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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS T-LST-47
ex
 USS LST-47 (1943 - 1946)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Uniform - Xray
 NXUX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - (Normandy 1944) - 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)

USNS T-LST-47 was transferred to the Philippine Navy, named BRP Tarlac (LT-500)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 July 1943, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 24 September 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-47, 8 November 1943, LT. Joseph F. Krall USN in command
  • During World War II USS LST-47 was first assigned to both the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 to 30 June 1945
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944  

  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-47 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Six, CAPT. R. F. J. Shea, USN (23);
     LST Group One Hundred Seven CDR. L. F. Teuscher, USN (23);
     LST Division Two Hundred Thirteen
  • Following World War II USS LST-47 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    14 to 25 September 1945
    15 to 25 October 1945
    25 November 1945 to 11 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 11 January 1946, and turned over to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q007
  • Returned to US Naval custody and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 31 March 1952
  • Placed in service as USNS T-LST-47
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 30 June 1975
  • USS LST-47 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Philippines Navy, 13 September 1976, renamed BRP Tarlac (LT-500)
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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 Contributed
    By
    USS LST-47
    LST-47
    1016004704    		 291k USS LST-47 loading her cargo of anti-aircraft half-tracks (quad- .50 cal guns) at Dartmouth, England, 1 June 1944. Note "Der Fuehrer's Express" on halftrack at left and multiple LSTs in the background.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration photo # 80-G-252235 from the collections of the U.S Naval History and Heritage Command    		 Robert Hurst
    LST-47 75k USS LST-47 on the beach at Normandy, on or soon after D-day in June 1944. Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    LST-49
    US National Archives
    photo # 80-G-46817    		 370k LSTs land invasion supplies on "Utah" Beach, shortly after the 6 June 1944 "D-Day" assault.
    LSTs on the beach include from (right to left):
    USS LST-312
    HM LST-320
    HM LST-321
    USS LST-72
    USS LST-51? last digit not visible)
    HM LST-324
    USS LST-311
    USS LST-49
    USS LST-373
    USS LST-47 and two unidentified LSTs.
    Note: bow numbers of the British ships enclosed in colored blocks; crowd of shipping offshore; barrage balloons over many of the ships. Photo was released for publication, 23 October 1944
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-46817 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.

    Note: This image is labeled as Omaha Beach but is actually taken on Utah Beach. [See - The movie "A Newsreel Camaraman's View if D-Day" in color by Jack Lieb. About 15 minutes into the film Jack Lieb pans the beach one can see that this is Utah Beach showing LSTs 72, 324, 311, 46, 47 in the same sequence as in the NARA photo 80-G-46817.]

    		 Riley R. Re Qua MoMM3/C USS LST-49 and Arthur L Long MoMM2/C USS LST-49
    Marilyn Smith for her father Coastguardsman Jack Davenport USCGC Blackhaw (WLB-390)
    LST-312
    US National Archives
    photo    		 180k
    LST-47 28k USS LST-47 unloading German prisoners, England, 1944 LST Homeport Web Site
    COMNAVFOR Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) Q007
    LST-47
    1016004705    		 43k Q007 (ex-USS LST-47 moored pierside, circa 1947-1952.
    Photo from www.flickr.com by SDASM Archives [San Diego Air & Space Museum]    		 John Spivey
    BRP Tarlac (LT-500)
    LST-47 71k Hulk of ex-LST-47, ex-BRP Tarlac (LT-500) at Cavite, Philippine Islands, 26 March 1991, awaiting sale. Edison Sy
    USS LST-47
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Krall, Joseph Frank, USN8 November 1943 - 11 January 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
    SCAJAP - Shipping Control Authority, Japan
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    This page created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 24 May 2024