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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Lost to enemy action, 28 April 1944

USS LST-531


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Alpha - Juliet
 NEAJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 28 April 1944)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 22 September 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 24 November 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-531, 17 January 1944, LT. William D. Bradley, William D., USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-531 was assigned to the European-Africa-Middle East Theater
  • Sunk by a German E-Boat torpedo attack off Slapton Sands, England, 28 April 1944, during Operation Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy invasion
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 9 June 1944
    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-531
    1016053103    		 30k LST-531 launching, 24 November 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
    Photo from Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.    		 Tommy Trampp
    LST-531
    1016053101    		 50k USS LST-531 commissioning, 17 January 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
    Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co. photos, courtesy of LTJG. John H Hill’s niece, Beverly Hughes    		 Tommy Trampp
    LST-531
    1016053102    		 218k
    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-507
    1016050704    		 247k Surviving Officers from USS LST-531 and USS LST-507. Ensign Alexander Brown, Far Left, Standing (Deceased August, 1995) Also pictured, Ensign Douglas Harlander, LST-531, kneeling middle; and Dr. Eugene Eckstam, LST-507, far right, standing) Tommy Trampp
    USS LST-531
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Bradley, William D., USNR17 January 1944 - 1944
    02LTjg. Behrens, John W., USN1944 - 28 April 1944
    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
    Exercise Tiger - The Quiet Sacrifice
    Exercise Tiger - USS LST-531 Crew
    Douglas Harlander Survivor Story - LST-531
    LT. Tiffany Manning MD.
    Historic England -American Landing Ships Involved in D-Day Rehearsals
    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 9 July 2021