USS LST-494
Encyclopedia
USS LST-494 was a U.S. Navy amphibious tank landing ship that saw combat during World War II
in both the European and Pacific Theaters of War. LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank.
by Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co. She was launched on October 11, 1943 and was commissioned on December 18, 1943. Command of the 494 was turned over to Lt. Irving C. Noyes of Colebrook, New Hampshire
.
LSTs were 328 feet (100 m) long, 50 feet (15.2 m) wide with a displacement weight of 1,653 tons (4,080 tons fully loaded). They were powered from a Main Engine Room by two 900 hp General Motors V-12 engines (known as GM 567
s) which were railroad engines adapted to marine use. Their maximum speed was approximately 11 knots (21.6 km/h). Additional engines in the Auxiliary Engine Room provided the ships with electricity. LST 494 was armed with a 3 inch/50 cal. gun on her stern (later replaced with a twin 40 mm gun) and multiple 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. In the European Theater LST 494 carried 6 LCVP
s (Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel), also known as “Higgins Boats”, each of which was armed with two .30-cal. machine guns. Invasion bound LSTs were manned by a crew of approximately 150.
LST 494 was first assigned to the European Theater of War. On March 10, 1944, she began her journey across the North Atlantic for England along with 71 other ships in Convoy SC 155. While crossing the Atlantic, LST 494 carried on her main deck LCT (Landing Craft Tank) 776.
, June 6, 1944, she made the initial assault on Omaha Beach
during the invasion of Normandy. The 494 landed 378 men of the U.S. Army`s 26th Infantry Regiment (known as the "Blue Spaders" from their distinctive spad-shaped regimental emblem). The 26th Regiment was part of the 1st Infantry Division. Troops aboard the ship were under the command of Major James B. Carvey. Anti-aircraft fire from the 494 helped down a German Messerschmitt over the invasion beachhead. On June 6 LST 494 aided the USS LCT 2037 that had been hit on her starboard side by enemy fire or a mine and was in danger of sinking. On July 7, V-1 “buzz bombs” passed over LST 494 for many hours. One passed 300 feet (91.4 m) over LST 494. LST 494 sailors saw American fighter planes shoot down a number of these aerial bombs. On July 10 LST 494 aided 17 officers and 320 men from the Polish cruiser Dragon
. The Dragon had been torpedoed off the coast of Caen
, France by a one man German mini-submarine on July 8 and had to be scuttled. LST 494 continued to support the invasion forces through mid-July 1944, by bringing in reinforcements and by operating as a hospital ship carrying wounded servicemen back to England. During the Normandy campaign, LST 494 transported and landed a total of 1,420 American and Canadian soldiers along with 577 tanks, trucks and other vehicles.
s “Gourmiers” and “Senegalese fighters.” Lt. Commander Irving Chester Noyes received several Naval medals for his efforts. All of his crew lived to fight another day. Under the command of Lt. Commander Noyes not a single man was lost from his crew during the Normandy Invasion.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in both the European and Pacific Theaters of War. LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank.
Building and Commissioning
USS LST 494s keel was laid down on August 10, 1943 at Evansville, IndianaEvansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
by Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co. She was launched on October 11, 1943 and was commissioned on December 18, 1943. Command of the 494 was turned over to Lt. Irving C. Noyes of Colebrook, New Hampshire
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Colebrook is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2010 census. Situated in the Great North Woods Region, it is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River and home to Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area....
.
LSTs were 328 feet (100 m) long, 50 feet (15.2 m) wide with a displacement weight of 1,653 tons (4,080 tons fully loaded). They were powered from a Main Engine Room by two 900 hp General Motors V-12 engines (known as GM 567
EMD 567
The EMD 567 is a line of diesel engines built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. This engine, which succeeded Winton's 201-A, was used in EMD's locomotives from 1938 until its replacement in 1966 by the EMD 645. It has a bore of , a stroke of and a displacement of 567 in³ per cylinder...
s) which were railroad engines adapted to marine use. Their maximum speed was approximately 11 knots (21.6 km/h). Additional engines in the Auxiliary Engine Room provided the ships with electricity. LST 494 was armed with a 3 inch/50 cal. gun on her stern (later replaced with a twin 40 mm gun) and multiple 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. In the European Theater LST 494 carried 6 LCVP
LCVP
The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes...
s (Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel), also known as “Higgins Boats”, each of which was armed with two .30-cal. machine guns. Invasion bound LSTs were manned by a crew of approximately 150.
