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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-656


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Xray - Zulu
 NKXZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 13 December 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 18 February 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-656, 7 April 1944, LT. Francis T. McCahill USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-656 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944

  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-656 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Seven, CAPT. Riley
     LST Group One Hundred Nine, CDR. E. W. Wilson USNR;
     LST Division Two Hundred-Eighteen
  • Following World War II USS LST-656 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 1945 to 28 May 19462 September 1945 to 28 May 1946

  • Decommissioned, 29 May 1946
  • Transferred to the State Department for disposition, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-656 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 Contributed
    By
    LST-178 1679k Four LSTs, (right to left) USS LST-178, USS LST-74, unidentified, and USS LST-656 load out at Bagnoli, Italy, 8 August 1944, for the upcoming invasion of southern France.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC-193359, Box 225 a US Army Signal Corps photo, by Lapidus, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-177 119k USS LST-177 and USS LST-656 beached beached on Dramont beach Camel Green sector in southern France, August or September 1944. Kevin Harris
    LST-656
    1016065601    		 130k USS LST-656 beached beached in southern France, circa August or September 1944.
    US Army photos RG-80-255864a, RG-80-G-255866a    		 Thierry de Villeneuve, Historian in France
    USS LST-656
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. McCahill, Francis T., USNR7 April 1944 - February 1945
    02LTjg. Dovenberg, Edward A., USNRFebruary 1945 - December 1945
    03LTjg. Hannan, J. E., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    04LTjg. Tucker, Melvin L., USNRMarch 1946 - 29 May 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
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 10 October 2025