USS LST-471

USS LST-471 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-471, at anchor in the South Pacific in 1944.
History
United States
Name	LST-471
Ordered	as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 991[1]
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Yard number	175[1]
Laid down	29 October 1942
Launched	3 December 1942
Commissioned	11 March 1943
Decommissioned	26 February 1946
Stricken	12 April 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-471 Code letters: NFYA
Honors & awards	5 × battle stars
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 21 January 1948, beached en route to scrapper, 1948
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 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 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
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:	Eastern New Guinea operations Lae occupation (4–5 September 1943) Leyte landings (16–29 October, 10–29 November 1944) Lingayen Gulf landings (9–18 January 1945) Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines Mindanao Island landings (10–11 March 1945) Borneo operations Balikpapan operation (28 June–10 July 1945)
Awards:	American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Philippine Liberation Medal

Construction

LST-471 was laid down on 29 October 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 991, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched 3 December 1942; and commissioned on 11 March 1943.^[1][3]

Service history

During World War II, LST-471 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: the Lae occupation in September 1943; the Leyte operation in October and November 1944; the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945; the Mindanao Island landings in March 1945; and the Balikpapan operation in June and July 1945.^[3]

Following World War II, LST-471 returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 26 February 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 12 April, that same year. On 21 January 1948, the tank landing ship was sold to Hughes Bros., Inc., New York City, for scrap.^[3] She was beached during a storm while under tow off Rodanthe, North Carolina.^[2]

The wreck is located at 35.586412°N 75.459340°W / 35.586412; -75.459340

Honors and awards

LST-471 earned five battle stars for her World War II service.^[3]