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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Ferryboat - YFB-86
ex
 Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-1 (1958 - 1960)
 Landing Craft Utility - LCU-524 (1956 - 1958)
 Landing Ship Utility - LSU-524 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank - LCT(6)-524 (1943 - 1949)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 6 June 1944, Normandy) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal

YFB-86 was leased to Paraguay and redesignated BT-1
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6) / YFU-1 Class Harbor Utility Craft:
  • Laid down, 22 July 1943, at Bison Shipbuilding Corp, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
  • Launched, 25 August 1943
  • Delivered 17 September 1943
  • Placed in service, date unknown
  • During World War II LCT(6)-524 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater LCT Flotilla Four, LCDR Louis E. Hubbard and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
  • Following World War II LCT(6)-524 was assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East from 3 February 1945 to 24 March 1946
  • Redesignated Landing Ship Utility LSU-524 in 1949
  • Redesignated Landing Craft Utility LCU-524, 15 April 1956
  • Reclassified Harbor Utility Craft YFU-1, 18 May 1958
  • Reclassified Ferryboat YFB-86, 1 March 1965, assigned to duty as a ferry at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  • Place out of service, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred, leased, to Paraguay, in June 1970, designated Paraguayan Navy BT-1
  • Departed Guantanamo Bay, 2 July 1970, arrived Buenos Aires, 29 July 1970, aboard ARA Candido de Lasalle (ex-USS Gunson Hall (LSD-5), steaming from Buenos Aires to Asuncion under her own power
  • Sold to Paraguay, 11 February 1977 for $18.000
  • Sold in 1997 to a commercial firm in Paraguay
  • Final Disposition, laid up and scrapped in 2010
    Specifications:
    Displacement 143 to 160 t.(lt), 309 to 320 t.(fl)
    Length 119' 1" (ovl.)
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft
    limiting 3' 9"
    maximum navigation 5'
    Speed 10 kts.
    Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
    Complement
    1 officer
    12 enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
    Armament
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    four .50 cal. machine guns
    Armor
    wheelhouse 20lbs
    gun shields 10lbs
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 80 Bbls
    Propulsion
    three Grey Marine 6-71 Diesel engines
    two Diesel-drive 10Kw 120V. D.C.
    three propellers, 675shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LCT(6)-524
    LCT-524 86k LCT(6)-524 beached at Slapton Sands, England, 10 February 1944.
    National Archives photo from motion picture    		 Bill Brinkley
    LCT-524
    1018052410    		 301k LCT(6)-524 bringing supplies ashore on Utah Beach, Les Dunes De Madeleine, France. In return she will take back casualties to the ships off shore for evacuation to England.
    Original Field Number: ETO-HQ-44-4982", by Kaye" 6 June 1944, U.S. Army Signal Corps Photo # 190275, Local Identifier 111-SC-190275, US National Archives Identifer 176887898    		 David Upton
    LCT-524 150k LCT(6)-524 unloads the first Liberty ship to enter Cherbourg harbor. With no deep-draft berths yet available, cargos were unloaded and ferried to the shore by LCTs. US National Archives photo. Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    LCT-524
    1018052409    		 330k LCT(6)-524 is floated into the well deck of an unidentified LSD for transit to Panama City, FL. to participate in exercise "Operation Seminole", 30 October 1947.
    Acme Newsphoto.    		 David Wright
    LCU-524
    LCT-524 1098k LCU-524 preparing to moor at Orwell, VT. on Lake Champlain in the summer of 1956. ©Photo Rutland Herald Aldo Merusi Archive. Richard Brown, Photo Archivist Rutland Herald
    LCT-524 1069k LCU-524 preparing to moor at Orwell, VT. on Lake Champlain in the summer of 1956. ©Photo Rutland Herald Aldo Merusi Archive. Richard Brown, Photo Archivist Rutland Herald
    LCT-524 899k A Retired Navy Admiral aboard LCU-524 for a presentation to the people of Orwell, VT. about Navy ships and weapons, summer 1956. ©Photo Rutland Herald Aldo Merusi Archive. Richard Brown, Photo Archivist Rutland Herald
    LCT-524 875k Citizens of Orwell, VT. aboard LCU-524 during an open house to see what the Navy is all about, summer 1956. ©Photo Rutland Herald Aldo Merusi Archive. Richard Brown, Photo Archivist Rutland Herald
    LCT-524 2560k Two Naval officers, an Admiral on the right and a Commander on the left standing on the dock in front of the Orwell, VT. general store in the of summer 1956. It can be assumed they were there while LCU-524 was tied up to the dock. ©Photo Rutland Herald Aldo Merusi Archive. Richard Brown, Photo Archivist Rutland Herald
    YFB-86
    LCT-524 162k YFB-86 under way at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay while providing ferry service between the air station and main side, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.    		 Bram Risseeuw
    There is no history available for LCT(6)-524 / LSU-524 / LCU-524 / YFU-1 / YFB-86 at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    World War II LCT Flotillas
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Craft Tank (LCT) Photo Index Back To The Harbor Utility Craft (YFU) Photo Index Back To The Ferryboat (YFB) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 10 December 2021