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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by ENCS Jerry Patterson USN Ret. LCU-1624

Harbor Utility Craft YFU-54
ex
 Landing Craft Utility LCU-509 (1956 - 1958)
 Landing Ship Utility LSU-509 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank LCT(6)-509 (1943 - 1949)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Zulu - November
 NBZN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Vietnam) - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (12)
Fourth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation - Vietnam Campaign Medal
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6) / YFU-1 Class Harbor Utility Craft:
  • Laid down, 1 June 1943, at Bison Shipbuilding Corp, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
  • Launched, 4 July 1943
  • Delivered 8 September 1943
  • Placed in service, date unknown, LTjg Wayne A. Simpson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II LCT(6)-509 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCT Flotilla Forty-One;
     LCT Group One Hundred Twenty-Three
  • Redesignated Landing Ship Utility LSU-509 in 1949
  • Redesignated Landing Craft Utility LCU-509, 15 April 1956
  • Reclassified Harbor Utility Craft YFU-54, 1 March 1966
  • During the Vietnam War YFU-54 participated in the following campaign:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967     		Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 February to 8 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 June to 31 October 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 1 April 1968     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 April to 30 June 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    1 May to 30 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 July to 1 November 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969     		Consolidation I
    1 July to 30 September 1971

  • Placed out of service, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • LCT(6)-509 earned one battle star for World War II service and twelve campaign stars as YFU-54 for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 143 to 160 t.(lt), 309 to 320 t.(fl)
    Length 119' 1" (ovl.)
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft
    limiting 3' 9"
    maximum navigation 5'
    Speed 10 kts.
    Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
    Complement
    1 officer
    12 enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
    Armament
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    four .50 cal. machine guns
    Armor
    wheelhouse 20lbs
    gun shields 10lbs
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 80 Bbls
    Propulsion
    three Grey Marine 6-71 Diesel engines
    two Diesel-drive 10Kw 120V. D.C. Ships' Service Generators
    three propellers, 675shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LCT(6)-509
    LCT-509 304k LCT(6)-509 OinC LTjg Wayne A. Simpson's log entry for 6 June 1944, during the Invasion of Normandy. R. Simpson for his father LTjg Wayne A. Simpson, USNR, OinC LCT-509
    LCT-499 154k Chart of Gold Beach, Normandy with landing positions for
    US LCT(6)-509 and UK LCTs LCT-2499, LCT-2500
    LCT-507, LCT-501, LCT-512, LCT-502, LCT-506, LCT-508.    		 R. Simpson for his father LTjg Wayne A. Simpson, USNR, OinC LCT-509
    LCT-509 45k Beach Reconnaissance photo prior to the landings at Normandy R. Simpson for his father LTjg Wayne A. Simpson, USNR, OinC LCT-509
    LCT-509 86k Beach Reconnaissance photo prior to the landings at Normandy R. Simpson for his father LTjg Wayne A. Simpson, USNR, OinC LCT-509
    YFU-54
    LCT-509 72k YFU-54 and YFU-66 beached at Dong Ha, South Vietnam while off loading Army 175-mm howitzers where they provided fire support for US Marine operations in 1967.
    Photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1967.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    LCT-509 72k YFU-54 underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial    		 Stan Svec
    There is no DANFS history for LCT(6)-509 / LSU-509 / LCU-509 / YFU-54 available at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Brownwater Navy in Vietnam Web Book
    World War II LCT Flotillas
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Craft Tank (LCT) Photo Index Back To The Yard and District Craft Type Index Back To The Harbor Utility Craft (YFU) Photo Index
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 June 2018