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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-549


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Hotel - Kilo
 NEHK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
. Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 January 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 25 February 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-549, 5 April 1944, LT. J. M. Hodgson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-549 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Eight, CAPT. E. Watts, USN;
     LST Group Twenty-Three, CDR. T. C. Linthicum, USN;
     LST Division Forty-Five and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai landings, 15 September 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 18 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 16 to 30 October and 3 to 29 November 1944     		Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-549 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September to 20 October 1945 
    5 November 1945 to 28 February 19465 November 1946 to 28 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 28 February 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q078
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 December 1947
  • USS LST-549 earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission (MARAD), 23 May 1948
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 23 May 1948, to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Morris Heights, N.Y.
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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 6 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-549 119k USS LST-549 at anchor, date and location unknown. LST-549 appears to have a Rhino barge secured to her port quarter. Jean-François Urruty
    USS LST-549
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Hodgson, J. M., USNR5 April 1944 - 28 December 1944
    02LTjg. Mason, James Donald, USN28 December 1944 - January 1946
    03LTjg. Gordon Byron C., USNRJanuary 1946 - 28 February 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
    History of LST Flotilla Seven
    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 by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 25 June 2021