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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-126


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Hotel - Uniform
 NZHU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 June 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 28 August 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-126, 2 October 1943, LT. Richard Baker, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-126 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Sixteen, CAPT. N.W. Sears;
    LST Group Forty-Six, LCDR. J.R. Keeling USNR;
    LST Division Ninety-One and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Leyte operation;
    Leyte landings, 20 October 1944
    Marianas operation;
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 22 June 1944     		.

  • Decommissioned, 17 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 June 1947
  • USS LST-126 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold to Oil Transport Co., New Orleans, LA., 14 June 1948, and converted to merchant service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    light 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    sea-going 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    landing 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    limiting 11' 2"
    maximum navigation 14' 1"
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    13 officers
    104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers
    147 enlisted
    Boats 2 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-223
    1016022319    		 315k LSTs including USS LST-223 and USS LST-126 beached on Leyte Island, P.I., September- October 1944.
    COM PHIB GR 3 "Report of Participation in Amphibious Ops the Capture of Leyte Is, Philippines, 9/15//44-10/23/44 page 106.    		 David Upton
    LST-126 48k USS LST-126 beached at Leyte in October 1944 Harold Hansen USS LST-126 for his son Peter Hansen
    LST-126
    1016012602    		 546k Overhead view of from left to right; an LCT (Mark 5), an unidentified LST, USS LST-223 and USS LST-126 beached at Leyte in October 1944.
    US National Archives Identifier 80664694 page 8, US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 254863    		 Robert Hurst and David Upton
    USS LST-126
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
     LTjg. Cassell, Marion A. USNR (Ferry Command)24 September 1943 - 2 October 1943
    01LT. Baker, Richard, USNR2 October 1943 - April 1944
    02LT. Krueger, Hilmar C., USNRApril 1944 - November 1944
    03LT. Cassell, Marion A., USNRNovember 1944 - 17 June 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 9 February 2024