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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-679


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Lima - Romeo
NFLR
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 Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)


LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 2 May 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 20 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-679, 15 July 1944, LT. Nairn A. Nelmes USNR in command
  • During World War II, USS LST-679 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 5 to 29 November 1944
    Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-679 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 15 September 1945 to 10 April 1946
  • Decommissioned, 24 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946
  • USS LST-679 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 25 May 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-740 34k USS LST-679 and USS LST-740 at Mindanao Island, April 1945. Clark E. Parks SM1/c USS LST-740

    USS LST-679
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Nelmes, Nairn A., USNR15 July 1944 - 18 January 1946
    02LTjg. Albert, Jack N., USNR18 January 1946 - 24 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
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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 24 December 2020