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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-53 / APL-59

USS APL-59 was transferred to South Korea and renamed Chang Su (LST- 811)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 24 September 1943, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.

Launched, 6 November 1943

Commissioned USS LST-53, 21 December 1943

During World War II LST-53 was initially assigned to the European Theater and participated in the:

Invasion of Normandy, June 1944
Invasion of southern France, August and September 1944

LST-53 was transferred to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Okinawa Gunto operation;
(a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June 1945

Following World War II performed occupation duty in the Far East from September 1945 to January 1946

Decommissioned (date unknown)

Laid up in the Reserve Fleet

Redesignated a Non-self-propelled Barracks Ship APL-59 in September 1954

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Final Disposition, transferred to the Republic of Korea in May 1955 and renamed Chang Su (LST- 811), fate unknown

LST-53 earned three battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 1,780 t.(lt), 3,880 t.(fl)
Length 328'
Beam 50'
Draft unloaded, bow 2' 4" stern 7' 6", loaded bow 8' 2" stern 14' 1"
Speed 12 kts.
Complement 8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted
Troop Accommodations approx. 140 officers and enlisted
Boats 2-6 LCVP
Armament five 40mm AA gun mounts, six 20mm AA gun mounts, two .50-cal machine guns, four .30-cal machine guns
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
	57k	*LST-55, LST-53* and *LST-54* moored, date unknown, possibly is the United Kingdom.		Submitted by Frank Principe, Jr., Photo by Frank James Principe, Sr., USS LST-54
	51k	*LST-53* nested at Kerama Rhetto, circa late-May early-June 1945, with *LSM-83* (starboard) and the hulk of the decommissioned Barry (APD-29) and the fleet ocean tug Lipan (ATF-85) (port). *Barry* was used as a decoy ship to lure suicide planes into burned out ships. *Lipan*'s job was to tow her.		Ken Roberts to the USS LSM / LSMR Association

The history for USS LST-53 is from the Haze Gray & Underway web site Landing Ship Tank Appendix.

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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