Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-621


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Foxtrot - Hotel
NFFH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 March 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 2 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-621, 21 June 1944, LT Charles E. Watkins, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-621 was initially assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later was reassigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater as part of:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Five CAPT. D. H. Johnston USN (22);
     LST Group One Hundred Four CDR. D. Stubbs USN (25);
     LST Division Two Hundred Seven and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 April to 7 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-621 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    9 to 25 September 1945
    10 to 29 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 10 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946
  • USS LST-621 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 March 1948, to Kaiser Co., Inc., Seattle, WA.
    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 Source
    LST-621
    1016063101    		 334k USS LST-621 off the beachhead at Okinawa, circa April/May 1945.
    TimeLife_image_115919991 by Life Magazine photographer J. R. Eyerman. For personal non-commercial use only.    		 David Upton
    USS LST-621
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Watkins, Charles Edward, USNR21 June 1944 - 18 March 1946
    02LTjg. Solomon, Martin, USNR18 March 1946 - May 1946
    03ENS. Emerson, Donald E., USNRMay 1946 - 10 June 1946
    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
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 August 2021