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LST-794 Gibson County


USS LST-794 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 12 July 1944 at the Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 16 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-794, 16 October 1944, LT. W. C. Cain, USCGR, in command
    Succeeding Commanding Officers:
    LT. George C. Gross, Jr., USCGR
    LTjg. George E. Goodman, USCGR, 20 February 1946
  • During World War II LST-794 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LST Flotilla 29, Group 87, Division 173 and participated in the:
    • Okinawa Gunto operation;
      (a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 11 April 1945
  • Following World War II LST-794 performed occupation duty in the Far East
  • Decommissioned, 9 July 1946, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Named USS Gibson County (LST-794), 1 July 1955
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 22 May 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
  • Gibson County 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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Gibson County 65k LST-794 at anchor with LCT-1392 secured to her main deck, date and place unknown. LST-794 transported the LCT from New Orleans and launched the landing craft at Okinawa on 2 April 1945. Steve McMinn
    Gibson County 49k Starboard bow view of LST-794 with LCT-1392 secured to her main deck, date and place unknown. Steve McMinn
    Gibson County 74k LST-794 underway in heavy seas, probably enroute to the Pacific Combat area with LCT-1392 secured to her main deck. Russ Padden
    LCT-1392 85k LST-794 crew offloading 5" ammo cannisters from LCT-1392 prior to launching her at Iwo Jima. This ammo was later used to resupply destroyers on picket duty off Okinawa. Steve McMinn
    Gibson County 89k LST-794 beached with bow doors open, date and place unknown. LST-794 web site
    Gibson County 63k LST-794 stern view, date and place unknown. LST-794 web site
    Gibson County 42k LST-794 beached with bow doors open, date and place unknown. LST-794 web site
    Gibson County 68k LST-794 beached off-loading tanks, date and place unknown. LST-794 web site
    LST-796 85k From front to back, LST-796, LST-794, LST-843, unidentified LST, and LST-1030 beached, date and location unknown while disembarking troops. .
    View the LST 794 at the Invasion of Okinawa by Steve MacMinn
    View the Gibson County (LST-794)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Welcome to the U.S.S. LST 794
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - LST-794
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 9 February 2007