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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-597

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Zulu - Quebec
NEZQ

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) -Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)

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During World War II USS LST-597 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Consolidation and capture of southern Philippines Palawan Island landings, 1 to 2 March 1945 Visayan Island landings, 26 to 28 March, 2 to 4, 10 to 11 and 20 April 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 21 to 27 June 1945

Final Disposition, sold, 31 May 1948, to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA., for scrapping

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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

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	32k	USS LST-597 beached, at Cebu City, Philippines, date unknown.		Russ Padden
	35k	USS LST-597 beached, in the Philippines, date and place unknown.		Russ Padden
	32k	USS LST-597 beached, date and location unknown.		Russ Padden
	25k	USS LST-597 beached at Palawan Island, Philippines, circa 1 March 1945.		LST Home Port web site

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USS LST-597
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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

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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Homeport
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 19 December 2014