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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Rushmore (LSD-14)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Papa - Alpha NZPA

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia/Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Authorized under the Lend-Lease Act as British Mechanized Artillery Transport BAPM-6

Reclassified Landing Ship Dock LSD-14, 1 July 1942

Contract awarded for LSD-14 to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 10 September 1942

Laid down, 31 December 1943 as HMS Sword at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA.

Lend-Lease canceled or modified never commissioned in Royal Navy as HMS Swashway (F-145)

Launched, 10 May 1944 as Rushmore

Commissioned USS Rushmore (LSD-14), 3 July 1944, LCDR. Elith A. Jansen, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Rushmore was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Luzon operation Leyte landings, Dulag, Yellow Beach, 20 October 1944	Borneo operation Tarakan Island operation, 27 April to 5 May 1945
Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines Palawan Islands landings, 28 February 1945 Mindanao Island landings, Zamboanga, 10 March 1945

Following World War II USS Rushmore was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
9 to 13 September 1945
13 to 21 October 1945
4 November to 2 December 1945

Decommissioned, 16 August 1946

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Pascagoula, MS.

Recommissioned, 21 September 1950, at Charleston, S.C.

USS Rushmore was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 26 June to 26 September 1951

Decommissioned, 30 September 1970

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976

USS Rushmore earned three battle stars for World War II service

Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.

Final Disposition, disposed of as a target 28 April 1993

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
Length 457' 9" o.a.
Beam 72'2"

Draft

8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft)

15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)

Speed 17 kts (design speed)

Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots

Complement

Officers 17

Enlisted 237

Troop Accommodations

Officers 22

Enlisted 218

Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)

three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or

two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or

fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or

forty-seven DUKW or

forty-one LVT or

Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity

Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)

two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 11,720 Bbls

Diesel 160 Bbls

Gasoline 5,085 Gals

Propulsion

two Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines

two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi

single Newport New Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators

twin propellers, 7,000shp

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 107626

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	54k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway, date and location unknown.	Bob Allport USS Carter Hall.
	23k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway, date and location unknown.	Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
	325k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** under way, probably at Hampton Roads, in July 1944. US Navy photo # 80-G-236735 taken by NAS Hampton Roads, VA., released July 10, 1944.	National Museum of the US Navy
	325k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** moored pierside, date and location unknown.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	401k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** liberty party ready to go ashore, date and location unknown.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	353k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** crew relaxing on the boat deck while underway, date and location unknown.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	353k	Three views *USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** forecastle area. Two looking forward and one looking aft towards the superstructure.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	353k
	238k
	461k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** well deck loaded with LCMs and Marine LVTs, date and location unknown	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	277k
	339k	LCMs exiting the well deck of *USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** probably at Mindoro, date unknown.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	352k
	361k
	348k
	170k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	123k
	302k	Loading the Japanese submarine *Yu3* into the well deck of *USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** at Samar, Philippine Islands for transit to San Francisco, circa May 1945.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	952k	*Yu-3* being secured inside the docking well of *USS Rushmore* (LSD-14) in 1945. Yu-3 had been lost in an accident at Lingayen Gulf in January 1945, salvaged by USS Grasp (ARS-24)** on 18 January 1945, she was then carried by USS Rushmore back to the United States.	USN photo from The Maru Special No.43, Japanese submarines III, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
	372k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** liberty party returning to the ship after a day at Grande Island, Subic Bay, Philippines, circa early 1946. Photo by J.L. Brown.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	307k
	338k
	245k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** in the Columbia River near Portland, OR. preparing to enter a local shipyard, January 1946.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	362k
	508k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** moored in a shipyard in the Portland, Oregon area, in January 1956. Across the pier is the Victory ship SS Stetson Victory which would see Naval service as *USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak* (T-AP-192)**	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	586k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** moored in a shipyard in the Portland, Oregon area, circa January 1956.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	280k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** partial crew photo, taken at Portland, Oregon, 16 January 1946.	William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
	34k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway, date and location unknown.
	356k	Aerial starboard view and aerial starboard quarter view of *USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)**, underway in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after recommissioning, circa early-1951. US Navy photo	Robert M. Cieri
	247k		Robert M. Cieri
10121435	152k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway, circa 1950s, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	36k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	245k	*USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway in convoy off the Greenland coast with other Arctic DEW Line supply and support ships, circa June-July 1959.	Marc Schenck, Photo by his father LTjg. Bernard Schenck USS Glacier
10121436	462k	Overhead views of *USS Rushmore* (LSD-14)** underway in the Mediterranean Sea, in 1963. 10121436 - U.S. Navy photo from the USS Rushmore (LSD-14) 1963 cruise book	Robert Hurst
10121437	86k		Robert Hurst

