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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-655


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - India - Xray
 NFIX
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 (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 9 December 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 6 February 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-655, 28 March 1944, ENS. Dudley D. Sumrall, USN, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-655 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participating in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 22 September 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 18 to 30 June 1945
  • USS LST-655 transported USS LCT-596 to Okinawa
  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-655 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Seven, CAPT. Riley
     LST Group One Hundred Nine, CDR. E. W. Wilson USNR;
     LST Division Two Hundred-Eighteen
  • Following World War II USS LST-655 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    1 October 1945 to 1 June 19461 October 1945 to 31 May 1946

  • Decommissioned, 31 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Transferred to the State Department for disposal, date unknown
  • USS LST-655 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • 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
    LST-692 282k LST's loading for the Invasion of Southern France at Nisida, Italy, 9 August 1944, just prior to the Southern France Operation. Ships present include (left to right): USS LST-550; USS LST-692; USS LST-655. Note barrage balloons overhead.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-258038, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LST-655 291k USS LST-655 and an unidentified LST beached at Okinawa, date unknown Julia Gimbel, courtesy collection of John Eskau LCT-596
    LST-655 34k USS LST-655 moored to a buoy in Chinese waters, date and location unknown. Mike Thayer courtesy his father Harold Thayer USS LST-655
    USS LST-655
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01ENS. Sumrall, Dudley D., USN28 March 1944 - February 1946
    02LTjg. Conneen, Edward M., USNRFebruary 1946 - 31 May 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 Homeport
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 1 March 2019