USS LST-459

USS LST-459 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS LST-459, passed on port side of Blue Ridge during either the Leyte landings or the Lingayen Gulf landings as she heads for the beach.
History
United States
Name: LST-459
Ordered: as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 979[1]
Builder: Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Yard number: 163[1]
Laid down: 22 September 1942
Launched: 29 October 1942
Commissioned: 13 February 1943
Decommissioned: 12 April 1946
Struck: 19 June 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 6 × battle stars
Fate: sold for scrapping, 31 October 1947
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:
Propulsion:
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:
Service record
Operations:
Awards:

Construction

The ship was laid down on 22 September 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 979, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched 29 October 1942; and commissioned on 13 February 1943,[1] Lieutenant E. F. Arthur, USNR, in command.[2]

Service history

During World War II, LST-459 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She took part in the Bismarck Archipelago operation, the Cape Gloucester, New Britain, landings December through February 1944, and the Admiralty Islands landings in March 1944; the Hollandia operation in April 1944; the Western New Guinea operations, the Biak Islands operation in May and June 1944, the Noemfoor Island operation in July 1944, the Cape Sansapor operation in August 1944, and the Morotai landing in September 1944; the Leyte operation in November 1944; the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945; and the consolidation and capture of the southern Philippines during the Mindanao landings in March 1945, and the Sulu Archipelago landings in April 1945.[3]

Post-war service

Following the war, LST-459 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-November 1945. Upon her return to the United States, she was decommissioned on 12 April 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 19 June, that same year. On 31 October 1947, the ship was sold to the New Orleans Shipwrecking Co., New Orleans, Louisiana, and subsequently scrapped.[3]

Honors and awards

LST-459 earned six battle stars for her World War II service.[3]

Notes
    Citations
    1. Kaiser Vancouver 2010.
    2. Navsource 2014.
    3. DANFS 2015.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "LST-459". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "Kaiser Vancouver, Vancouver WA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
    • "USS LST-459". Navsource.org. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2017.


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