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USAT LST-246
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USS LST-246 (1943 - 1947)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Juliet - Mike
NPJM
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 (6) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)


LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 12 May 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville IN.
  • Launched, 22 July 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-246, 23 August 1943, LT. M. W. McGaughey USN in command
  • During World War II USS LST-246 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirteen, CAPT. J.G. Sampson USN (22);
    LST Group Thirty-Eight, LCDR. M.F. Stiling USNR;
    LST Division Seventy-Five 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
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 to 23 February 1944
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June to 28 July 1944
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
    Tinian capture and occupation, 24 to 28 July 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 to 22 +May 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-246 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    16 November to 17 December 1945
    16 January to 15 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 14 February 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) redesignated Q061
  • Transferred to the US Army Transportation Service, 26 June 1947
  • Commissioned USAT LST-246
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 March 1948
  • USS LST-246 earned six battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, lost due to grounding, date and location 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
    USS LST-246
    LST-246 82k USS LST-246 under way in convoy enroute to an invasion beach, circa 1944-45 Bill Alexander for his father Thomas. W. Alexander MoMM1/c USS LST-246
    LST-246 194k USS LST-246 beach during an invasion, circa 1944-45 Bill Alexander for his father Thomas. W. Alexander MoMM1/c USS LST-246
    USAT LST-246
    LST-246 76k Artists Sketch of USAT LST-246 Bill Valashinas
    LST-246 23k USAT LST-246 aground, date and location unknown. Bill Valashinas

    Commanding Officers
    01LT. McGaughey, M. W., USN23 August 1943 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log


    For more photos and information about USS LST-246 see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • Western Caroline Islands Attack Landing Order
  • Beach White Peleliu - CTF 32 Operation Plan A501-44 Appendix 4 to Annex "D"
  • The Dead Engine Incident of LST 246
  • Robert Carol Bingham - LST 246
  • The USS LST Ship Memorial
  • LST Homeport
  • State LST Chapters
  • United States LST Association

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 18 August 2023