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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-446

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 15 June 1942, at Kaiser, Inc., Vancouver, WA.

Launched, 18 September 1942

Commissioned USS LST-446, 30 November 1942, LT. H. A. Swartz, USNR, in command

During World War II LST-446 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Consolidation of Solomon Islands;
(a) Consolidation of the southern Solomons, March through June 1943
New Georgia Group operation;
(a) New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, July and August 1943
(b) Vella Lavella occupation, August 1943
Treasury-Bougainville operation;
(a) Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, November and December 1943
(b) Green Islands landing, 15 to 19 February 1944
Marianas operation;
(a) Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944
(b) Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July to 15 August 1944
Iwo Jima operation;
(a) Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 15 February to 16 March 1945
Okinawa Gunto operation;
(a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April 1945

Following World War II LST-446 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-December 1945

Decommissioned, 13 July 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 8 October 1946

Sold, 10 February 1947, to Suwannee Fruit & Steamship Co., Jacksonville, FL., for conversion to commercial service

Final Disposition, fate unknown

LST-446 earned six battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for service during World War II

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
90k	*LCT-182* being prepared for launching from *LST-446* at Mare Island, 11 January 1943 Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 315-43.	Darryl Baker
66k	*LCT-182* being launching from *LST-446* at Mare Island, 12 January 1943. *LST-447* is moored inboard of *LST-446. Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 368-43*.	Darryl Baker
42k	*LST-446* beached in the Green Islands, 15 to 19 February 1944	LST Home Port Web Site
20k	*LST-446* with *LCT-1368* secured to her main deck, date and place unknown.	LST Home Port web site

View the LST-446
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

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Last Updated 23 September 2005