USS LST-480

	Overhead view of the burning hulk of USS LST-480, in the West Loch, Pearl Harbor, 22 May 1944. The yard craft with her bow on the bow of LST-480 appears to be an LCM, while the ship at her stern is USCGC Woodbine.
History
Name:	LST-480
Ordered:	as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 1000[1]
Builder:	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number:	35[1]
Laid down:	31 August 1942
Launched:	29 October 1942
Commissioned:	3 May 1943
Out of service:	21 May 1944
Struck:	18 July 1944 or; 8 May 1946;
Identification:	Hull symbol: LST-480; Code letters: NGQO; ;
Honors and; awards:	2 × battle stars
Fate:	Sunk by accidental explosion of ammunition
General characteristics [2]
Class and type:	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light); 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load); 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching);
Length:	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft; Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft; Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft;
Installed power:	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines; 1,700 shp (1,300 kW);
Propulsion:	1 × Falk main reduction gears; 2 × Propellers;
Speed:	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range:	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing ; craft carried:	2 x LCVPs
Capacity:	1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops:	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement:	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:	Varied, ultimate armament; 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns ; 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns; 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons;
Service record
Operations:	Gilbert Islands operations (21 November–8 December 1943); Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls (1–6 February 1944);
Awards:	American Campaign Medal; Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal;

USS LST-480 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

Construction

LST-479 was laid down on 31 August 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1000, by Kaiser Shipyards, Yard No. 4, Richmond, California; launched on 29 October 1942; and commissioned on 3 May 1943,^[1] with Lieutenant W. H. Johnson, in command.^[3]^[2]

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

During World War II, LST-480 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations:

Gilbert Islands operation: Capture and occupation of Gilbert Islands, 13 November to 8 December 1943.
Marshall Islands operation: Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 29 January to 8 February 1944.

Sinking

The rusting remains of LST-480.

On 21 May 1944, LST-480 and at least 28 to 33 other LSTs were gathered near Waipio peninsula, in Pearl Harbors West Loch, loading ammunition and supplies in preparation for the invasion of Saipan.^[4]^[5]

At 15:08, an explosion onboard LST-353, which may have originated near LCT-963, caused a chain reaction that would eventually sink LST-480, LST-353, and four other LSTs. At least two other LSTs were severely damaged and 163 sailors were killed with another 396 wounded.^[4]^[5]

While the other ships were removed and sunk at sea,^[5] the wreck of LST-480 can still be seen in the West Loch.^[6] Coordinates: 21°21′26″N 157°59′50″W / 21.35725°N 157.9972°W / 21.35725; -157.9972

Awards

LST-480 earned two battle stars for World War II service.^[3]

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Online resources

"LST-480". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2 February 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Kaiser Permanente No. 4, Richmond CA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
"USS LST-480". Navsource.org. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
"West Loch Disaster". US Navy. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
"West Loch Disaster". National Park Service. 27 April 2001. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
"Memorial Day, 2009". The Boston Globe. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2017.

External links

Photo gallery of USS LST-480 at NavSource Naval History

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[FOOTNOTEKaiser_No._42014-1] 1 2 3 Kaiser No. 4 2014.

[FOOTNOTENavsource2016-2] 1 2 Navsource 2016.

[FOOTNOTEDANFS-3] 1 2 DANFS.

[FOOTNOTECNIC-4] 1 2 CNIC.

[FOOTNOTENPS2001-5] 1 2 3 NPS 2001.

[FOOTNOTEBoston_Globe2009-6] Boston Globe 2009.

MARCOM ships built by Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond Shipyards, Richmond, California, during World War II
Crater-class cargo ships Type EC2-S-C1 ships	Crater Adhara Aludra Arided Carina Cassiopeia Celeno Cetus Deimos Draco Albireo Cor Caroli Eridanus Etamin Lyra Ganymede Hyperion Allioth Alkes Grumium Azimech Alnitah Leonis Venus Cheleb Prince Georges
Greenville Victory-class cargo ship VC2-S-AP3 ship	Haiti Victory
Type VC2-S-AP3 cargo ship	Victoria
Boulder Victory-class cargo ships Type VC2-S-AP2 ships	Boulder Victory Provo Victory Las Vegas Victory Manderson Victory Bedford Victory Mayfield Victory Newcastle Victory Bucyrus Victory Red Oak Victory Lakewood Victory Sgt. Andrew Miller Sgt. Archer T. Gammon Sgt. Morris E. Crain Private Joe E. Mann Sgt. Truman Kimbro
General G. O. Squier-class transport ships Type C4-S-A1 ships	General G. O. Squier General T. H. Bliss General J. R. Brooke General O. H. Ernst General R. L. Howze General W. M. Black General H. L. Scott General S. D. Sturgis General C. G. Morton General R. E. Callan General M. B. Stewart General A. W. Greely General C. H. Muir General H. B. Freeman General H. F. Hodges General Harry Taylor General W. F. Hase General E. T. Collins General M. L. Hersey General J. H. McRae General M. M. Patrick General W. C. Langfitt General Omar Bundy General R. M. Blatchford General LeRoy Eltinge General A. W. Brewster General D. E. Aultman General C. C. Ballou General W. G. Haan General Stuart Heintzelman
Marine Adder-class transport ships Type C4-S-A3 ship	Marine Adder
Haskell-class attack transports Type VC2-S-AP5 ships	Sarasota Sherburne Sibley Mifflin Talladega Tazewell Telfair Missoula Montrose Mountrail Natrona Navarro Neshoba New Kent Noble Okaloosa Okanogan Oneida Pickaway Pitt Randall Bingham
LST-1-class tank landing ships Type S3-M-K2 ships	LST-476 LST-477 LST-478 LST-479 LST-480 LST-481 LST-482 LST-483 LST-484 LST-485 LST-486 LST-487 LST-488
Achelous-class repair ships Type S2-S2-AQ1 ships	Amycus / LST-489 Agenor / LST-490
Tacoma-class patrol frigates Type S2-S2-AQ1 ships	Tacoma Sausalito Hoquiam Pasco Albuquerque Everett Pocatello Brownsville Grand Forks Casper Pueblo Grand Island
Alamosa-class cargo ships Type C1-M-AV1 ships	Alamosa Alcona Amador Antrim Autauga Beaverhead Beltrami Blount Brevard Bullock Cabell Caledonia Fairfield Faribault Fentress Flagler
Miscellaneous Auxiliary Type C1-M-AV1 ships	Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup

History
Overhead view of the burning hulk of USS LST-480, in the West Loch, Pearl Harbor, 22 May 1944. The yard craft with her bow on the bow of LST-480 appears to be an LCM, while the ship at her stern is USCGC Woodbine.

Name:	LST-480
Ordered:	as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 1000^[1]
Builder:	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number:	35^[1]
Laid down:	31 August 1942
Launched:	29 October 1942
Commissioned:	3 May 1943
Out of service:	21 May 1944
Struck:	18 July 1944 or 8 May 1946
Identification:	Hull symbol: LST-480 Code letters: NGQO
Honors and awards:	2 × battle stars
Fate:	Sunk by accidental explosion of ammunition
General characteristics ^[2]
Class and type:	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light) 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load) 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
Length:	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power:	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,700 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion:	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed:	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range:	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing craft carried:	2 x LCVPs
Capacity:	1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops:	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement:	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons
Service record
Operations:	Gilbert Islands operations (21 November–8 December 1943) Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls (1–6 February 1944)
Awards:	American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal