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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Achilles (ARL-41)
ex
 USS LST-455 (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Juliet - Juliet
 NFJJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 3-12 Sept. 43, 12 Nov. 44, 19 Jun 45) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Personnel Awards

Navy Cross
LT. E.A. Peterson USNR C.O., 12 Sept 43
Purple Heart
12 Sept 43 - 18-KIA, 11-WIA, 6-MIA
12 Nov 44 - 19-KIA 28-WIA 18-MIA

USS Achilles (ARL-41) was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed Hsing An 5
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship / Achelous Class Landing Craft Repair Ship:
  • Laid down, 3 August 1942, at Kaiser, Inc. Vancouver, WA.
  • Launched, 17 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-455, 30 January 1943, at Vancouver, WA., LT. Benjamin F. Stephenson, USNR, in command
  • Converted to a Landing Craft Repair Ship in Australia in 1943
  • Named USS Achilles (ARL-41), 21 August 1944
  • During World War II USS LST-455 / USS Achilles (ARL-41) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Eastern New Guinea operation
    Woodlark Island occupation and consolidation, 30 June 1943
    Lae occupation, 4 to 12 September 1943     		Borneo operation
    Brunei Bay operation, 10 June 15 July 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October to 27 November 1944     		 

  • Decommissioned, 19 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • USS LST-455 earned one battle star as LST-455 and two battle stars as Achilles (ARL-41) for World War II service
  • Transferred under Lend-Lease to the Republic of China, 8 September 1947, renamed Hsing An, 5 November 1947
  • Run aground and abandoned by Nationalist forces
  • Seized by Communist forces on the Yangtze River, 7 April 1949
  • Final Disposition, sunk, 24 April 1949, by gunfire by Nationalist forces
    LST 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
    ARL Specifications:
    Displacement 3,900 t.(lt) 4,100 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2" (lim)
    Speed 11.6 kts.
    Largest Boom Capacity 60 t.
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 233
    Armament
    one single 3'/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    six twin 20 mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,715 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-455 96k USS LST-455 departing Mare Island Navy Yard, 7 March 1943. LST-455 was under repairs at the yard from 24 February to 7 March 1943.
    US National Archive photo # 19-N-42328     		Robert Hurst
    LST-455 80k USS LST-455 departing Mare Island Navy Yard, 7 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1641-43     		Darryl Baker
    LST-455 73k USS LST-455 departing Mare Island Navy Yard, 7 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1642-43     		Darryl Baker
    LST-455 62k Bow on view of USS LST-455 with LCT-82 loaded on her main deck makes her way down the Mare Island Channel, 21 March 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 1889-43     		Darryl Baker
    LST-457
    1016045703    		 170k USS LST-457 and USS LST-455 beached at Woodlark Island, 30 June 1943.
    US Naval Construction Battalion No· 0060 World War II Cruise Book pg29    		 David Upton
    LST-457
    1016045704    		 230k
    LST-457
    10194105    		 240k Report of dead, missing and wounded in bomb attack on USS LST-455 at 1100 September 12, 1943 at Morobe Bay.
    On about 1100 hours September 12, 1943, LST-455 was attacked while anchored at Morobe, New Guinea by Japanese aircraft. Three bombs of about 300 pounds each were dropped from about 300 feet . The first bomb hit the shore 100 yards ahead of the ship, the second bomb exploded off the port bow, the third hit the vent at frame 41 passing through the galley and exploded in the crew's quarters. The quarters and galley caught fire which exploded gas drums in the rack on the port side of fantail. Fires were put out by 1135 hours.
    USS LST-455 War Diary action report dated Sep. 1-30, 1943 page 14.     		David Upton
    USS LST-455 / USS Achilles (ARL-41)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Stephenson, Benjamin F., USNR30 January 1943 - April 1943
    02LT. Cisin, Clarence, USNRApril 1943 - 15 August 1943
    03LT. Peterson Jr., William E., USNR15 August 1943 - 7 May 1944
    04LT. Smith, Converse Owen, USNR7 May 1944 - 3 January 1945
    05LCDR. Gherini. Francis Ambrose, USNR3 January 1945 - 18 September 1945
    06LCDR/CDR. Illing, William Arthur, USNR18 September 1945 - 19 July 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
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    USS LST 455 Commissioning brochure
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index Back To The Landing Craft Repair Ship (ARL) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 18 July 2025