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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-461


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Quebec - Juliet
 NPQJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 30 September 1942, at Kaiser, Inc., Vancouver, WA;
  • Launched, 3 November 1942; Commissioned USS LST-461, 18 February 1943, LT. Eskil A. Bjork, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-461 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June 30 July 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings 9 January 1945
    Tinian
    Capture and occupation, 24 to 30 July 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operation
    Nasugbu, 31 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 to 22 May 1945

  • For the Okinawa Gunto campaign USS LST-461 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Three, CDR. A. A. Ageton USN;
     LST Group Seven, LCDR. E. B. Garrigures;
     LST Division Fourteen
  • Decommissioned, 2 September 1948
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 16 September 1947
  • Final disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 March 1948 to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, WA
  • USS LST-461 received the Navy Unit Commendation and earned six battle stars for World War II service
    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 Source
    LST-461 172k USS LST-461 beached at Majuro Atoll in March 1944.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-401019, a US Navy photo now in the collection of the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    LST-461 1091k USS LST-461, USS LST-277, USS LST-917 and USS LST-571 beached while unloading across pontoon causeways probably at Lingayen Gulf, circa January 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Raymond Cvetovich, Ph.D
    LST-461/662/672/723 75k Tank Landing Ships (LST) and a Barracks Ship (APB) moored together in 1945.The ships in this group include (from left to right):
    An unidentified LST (in the hull number range from LST-850 through LST-859)
    USS LST-461
    USS Yavapai (APB-42)
    USS LST-662
    USS LST-672 and
    USS LST-733.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-350133, a US Navy photo now in the collection of the US National Archives         		US Naval Historical Center
    USS LST-461
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Bjork, Eskil A. USNR18 February 1943 - 29 February 1944
    02LT. Zelenko, N., USNR29 February 1944 - 13 May 1944
    03LT. Geis, Charles Paul, USNR13 May 1944 - 4 September 1944
    04LT. Kaufman, Dan A. USNR4 September 1944 - 9 October 1945
    05LTjg. Dickerman, Harold L., USNR9 October1945 - 27 November 1945
    06LTjg. Fritts Jr., Harry W., USNR27 November 1945 - March 1946
    07LTjg. Blackwell, J. H., USNRMarch 1946 - August 1946
    08LT. Richards, Floyd Eugene, USNAugust 1946 - ?
    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 Homeport
    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 October 2015