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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-126

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal 0 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. M. A. Cassell in command
  • During World War II LST-126 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 28 January to 8 February 1944     		Leyte operation;
    Leyte landings, 10 October to 29 November 1944
    Marianas operation;
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944     		.

  • Decommissioned, 17 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 June 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold to Oil Transport Co., New Orleans, LA., 14 June 1948, and converted to merchant service, fate unknown
  • LST-126 earned three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
    Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    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)
    Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    7 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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-126 48k LST-126 beached at Leyte, October 1944 Harold Hansen USS LST-126 for his son Peter Hansen
    LST-126 145k Overhead view of LST-126 two other LSTs and an LCT (Mark 5) beached at Leyte, October 1944 Robert Hurst
    View the LST-126
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    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
    West Loch Disaster, Pearl Harbor, T.H., 21 May 1944
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 31 March 2006