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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-658

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Victor - Sierra
NKVS

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 28 December 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.

Launched, 13 March 1944

Commissioned USS LST-658, 17 April 1944. LT. Roger L. Conkling, USNR, in command

During World War II USS LST-658 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
For the Western Carolines, Leyte and Luzon operations USS LST-658 came under the command of:
LST Flotilla Fourteen;
LST Group Forty;
For the Okinawa Gunto operation USS LST-658 came under the command of:
LST Flotilla Sixteen, CAPT. N.W. Sears;
LST Group Forty-Six, LCDR. J. R. Keeling;
LST Division Ninety-One and participated in the following campaigns;

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, Peleliu, 15 September to 14 October 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 18 January 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 18 October to 6 November and 19 to 29 November 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 9 April 1945

USS LST-658 transported LCT-773 to Western Caroline Islands for the attack on the Palau Islands

Following World War II USS LST-658 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 18 October 1945
1 November 1945 to 1 June 1946	1 November 1945 to 1 June 1946

Decommissioned, 1 June 1946

Transferred to the State Department for disposition

Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS LST-658 earned four battle stars for World War II service

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
194k	USS LST-658 at Peliliu Island, circa 15 September 1944. *LST-658* was loaded with *LCT-773*, plus 5 LVT flamethrowers, 15 LVTs and 2 DUKWS, miscellaneous priority cargo including HE ammunition, gasoline, rations and equipment. She also carried 419 Marine and Naval personnel passengers.	John De Noma
145k	USS LST-658 at Peleliu Island, 15 September 1944, launching Marine vehicles at a distance of about two and a half miles off of Orange Beach. After completing this phase of the operation *LST-658* moved several more miles further out from the beach to launch *LCT-773*.	John De Noma
161k	USS LST-658 launching *LCT-773* on 15 September 1944 at 1234 H plus 4 1/2 hours, at Peleliu Island.	John De Noma

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Conkling, Roger Linton, USNR	17 April 1944 - 8 November 1944
02	LT. Vander, Linden G. V., USNR	8 November 1944 - February 1946
03	LTjg. Sanborn, Fredric C., USNR	February 1946 - 1 June 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

For more photos and information about USS LST-658 see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
Western Caroline Islands Attack Landing Order
Beach White Peleliu - CTF 32 Operation Plan A501-44 Appendix 4 to Annex "D"
Action Report of the Invasion of Peleliu, Palau Islands
The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 9 January 2015