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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-656

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Xray - Zulu
NKXZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship

Laid down, 13 December 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.

Launched, 18 February 1944

Commissioned USS LST-656, 7 April 1944

During World War II USS LST-656 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

**Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates
Invasion of southern France, August and September 1944

Following World War II USS LST-656 performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until late May 1946

Decommissioned, 29 May 1946

Final Disposition, transferred to the State Department for disposition, fate unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946

USS LST-656 earned one battle star 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

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	1679k	Four LSTs, (right to left) USS LST-178, USS LST-74, unidentified, and USS LST-656 load out at Bagnoli, Italy, 8 August 1944, for the upcoming invasion of southern France. US National Archives photo # III-SC-193359, Box 225 a US Army Signal Corps photo, by Lapidus, now in the collections of the US National Archives.		Dave Kerr
	119k	USS LST-177 and USS LST-656 beached, probably in southern France, August or September 1944.		Kevin Harris

View the USS LST-656
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Homeport
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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Last Updated 23 October 2009