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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS T-LST-578
ex
 USS LST-578 (1944 - 1952)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Xray - India
 NEXI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

USS LST-578 was transferred to the Republic of China and named ROCS Chung Pang (LST-230)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 May 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 19 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-578, 15 July 1944, LT. D. C. Wooldridge, USN, in command
  • During World War II LST-578 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operations
    Leyte landings, 5 to 18 November 1944     		Consolidation and capture of southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings, 10 to 18 March, 24 March to 14 April, 17 to 23 April 1945
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 4 to 19 January 1945     		 

  • Following World War II USS LST-578 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 29 January to 22 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 22 March 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q099
  • Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 31 March 1952, placed in service as USNS T-LST-578
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register in 1958
  • USS LST-578 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold to the Republic of China in 1958 and named ROCS Chung Pang (LST-230)
  • Retired from Republic of China service, decommissioned, 23 August 2018
  • 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 Source
    USNS T-LST-578
    LST-578
    1016057805    		 81k A LARC-V exiting the water beside USNS T-LST- 578 beached at Cam Ranh Bay, circa 1966-68
    FLICKR U.S. Army Transportation Museum    		 John Spivey
    ROC Chung Pang (LST-230)
    LST-578 30k ex-LST-578 in Republic of China Naval service as, ROCS Chung Pang (LST-230) underway in Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan, date unknown. Larry Lin ROC Chung Shun (LST-208)
    LST-578 62k ex-LST-578 in Republic of China Naval service as, ROC Chung Pang (LST-230) at Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, date unknown. Larry Lin ROCS Chung Shun (LST-208)
    LST-578
    1016057803    		 237k Decommissioned ROCS Chung Pang (LST-230), moored in Taiwan, date and location unknown.
    Photos byChris Sattler    		 Dave Shirlaw
    LST-578
    1016057804    		 210k
    USS LST-578 / USNS T-LST-578
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Wooldridge, Darrell Cicero, USN15 July 1944 - 2 December 1944
    02LTjg. Thompson, Harold J., USNR2 December 1944 - 26 September 1945
    03LTjg. Mumford, Homer Ellis, USN26 September 1945 - February 1946
    04LTjg. Becker, Franklin L., USNRFebruary 1946 - 22 March 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
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 22 March 2024