69/Counteroffensive
    12 to 16 March 1969
    23 March to 3 April 1969
    15 to 20 April 1969
    23 April to 28 May 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 July to 15 September 1966    		 Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    30 June to 4 July 1969
    13 to 21 July 1969
    7 to 10 August 1969
    12 to 16 August1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    5 to 28 September 1967
    6 October to 12 November 1967
    19 to 23 November 1967
    1 to 5 December 1967
    11 to 17 December 1967
    27 to 31 December 1967    		 .

  • Decommissioned, 26 January 1970, at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Mare Island, Vallejo, CA.
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 15 September 1971, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1976
  • Final Disposition, scuttled, 21 August 1988 after grounding on San Miguel Island while being used as a target, the ship was partially dismantled, raised and towed offshore and scuttled on this date
  • Tortuga earned five battle stars for Korean War service and seven battle stars for Vietnam War 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
    Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)
  • 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: Incapable of repairing larger landing craft and ships 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 geared turbine (geared)
  • Twin screws
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Tortuga 67k Tortuga (LSD-26) underway, photo pre 1958 Charles Westbrook MM2c
    USS Tortuga, 1956-1960
    Tortuga 35k Tortuga (LSD-26) underway, date and place unknown. .
    Tortuga 46k Tortuga (LSD-26) underway, date and place unknown. USS Ashland Association web site
    Tortuga 60k Tortuga (LSD-26) leaving San Diego in October 1950 for her first shakedown cruise off the coast of California after her re-commissioning, 15 September 1950. Photo by Jack Davidson of San Diego. Richard A. Bowman QM2 USS Tortuga, 1950-52
    Tortuga 52k Tortuga (LSD-26) leaving San Diego in October 1950 for her first shakedown cruise off the coast of California after her re-commissioning, 15 September 1950. Photo by Jack Davidson of San Diego. Richard A. Bowman QM2 USS Tortuga, 1950-52
    Tortuga 34k Tortuga (LSD-26) at Sasebo, Japan, 1951. Richard A. Bowman QM2 USS Tortuga, 1950-52
    Tortuga 100k Tortuga (LSD-26) disgorges LVTs and LVT(A)s during tests conducted at Sagami Bay, Japan, (date unknown)
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine August 1953 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Tortuga 47k Tortuga (LSD-26) at anchor, place unknown, 1966 Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    View the Tortuga (LSD-26)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The LSDs of the US Navy
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Dock Landing Ship (LSD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 11 November 2005