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USS Gibson County (LST-794)
ex
USS LST-794 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Zulu - Golf
NGZG
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
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)



USS LST-794 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
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. William C. Cain, USCGR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-794 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-Nine, CAPT. C. H. Peterson USCG (25);
    LST Group Eighty-Seven, CDR. E. Anderson USCG;
    LST Division One Hundred-Seventy-Three and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 29 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-794 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September to 16 December 19452 September to 16 December 1945

  • 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
  • USS LST-794 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
    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
    Gibson County
    1016079409
    55k LST-794 launching, 16 September 1944, Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
    Dravo Corp. photo from USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. LST Shipyard Collection
    Tommy Trampp
    Gibson County 65k USS LST-794 at anchor with LCT-1392 secured to her main deck, date and location unknown. USS 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 USS LST-794 with LCT-1392 secured to her main deck, date and location unknown. Steve McMinn
    Gibson County 74k USS 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 USS 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 USS LST-794 beached with bow doors open, date and location unknown. LST-794 web site
    Gibson County 63k USS LST-794 stern view, date and location unknown. LST-794 web site
    Gibson County 42k USS LST-794 beached with bow doors open, date and location unknown. LST-794 web site
    Gibson County 68k USS LST-794 beached off-loading tanks, date and location unknown. LST-794 web site
    LST-796 85k From front to back, USS LST-796, USS LST-794, USS LST-843, unidentified LST, and USS LST-1030 beached, date and location unknown while disembarking troops.  
    LST-796 82k USS LST-794, under way in San Francisco Bay, circa late 1945, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #NH 83642. Courtesy of D. M. McPherson, 1975.
    Mike Smolinski

    USS LST-794 / USS Gibson County (LST-794)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Cain, William C., USCGR16 October 1944 - 1945
    02LT. Gross Jr., George C, USCGR1945 - 20 February 1946
    03LTjg. Goodman, George E., USCGR20 February 1946 - 27 March 1946
    04LTjg. David Clifford C., USNR27 March 1946 - 2 June 1946
    05LTjg. Kempton, Robert S., USNR2 June 1946 - 9 July 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
    Welcome to the U.S.S. LST 794
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association

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    Last Updated 29 January 2021