USS Rushmore Memorabilia
Royal Order of the Bluenose Contributed by Linda Whealton daughter of LT. Peter L. Stamner USN	Imperial Domain of Golden Dragoon Contributed by William Brown EM3 son of J. D. Brown	Domain of Neptunus Rex Contributed by William Brown EM3 son of J. D. Brown

For more photos and information about USS Rushmore, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
Navigation Dept. Log 1944 to 1946 submitted by William Brown
Ship's History 1944 to 1945 submitted by William Brown
Christmas Dinner Menu 1945 submitted by William Brown
USS Rushmore 1963 Mediterranean Cruise book from the LT. Peter L Stamer USN collection, donated by his daughter Linda Whealton, submitted by Robert Hall
USS Rushmore 1965 Arctic and Mediterranean Cruise book from the LT. Peter L Stamer USN collection, donated by his daughter Linda Whealton, submitted by Robert Hall
USS Rushmore Change of Command program, 23 December 1965 from the LT. Peter L Stamer USN collection, donated by his daughter Linda Whealton, submitted by Robert Hall

"She Was Reluctant To Go Down" by LT. Kirk R. Benson, USN

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Jansen, Elith A., USNR	3 July 1944 - 11 August 1945
02	LCDR. Tobey, Clarence O., USNR	11 August 1945 - 14 December 1945
03	CDR. Patrick, Willard T., USNR	14 December 1945 - 16 August 1946
	Decommissioned	16 August 1946 - 21 September 1950
04	CDR. Rhodemyre, John Lynn, USN	21 September 1950 - 8 October 1951
05	CDR. Rosenberg, Marvin Irving, USN (USNA 1934)	8 October 1951 - 23 January 1952
06	CDR. Mecklenburg, Herman John (Mecky), USN (USNA 1935)	23 January 1952 - 22 July 1953
08	CDR. Pond, Charles Ellsworth, USN (USNA 1938)	22 July 1953 - 16 September 1954
08	CDR. Joerg III, Robert Conrad, USN	16 September 1954 - 14 October 1955
09	CDR. Germershausen, Bernard Joseph, USN (USNA 1939)	14 October 1955 - 6 January 1958
10	CDR. Palm, John Werner, USN (USNA 1941)	6 January 1958 - March 1959
11	CDR. Lowe, Richard Lyman, USN (USNA 1942)	March 1959 - 10 July 1960
12	CDR. Cantwell Jr., Richard Andrew, USN	10 July 1960 - 1962
13	CDR. Ady, Joseph Wesley, USN	1962 - 1963
14	CDR. Seibert, Eric Theodore, USNR	1963 - November 1964
15	CDR. Witham Jr., Burton Brooks, USN	November 1964 - 23 December 1965
16	CAPT. Burton, John Howard, USN	23 December 1965 - 21 October 1966
17	CDR. Carter, Robert Dalton, USN (USNA 1953)	21 October 1966 - 1968
18	CDR. Edwards Jr., Frederick Andrews, USN (USNA 1950)	1968 - 30 September 1970


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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Last Updated 8 December2023