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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-534

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Alpha - Papa
NEAP

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 22 June 1945) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (5 KIA, numerous WIA, 22 June 1945)

LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 4 October 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.

Launched, 8 December 1943

Commissioned USS LST-534 at New Orleans, LA, 31 January 1944, LT. G. B. Olson, USN, in command

During World War II USS LST-534 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and 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, 21 to 30 June 1945

While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-534 , LT. R. J. French USNR in command, came under the command of;
LST Flotilla Thirty-Six, CAPT. D. F. J. Shea USN (23)
LST Group One Hundred Six, CDR. O. P Thomas Jr., USN (26);
LST Division Two Hundred-Twelve

USS LST-534 was seriously damaged by a Japanese kamikaze attack, 22 June 1945, at Okinawa

Following World War II USS LST-534 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 2 November 1945

Decommissioned, 2 November 1945

Final Disposition, the ship was deemed beyond economical repair and towed to sea and sunk off Okinawa, 9 December 1945

Struck from the Naval Register, 3 January 1946

USS LST-534 earned two battle star 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.

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
177k	USS LST-534 in convoy enroute to Okinawa with *LCT-591* loaded on her main deck	Photo by Donald E. McDaniel S1/c USS LST-534 submitted by his son Don McDaniel Jr.
263k	USS LST-534 at Okinawa, 22 June 1945, with *LCT-591* still on her main deck, immediately after being struck by a Japanese Kamikaze.	Photo by Donald E. McDaniel S1/c USS LST-534 submitted by his son Don McDaniel Jr.
26k
292k	USS LST-534 at Okinawa on fire after being struck by a Japanese Kamikaze on 22 June 1945. *LST-534* still had 300 barrels of gasoline aboard when struck by the Kamikaze.	Photo by Donald E. McDaniel S1/c USS LST-534 submitted by his son Don McDaniel Jr.
208k	USS LST-534 sunk at a pier at Okinawa after being struck by a Japanese Kamikaze on 22 June 1945. The casualties from the attack included 5 KIA and numerous wounded.	Photo by Donald E. McDaniel S1/c USS LST-534 submitted by his son Don McDaniel Jr.
204k	The Kamikaze struck USS LST-534 on the port side on 22 June 1945. Note the crease from the impact of the aircrafts wing.	Photo by Donald E. McDaniel S1/c USS LST-534 submitted by his son Don McDaniel Jr.
144k	USS LST-534 damaged with a hole in her main deck after a Japanese Kamikaze attack, 22 June 1945 at Okinawa.	For the LST-49 Association; M.D. Reid MoMM2/C USS LST-49
264k	Piece of the Kamikaze that struck USS LST-534, 22 June 1945.	Photo by Donald E. McDaniel S1/c USS LST-534 submitted by his son Don McDaniel Jr.

USS LST-534
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Olson, George B., USN	31 January 1944 - February 1945
02	LT. French, Robert J., USNR	February 1945 - 2 November 1945


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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 534
LST Homeport
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 24 December 2020