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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-713


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Sierra - Golf
 NFSG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima, February 1945) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 3 June 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 11 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-713, 7 August 1944, LT. Robert P. Rudolph, USNR in command
  • During World War II LST-713 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific>:
    LST Flotilla Six, CAPT. J. Laidlaw USN (24);
     LST Group Eighteen, CDR. P. Neikum Jr., USN (Ret) (26);
     LST Division Thirty-Six and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 26 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 28 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS 713 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    9 to 25 September
    17 December 1945 to 1 January 1946
    8 to 24 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 20 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946
  • USS LST-713 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 21 May 1948, to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA.
    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-713 13k USS LST-713 at anchor circa 1944, location unknown. Submitted by David Rutledge for his Grandfather E.C. "Reb" Barker USS LST-713
    Shoshone 90k USS Shoshone (AKA-65) at right off Iwo Jima during the landings there, February 1945. At left is USS LST-713, with USS LCI(G)-739 alongside.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 105030. Collection of Robert B. Campbell. Courtesy of his family, 2007.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Shoshone 74k USS Shoshone (AKA-65) at right off Iwo Jima during the landings there, February 1945. USS LST-785 is in the extreme left. USS LST-713, with USS LCI(G)-739 alongside, is in the left center,
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 105030. Collection of Robert B. Campbell. Courtesy of his family, 2007.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LST-713 60k An LCVP from USS LST-713 off northern Iwo Jima, February 1945. Note splash astern of the landing craft in the center, and rugged coastline in the background. Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency, photographed by LT. Howard W. Whalen, USNR, Boat Group Commander, USS Sanborn (APA-193). Collection of LCDR. Howard W. Whalen, USNR.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # 104321-KN. Donated by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS LST-713
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Rudolph, Robert P., USNR 7 August 1944 - 31 October 1944
    02LT. Moore, Charles N., USNR 31 October 1944 - 19 April 1945
    03LT. Scott Jr., George Hoskins, USNR 19 April 1945 - 27 November 1945
    04LT. Kenimer, John M., USNR 27 November 1945 - 22 January 1946
    05LTjg. Fink, Henry J., USNR 22 January 1946 - 20 June 1946
    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 Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 5 May 2017