LST 494 was first assigned to the European Theater of War. On March 10, 1944, she began her journey across the North Atlantic for England along with 71 other ships in Convoy SC 155. While crossing the Atlantic, LST 494 carried on her main deck LCT (Landing Craft Tank) 776.
Normandy Campaign
The 494 departed Plymouth, England on June 5, 1944 and became part of the largest amphibious force in the history of warfare. On D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, June 6, 1944, she made the initial assault on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
during the invasion of Normandy. The 494 landed 378 men of the U.S. Army`s 26th Infantry Regiment (known as the "Blue Spaders" from their distinctive spad-shaped regimental emblem). The 26th Regiment was part of the 1st Infantry Division. Troops aboard the ship were under the command of Major James B. Carvey. Anti-aircraft fire from the 494 helped down a German Messerschmitt over the invasion beachhead. On June 6 LST 494 aided the USS LCT 2037 that had been hit on her starboard side by enemy fire or a mine and was in danger of sinking. On July 7, V-1 “buzz bombs” passed over LST 494 for many hours. One passed 300 feet (91.4 m) over LST 494. LST 494 sailors saw American fighter planes shoot down a number of these aerial bombs. On July 10 LST 494 aided 17 officers and 320 men from the Polish cruiser Dragon
HMS Dragon (D46)
HMS Dragon, also known in Polish service as ORP Dragon , was a D- or Danae-class cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in Glasgow, in December 1917, and scuttled in July 1944 off the Normandy beaches as part of the Arromanches Breakwater.-Pre World War II:One of the fastest-built ships...
. The Dragon had been torpedoed off the coast of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, France by a one man German mini-submarine on July 8 and had to be scuttled. LST 494 continued to support the invasion forces through mid-July 1944, by bringing in reinforcements and by operating as a hospital ship carrying wounded servicemen back to England. During the Normandy campaign, LST 494 transported and landed a total of 1,420 American and Canadian soldiers along with 577 tanks, trucks and other vehicles.
Southern France Campaign
The 494 was then ordered to travel through the Straits of Gibraltar for service in the Mediterranean and North Africa. On August 12, 1944, the 494 departed Naples, Italy and joined an allied fleet for the invasion of Southern France. The 494 landed troops from the U.S. Army`s 45th Infantry Division ("Thunderbird") on French soil on August 15, 1944. Several large German shells hit close to the 494 during the invasion, but fortunately missed their mark. During the Southern France campaign, LST 494 carried a total of 3,318 soldiers along with 717 tanks, trucks and other vehicles. Allied soldiers carried were American, Free French and French Moroccan GoumGoumier
Moroccan Goumiers were soldiers who served in auxiliary units attached to the French Army of Africa, between 1908 and 1956. The term Goumier was also occasionally used to designate native soldiers in the French army of the French Sudan and Upper Volta during the colonial era.-Description:The word...
s “Gourmiers” and “Senegalese fighters.” Lt. Commander Irving Chester Noyes received several Naval medals for his efforts. All of his crew lived to fight another day. Under the command of Lt. Commander Noyes not a single man was lost from his crew during the Normandy Invasion.
Okinawa Campaign
LST 494 arrived back in the United States in December 1944. She was re-fitted in order to serve as a supply ship for small mine craft. She was then assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of War. Command of the ship was turned over to Lt. Frank Van Deren Coke. After traversing the Panama Canal, the 494 left Seattle, Washington on April 15, 1945 for Pearl Harbor, Entiwetok and Guam. The next leg of her journey was to Tinian and Saipan. In June 1945, she participated in the latter stages of the fierce, kamikaze plagued assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto. The 494 performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw China service immediately after the war.Decommissioning
Upon her return to the United States, she was decommissioned on June 29, 1946 and struck from the Navy list on August 28 of that same year. On August 12, 1948, the 494 was sold to Bosey, Philippines and scrapped.Campaign Medals and Battle Ribbons
The LST 494 was awarded the following campaign medals and battle ribbons for her service to her country in two theaters of war: American Campaign Medal and Ribbon; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and Ribbon with 2 Battle Stars for the Invasions of Normandy and Southern France; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and Ribbon with 1 Battle Star for the assault and occupation of Okinawa-Gunto; Combat Action Ribbon; World War II Victory Medal and Ribbon; Navy Occupation Medal and Ribbon with Asia Clasp; China Service Medal and Ribbon. In 2004, LST 494 and her crew were awarded the Normandie Medal by the French government for their valiant service during the liberation of France in 1944.External links
- http://lst494.freeyellow.com/
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160494.htm
- http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l18/lst-494.htm