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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-501

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Xray - Bravo

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 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, June 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June 1945
Invasion of Souther France, August and September 1944	.

Following World War II LST-501 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-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.

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
	81k	LSTs and LCTs loading German POWS in Southern France, date unknown. From left to right: Unidentified LST *LST-501* *LST-77, LCT-610, and LCT-288*		Robert Rutter, photo by his grandfather CAPT. Anthony Kohout Jr. ex CO USS LST-77

View the LST-501
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

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 13 July 2007