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

Landing Craft Tank
LCT(6)-560

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 (2)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6):
  • Laid down, 7 October 1943, at Bison Shipbuilding Corp, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
  • Launched, 23 October 1943
  • Delivered, 5 November 1943
  • During World War II LCT(6)-560 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa Middle East Theater later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    West Coast of Italy operations-1944
    Elba and Pianosa landings, 17 June 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, circa 1945
    Invasion of Southern France 15 August to 25 September 1944  
  • Following World War II LCT(6)-560 was assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East from 2 February 1945 to 2 January 1946
  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LCT(6)-560 came under the command of:
    LCT Flotilla Forty
    LCT Group One Hundred-Twenty
  • Final Disposition, destroyed by explosion and fire at Gushikawa, Chimu Wan, Okinawa, 2 January 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • LCT(6)-560 earned three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 143 to 160 t.(lt), 309 to 320 t.(fl)
    Length 119' 1" (ovl.)
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft
    limiting 3' 9"
    maximum navigation 5'
    Speed 10 kts.
    Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
    Complement
    1 officer
    12 enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
    Armament
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    four .50 cal. machine guns
    Armor
    wheelhouse 20lbs
    gun shields 10lbs
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 80 Bbls
    Propulsion
    three Grey Marine 6-71 Diesel engines
    two Diesel-drive 10Kw 120V. D.C. Ships' Service Generators
    three propellers, 675shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-355 155k Scene on a Gushikawa beach, shortly after a large ammunition explosion wrecked LCT-560 and damaged several other ships, on January 2, 1946. Ships landing on beach are (from left to right):
    USS LST-355,
    USS LST-783,
    LCT(5)LCT-141,
    LCT(6)LCT-560 (destroyed),
    LCT(6)LCT-891, and
    LCT(6)LCT-785. Offshore is
    USS LST-920, which had been beached between the other two LSTs at the time of the explosion.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 76149. Courtesy of Lieutenant Commander Frank L. Howard (Ret.)    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LCT-560 77k From right to left: the port side of USS LST-783 the remains of LCT(6)-1414, LCT(6)-560, LCT(6)-891 and LCT(6)-785 on the beach at Gushikawa, Chimu Wan, Okinawa, after the fire and explosion aboard LCT(6)-560 on 2 January 1946. See below National Archive documents for explanation. Joey Kelly
    LCT-560 289k Finding of Facts pertinent to the 2 January 1946 fire and explosion at Gushikawa, Chimu Wan, Okinawa of LCT(6)-1414, LCT(6)-560, LCT(6)-891 and LCT(6)-785.
    US Navy document from the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Joey Kelly
    LCT-560 316k Causality list pertinent to the 2 January 1946 fire and explosion at Gushikawa, Chimu Wan, Okinawa of LCT(6)-1414, LCT(6)-560, LCT(6)-891 and LCT(6)-785 This list also includes casualties from nearby LSTs USS LST-783 and USS LST-926
    US Navy letter from Commander NOB Okinawa to CINCPAC, dated 7 January 1946 now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Joey Kelly
    There is no history for LCT(6)-560 available at Navsource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    World War II LCT Flotillas
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Craft Tank (LCT) 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 15 June 2018