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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-558


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Uniform - Romeo
 NEUR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 11 February 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 14 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-558, 8 May 1944, LTjg. Harry A. Bisonet, USN, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-558 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following operations

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 8 September to 14 October 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Zambales-Subic Bay operation, 29 to 30 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 18 October to 6 November and 19 to 29 November 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 15 April 1945

  • For the Okinawa Gunto operation USS LST-558 was assigned to:
    LST Flotilla Fourteen, CAPT. E. A. Seay USN (24);
     LST Group Forty-Two, CDR. G. E. Artz USN (34);
     LST Division Eighty-Three
  • Following World War II USS LST-558 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 25 September 1945 
    15 October to 5 November 1945 
    12 December 1945 to 12 February 194612 December 1945 to 12 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 13 February 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q056
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 16 September 1947
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission (MARAD), 24 May 1948
  • USS LST-558 earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 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-558 61k USS LST-558 at anchor with bow doors open, date and location unknown. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-558 54k USS LST-558 beached at Hollandia with other LSTs, date unknown. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-1029 137k From left to right:
    USS LST-699,
    USS LST-558,
    USS LST-467,
    USS LST-1026 and
    USS LCI(L)-971 beached at New Guinea in July 1945.    		 Dave Cook for his father Richard C. Cook GM2 USS LST-1026
    LST-558 53k USS LST-558 beached at Subic Bay, date unknown. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-558 70k USS LST-558 and USS LST-570 beached at Olongapo Naval Base (Subic Bay), date unknown. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-558 45k USS LST-558 beached at Ie Shima, date unknown. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-558 63k USS LST-558 and other LSTs at Yokohama, Japan, date unknown. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-558 48k USS LST-558 Mount 42 (Allan Koivisto's battle station). Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    LST-558 71k Partial photo of USS LST-558's crew, Allan I. Koivisto is in the back row standing on the far left. Rex A. Koivisto in honor of his father Allan I. Koivisto SC/3c USS LST-558
    USS LST-558
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Bisonet, Harry Alonzo, USN8 May 1944 - 1 December 1944
    02LTjg. Le Van, G. B., USNR (temporary)1 December 1944 - 6 December 1944
    03LT. Hough, M. S. USNR6 December 1944 - 1 December 1945
    04LT. Frowick, L. H. USNR1 December 1945 - 13 February 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
    Diary and Journal of LTjg. Kenneth H. (Bunny) Kardon USNR Gunnery Officer USS LST-558 August to October 1944
    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 27 September 2019