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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Don Mc Grogan, Patch at right contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Caddo Parish (LST-515)
ex
 USS LST-515 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Yankee - Romeo
 NDYR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) (4) - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic) - Vietnam Service Medal (9) - Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Bottom Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (10) - Philippine Liberation Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Caddo Parish (LST-515) was transferred to the Philippines and renamed RPS Bataan (LT-85)
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 3 September 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 31 December 1943
  • Placed in reduced commission, 15 January 1944, for transit to her fitting out yard at Algiers, LA. LT, John H. Doyle USN in command
  • Commissioned in full USS LST-515, 28 January 1944, LT, John H. Doyle USN in command
  • During World War II USS LST-515 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater
    Campaigns and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • USS LST-515 was assigned to Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    4 May to 2 November 1951
    8 to 15 November 1952
    18 May to 31 August 1954

  • Named USS Caddo Parish (LST-515), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 20 October 1955
  • Recommissioned, 2 August 1963
  • During the Vietnam War USS Caddo Parish (LST-515) served continuously in country and in contiguous waters, with the exception of overhaul periods, from 1965 to early 1969 participating in the following campaigns. (Dates listed do not include underway transit times within the contiguous waters along the Vietnam coast as defined by the US Navy and so specified by the Vietnam Service Medal.)


    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    22 to 23 October 1965
    14 to 18 November 1965
    28 November to 24 December 1965
    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    22 August to 25 August 1968
    31 August to 5 October 1968
    1 November 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    5 to 9 May 1966
    13 to 24 June 1966
    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 to 27 November 1968 23 Dec to 22 February 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    14 to 22 July 1966
    6 to 7 August 1966
    23 to 25 August 1966
    14 to 18 September 1966
    1 to 5 October 1966
    28 October to 8 November 1966
    24 November to 12 December 1966
    30 January to 7 February 1967
    14 to 20 February 1967
    28 February to 5 March 1967
    19 to 31 March 1967
    11 April to 31 May 1967
    		 Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 February to 17 May 1969
    23 to 2 May 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 to 14 June 1967
    11 April to 14 June 1967
    4 August to 13 November 1967
    		 Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    18 June to 19 October 1969
    24 October 1969
    31 October 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    26 March to 30 June 1968
    		  

  • Transferred to the Philippine Navy, 26 November 1969, renamed RPS Bataan (LT-85)
  • Decommissioned, 26 November 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LST-515 earned one battle star for World War II service and as USS Caddo Parish (LST-515) received the Navy Unit Commendation, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, and nine campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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-507
    1016050705    		 104k Chart of Convoy T4, showing positions of LSTs and E-Boats off Slapton Sands England the night of 27-28 April 1944.
    dday.overload.com    		 Tommy Trampp
    LST-54 234k USS LST-515, an unidentified LST and USS LST-54 beached, date and location unknown. LST-54 is unloading a truck. Submitted by Frank Principe, Jr., Photo by Frank James Principe, Sr., USS LST-54
    Caddo County 456k USS LST-515 beached while unloading in the port of Tarragona, Spain, 19 June 1954.
    US National Archives photo.    		 Antonio Moreno
    Caddo County 156k USS Caddo Parish (LST-515) entering Grand Harbor, Malta, 13 August 1954.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 84855, courtesy of William H. Davis, 1976.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Caddo County 49k USS Caddo Parish (LST-515) under way, circa 1965, location unknown Brenda Nunnery in memory of her husband James David Nunnery DK1 USN SW Ret. USS Caddo County
    USS Caddo Parish (LST-515)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Mobile Riverine Force Association History of USS Caddo Parish (LST-515)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Doyle, John H., USN15 January 1944 - 20 April 1946
    02LT. Burdick, Edward William, USN20 April 1946 - February 1947
    03LTjg. Gilbert, Glen Wilbern, USNFebruary 1947 December 1947
    04LTjg. Simcoe Jr., Hugh Stanley, USNDecember 1947 - ?
     Decommissioned20 October 1955 - 2 August 1963
    05LT. Schaible, David Louis, USN2 August 1963 - 10 October 1965
    06LT. Newby, Burton Clinton, USN10 October 1965 - 21 July 1966
    07LT. King, Alfred Eckles, USN21 July 1966 - 17 July 1967
    08LT. Weinandt, Melvin Walter, USN17 July 1967 - 1 July 1968
    09LT. Walker, Harley Elias, USN1 July 1968 - 1 July 1969
    10LT. Whitney, Gary Everett, USN1 July 1969 - 26 November 1969
    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
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Exercise Tiger: Disaster at Slapton Sands 28 April 1944
    Historic England -American Landing Ships Involved in D-Day Rehearsals
    Brownwater Navy in Vietnam Web Book
    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 by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 March 2024