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-597


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Zulu - Quebec
NEZQ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) -Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)


LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 12 July 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 28 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-597, 19 September 1944
  • During World War II USS LST-597 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Consolidation and capture of southern Philippines
    Palawan Island landings, 1 to 2 March 1945
    Visayan Island landings, 26 to 28 March, 2 to 4, 10 to 11 and 20 April 1945
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 21 to 27 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-597 was assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East from 15 January to 5 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 5 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 September 1947
  • USS LST-597 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 31 May 1948, to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA., for scrapping
    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 Contributed
    By
    LST-597 32k USS LST-597 beached, at Cebu City, Philippines, date unknown. Russ Padden
    LST-597 35k USS LST-597 beached, in the Philippines, date and place unknown. Russ Padden
    LST-597 32k USS LST-597 beached, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    LST-597 25k USS LST-597 beached at Palawan Island, Philippines, circa 1 March 1945. LST Home Port web site  

    USS LST-597
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 19 December 2014