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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Patch at right contributed by Mike Smolinski, Patch at left contributed by Cort Jackson

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Cayuga (LST-1186)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Zulu - Juliet
NWZJ
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Indian King

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row - Navy Unit Citation (2) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (2) - Southwest Asia Service Medal (2) - Humanitarian Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Philippine Presidential Unit Citation - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

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USS Cayuga (LST-1186) was transferred to Brazil and renamed NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28)

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During the Vietnam War USS Cayuga participated in the following campaigns:

Vietnam War Campaigns
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII, 20 to 23 March 1971	Vietnam Ceasefire , 3 to 26 May 1972

USS Cayuga earned two battle stars for Vietnam War service

Cayuga is the eighth ship of the twenty ship Newport tank landing ship class, which replaced the traditional bow door design LST. Two derrick arms support a thirty-ton, 112-foot bow ramp for the unloading of tanks and other vehicles ashore, additionally, amphibious vehicles can be launched from the tank deck via the ship's stern gate and the ship's flight deck can accommodate most Navy helicopter types.

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Specifications:
Displacement 5,190 t.(lt), 8,550 t.(fl)
Length 522' 3" (ovl)
Beam 69' 9 1/2" (max)
Draft max forward (fl) 13' 6", max aft (fl) 16' 3" 15'
Speed 27 kts. max.

Complement

14 Officers

15 CPO

226 Other Enlisted

Troop Accommodations

18 Officers

21 SNCO

268 Other Enlisted

Boats

three 36' LCVPs

one 36' LCPL

Aircraft

flight deck one spot Armament

As Built

two twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

Upgraded

two 25mm chain guns

six .50 cal machine guns

one 20mm Phalanx (CIWS)

Propulsion

six 16 cylinder ALCO 16-251E main propulsion diesel engines

two shafts, three engines per shaft, shaft horsepower 15,000

two controllable reversible pitch propellers, twin rudders

three ALCO 8-251C Generator sets, 1200 KW

one 800 hp variable thrust bowthruster

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
USS Cayuga (LST-1186)
	26k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) under way in 1975, location unknown.		Capt. William T. Hollenbach USN Ret
	73k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) under way in April 1977 at the beginning of her "WESTPAC 77" deployment. She is carrying two jet fighters and a helicopter shrouded on her flight deck. The aircraft were offloaded at Hawaii before continuing on her deployment.		Tom Langford
	250k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) underway in April 1977 looking aft at the shrouded aircraft on her flight deck..		Photo by Art Pappas IC3, USS Cayuga 1975-78.
1016118614	272k	Aerial view of USS Cayuga (LST-1186) underway in Agana Bay, Guam, 19 February 1979. U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SC-90-07697		Robert Hurst
	1086k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) under way, 19 February 1979 and location unknown. Defense Imagery photos # DN-SN-88-08252, a US Navy photo now in the collections of Defense Imagery		Tom Langford
	110k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	110k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) Passing Point Loma while out bound to sea from San Diego, date unknown. US Navy photo.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
1016118611	383k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) out bound to sea from San Diego, date unknown. ©George Barber		Nicholas Tiberio
1016118612	564k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) underway off the coast of Southern California, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber		Nicholas Tiberio
1016118613	613k	USS Cayuga (LST-1186) underway, date and location unknown. ©George Barber		Nicholas Tiberio
NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28)
	70k	Ex-USS Cayuga (LST-1186) in Brazilian service as NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28) underway, date and location unknown.		Brazilian Navy web site
1016118618	140k	NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28) underway, 25 November 2003, location unknown. Marinha do Brasil photo		Robert Hurst
1016118615	152k	NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28) underway, 17 January 2006, location unknown. Marinha do Brasil photo		Robert Hurst
	21k	NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28) delivering logistic material to the port of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. "MINUSTAH" (United Nations Stabilization Mission Haiti), 17 March 2008. Photo courtesy Brazilian Navy.		Robert Hurst
1016118616	212k	NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28) underway, 21 August 2008, location unknown Marinha do Brasil photo		Robert Hurst
1016118617	154k	NDCC Mattoso Maia (G-28) beached with ramp lowered, 19 May 2022, location unknown. Marinha do Brasil photo		Robert Hurst

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For more photos and information about USS Cayuga see; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) Mobile Riverine Force Association The USS LST Ship Memorial LST Homeport State LST Chapters United States LST Association

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

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Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Hollenbach, William Thomas, USN	8 August 1970 - 29 May 1972
02	CDR. Pye Jr., Reginald Cecil, USN	29 May 1972 - 16 October.10 1973
03	CDR. Blackburn, John Ogburn, USN	16 October 1973 - 9 June 1975
04	CDR. Guay, Paul Ernest, USN (USNA 1959)	9 June 1975 - 20 August 1977
05	CDR. Morris, John Elsworth, USN	20 August 1977 - 19 october 1979
06	CDR. Kelly, John Patrick, USN (USNA 1962)	19 October 1979 - 1 October 1981
07	CDR. Pafias, James Ellis, USN	1 October 1981 - 17 December 1983
08	CDR. Witt, Theodore Carl Wilson, USN (USNA 1967)	17 December 1983 - 26 June 1986
09	CDR. Coble, Melvin Alan, USN	26 June 1986 - 23 November 1988
10	CDR. Hagstrom, David William, USN	23 November 1988 - 12 January 1991
11	CDR. Hardeman, Edward Lee, USN	12 January 1991 - 20 November 1992
12	CDR. Weiss, Edward Boyd, USN	20 November 1992 - 29 July 1994

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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Last Updated 20 October 2023