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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-661


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Xray - Whiskey
 NKXW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
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 January 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 30 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-661, 28 April 1944, LT. A. L. Perdue, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-661 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944

  • Following service in the Southwest Pacific Area USS LST-661 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Thirteen, CAPT. J.G. Sampson USN (23);
     LST Group Thirty-Seven, CDR. R. D. Higgins USNR;
     LST Division Seventy-Four
  • Following World War II USS LST-661 was assigned to Occupation service for the following periods;

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    2 September to 25 October 1945
    18 December 1945 to 1 January 1946
    29 February to 9 March 1946
    24 March to 6 April 1946

  • USS LST-661 transported LCT-858 to Western Caroline Islands for the attack on the Palau Islands
  • USS LST-661 was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.5 (Target Vessels - Landing Craft Units - LST Group 9 (LST GRU 9) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 29 August 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 25 July 1948
  • Final Disposition, considered unsalvageable and destroyed, 13 September 1948
  • USS LST-661 earned one battle star for World War II service
    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-965 150k USS LST-661 and USS LST-965 with two other LSTs beached at Wakayama Japan in late 1945. Gene McFadden for his father Eugene J. McFadden, Gunners Mate USS LST-965
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Perdue, A. L., USNR28 April 1944 - 9 October 1944
    02LT. McAfee Jr., Stanley K., USNR9 October 1944 - December 1945
    03LT. Cummins, Clyde R., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Shockey, Thomas H., USNRMarch 1946 - 29 August 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    For more photos and information about USS LST-661 see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • Western Caroline Islands Attack Landing Order
  • Beach White Peleliu - CTF 32 Operation Plan A501-44 Appendix 4 to Annex "D"
  • 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 19 February 2016