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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-479


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Oscar - Lima
 NGOL
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 25 August 1942, at Kaiser, Inc., Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 16 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-479, 19 April 1943, LT. Melvin O. Buker, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-479 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operations, 21 November 8 December 1943 Marianas operations
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 25 July 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 2 to 8 February 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operations
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 29 April 1945
    Hollandia operation, 21 to 26 April 1944  

  • Following service in the Southwest Pacific Area USS LST-479 was assigned to:
    LST Flotilla Thirteen, CAPT. J.G. Sampson USN (22);
     LST Group Thirty-Nine, CDR. B. T. Zelenka USN (24);
     LST Division Seventy-Eight
  • Decommissioned, 28 February 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1946
  • USS LST-479 earned five battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 April 1948, to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA.
    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 Source
    LST-476 211k USS LST-479 and USS LST-476 land vehicles and supplies amid the Roi Island Beach clutter and wreckage during the Kwajalein Operation, circa 2 to 8 February 1944. The LCVP in right foreground is from USS WARREN (APA-53).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-54417 now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.    		 USNH&HC
    USS LST-479
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Buker, Melvin Otto, USNR19 April 1943 - 1944
    02LT. Blanton, N. C., USNR1944 - ?
    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
    History of LST Flotilla Seven
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 25 June 2021