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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS T-LST-625
ex
 USS LST-625 (1944 - 1952)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Golf - Echo
 NFGE
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)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 March 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 20 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-625, 10 July 1944, LT. George F. B. Capozzi, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-625 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 14 April 1945

  • For the Okinawa Gunto operation USS LST-625 was assigned to:
    LST Flotilla Six, (flagship) Capt. Laidlaw, USN (24);
     LST Group Sixteen, LCDR. Brugger, J. T. Jr. USNR;
     LST Division Thirty-One
  • Following World War II USS LST-625 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    16 October to 17 December 1945
    12 January to 11 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 11 February 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q052
  • Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service, 31 March 1952, placed in service as USNS T-LST-625
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 19 May 1954
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-625 earned two 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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-625 542k USNS T-LST-625 beached at Ulsan, Korea in the fall of 1953 while Korean laborers unload empty 55 gallon drums.
    Photos by SSGT Raymond M. Zelina USA, 558th Engineering and Technical Intelligence Co.    		 Michael Zelina for his father Raymond M. Zelina.
    LST-625 337k
    USS LST-625 / USNS T-LST-625
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Capozzi, George Francis Bennett, USNR10 July 1944 - 13 September 1944
    02LT. Knicely, Clark Allen, USNR13 September 1944 - 29 December 1945
    03LTjg. Minges, George Alfred, USNR29 December 1945 - 11 February 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 Homeport
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 1 January 2015