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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-505


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Xray - November
 NDXN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2)
Bottom Row - Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 6 August 1943, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 27 October 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-505, 27 December 1943, LT. John A. Meadows in command
  • During World War II USS LST-505 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater participating 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, 29 May to 10 June 1945
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944  

  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-505 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Nine, CAPT. D. H. Johnston USN (22);
     LST Group One Hundred-Five, CDR. E. P Wilson USN (20);
     LST Division Two Hundred-Ten
  • Following World War II USS LST-505 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    23 September 1945 to 4 February 194613 February to 19 May 1946

  • Decommissioned, 11 June 1946;
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 16 September 1947
  • USS LST-505 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 13 February 1948, to Bosey, Philippines, 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 Source
    LSTs995/1020 239k Southern France Invasion, August 1944. LST's loading invasion supplies and vehicles at Nisida, Italy, 9 August 1944, just prior to the Southern France Operation. Note barrage balloons overhead. Ships loading on beach include (left to right):
    USS LST-1019;
    USS LST-504;
    USS LST-1020; and
    USS LST-995; among others. Passing by in center distance is
    USS LST-505.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-258037, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Rob Rielly
    LST-505 73k USS LST-505 beached, southern France, date unknown. ©Jim Knight
    LST-505 172k USS LST-505 beached and unloading a barrel of wine, southern France, date unknown. ©Jim Knight
    LST-505 70k USS LST-505 under way with loaded with troops and equipment for the invasion beaches in southern France, date unknown. ©Jim Knight
    LST-505 75k USS LST-505 high and dry on the beach at Normandy, June 1944. The stern of HM LST-304 is at right with her kedge anchor cable extend. Robert Hurst
    LST-505 136k USS LST-505 at anchor, date and location unknown. ©Jim Knight
    LST-505 260k USS LST-505 beached at Okinawa while married to a pontoon causeway, date unknown. Raymond Cvetovich, Ph.D.
    LST-125 56k USS LST-505 and USS LST-125 at Shanghai, 6 March 1946. Susan Bloom, courtesy Melvin Donner and Joe Avedisian USS LST-125
    USS LST-505
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Meadows, John A., USNR27 December 1943 - October 1945
    02LT. Sanford, Loran T., USNROctober 1945 - December 1945
    03LTjg. Mintz, Morton A. USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    04LTjg. Folger, John Kenneth, USNRMarch 1946 - 11 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 28 April 2017