Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-501


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Xray - Bravo
 NDXB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia Clasp)
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 June 1943, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 22 September 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-501, 26 November 1943
  • During World War II USS LST-501 was first assigned to the European Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater participating in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 May to 30 June 1945
    Invasion of Souther France, 15 August to 25 September 1944
    From the Unit History of the 214th AAA Bn, Sept. 1944.
    2 September 1944, Batteries alerted for loading on to LSTs at Ajaccio, Corsica, D
    Battery with all radars on LST-501.Left docks about 1530
    and sailed from the harbor at 1800.
    CO and S-3, 406th AAA Gun Bn saw us off.
    Fresh meat for supper.
    3 September 1944, Sea journey to St. Tropez, France. windy and rough.
    Anchored in harbor about 2030.
    4 September 1944, Debarking took place at Delta beach, approximately
    3 miles west of St. Tropez, from 0800 to 1245
    		 

  • Following World War II USS LST-501 performed occupation duty in the Far East 9 to 26 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 20 August 1947
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 September 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 May 1948, to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, WA.
  • USS LST-501 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 Source
    LST-77 81k LSTs and LCTs loading German POWS in Southern France, date unknown. From left to right:
    Unidentified LST
    USS LST-501
    USS LST-77,
    LCT-610, and
    LCT-288    		 Robert Rutter, photo by his grandfather CAPT. Anthony Kohout Jr. ex CO USS LST-77
    LST-501 397k USS LST-501 in convoy while enroute to Okinawa, date unknown. Photo taken from LST-17. Dale Maloney
    USS LST-501
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 October 2011