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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Fort Snelling (LSD)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Quebec - Delta
 NTQD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (4-Cuba, 2 Lebanon)
Second Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 2-Dominican Republic, 5-Lebanon, 1-Grenada) - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Beirut Lebanon Evacuation)
Thomaston Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 August 1953, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.
  • Launched, 16 July 1954
  • Commissioned USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30), 24 January 1955, CDR. H. Marvin-Smith in command
  • Decommissioned, 28 September 1984
  • Custody transferred to MARAD, 7 September 1989
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 24 February 1992
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD for scrapping to Peck Recycling, Richmond, VA., for $268.707
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,899 t.(lt), 11,525 t(fl)
    Length 510'
    Beam 84'
    Draft 19'
    Speed 21 kts.
    Complement 304
    Troop Accommodations 300
    Armament (as built)
    eight twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    six twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boat Capacity (Well Deck) 21 LCM(6)s
    Aircraft up 8 helicopters
    Propulsion
    two steam turbines
    two propellers, 23,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Fort Snelling 111k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine April 1957.     		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Fort Snelling 79k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) with her well deck flooded takes aboard LCU-1487, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine July 1957.     		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Fort Snelling 61k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) off loading an LCU at Red Beach, Lebanon, 16 July 1958.
    US Navy photo from DANFS.     		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Fort Snelling 44k Two photos of USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30)'s well-deck and flight deck filled with US Army vehicles during Power Pack Operations in the Dominican Republic, mid-September 1966. Wayne Schipper, BMCM USN Ret.
    Fort Snelling 101k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30)moored pierside at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 20 February 1971. © Richard Leonhardt
    Fort Snelling 86k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) moored pierside at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 21 February 1971. © Richard Leonhardt
    Fort Snelling 283k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) moored pierside during a port visit to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1973. Graeme Hanson
    Fort Snelling 245k
    Fort Snelling 272k
    Fort Snelling 330k
    Fort Snelling 273k
    Fort Snelling 87k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Fort Snelling 78k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) at Barcelona, Spain, 6 April 1977. Note the SPS-6 air search radar antenna on the mast. Thomaston-class LSDs were the last active ships fitted with this radar set. USS El Paso (LKA-117) is alongside. Photo by Fabio Peņa
    Fort Snelling 108k USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) at Barcelona, Spain, 6 April 1977, USS El Paso (LKA-117 is just visible inboard of Fort Snelling. Photo by Fabio Peņa

    For more photos and information about USS Fort Snelling, see:
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • Commanding Officers
    		•
    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 15 January 2010