USS_LST-451 Knowpia

	Army 18th Engineers build a dirt filled barge ramp to enable off loading of their equipment from USS LST-451 while the ship is beached at the Aleutian Island of Shemya, Alaska, 1 June 1943.
History
United States
Name	LST-451
Ordered	as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 971
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Yard number	155
Laid down	20 July 1942
Launched	6 October 1942
Commissioned	12 January 1943
Decommissioned	22 July 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-451; Code letters: NFEQ; ;
Honors and; awards	5 × battle stars
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 11 December 1947
General characteristics
Class and 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
Part of:	LST Flotilla 3
Operations:	Capture and occupation of Saipan (15 June–30 July 1944); Tinian Capture and occupation (24–30 July 1944); Leyte landings (20 October 1944); Lingayen Gulf landings (4–15 January 1945); Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (1–9 April 1945);
Awards:	Combat Action Ribbon; Navy Unit Commendation; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp;

USS LST-451 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

Construction edit

LST-451 was laid down on 20 July 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 971, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched on 6 October 1942; and commissioned on 21 January 1943.^[3]

Service history edit

During the war, LST-451 was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations.To start she made runs to the Aleutian islands delivering materials to the Army's 18th Combat Engineers and the 45th Naval Construction Battalion. In February gale force winds broke her mooring lines and she was holed and beached at Lash Bay, Tanaga Island in the Aleutians.^[4] Seabees from CB 45 worked 24-hour shifts over five days to save her and the 800-ton oil cargo.^[4] They got her patched sufficiently for the USS Ute to tow her to a repair facility.^[4]^[5] She took part in the capture and occupation of Saipan in June and July 1944; the Tinian capture and occupation in July 1944; the Battle of Leyte landings October 1944; the Lingayen Gulf landings January 1945; and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto April 1945.^[3]

Post-war service edit

Following the war, LST-451 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-February 1946. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 22 July 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 25 September, that same year. On 11 December 1947, the tank landing ship was sold to the Learner Co., Oakland, California, and subsequently scrapped.^[3]

Honors and awards edit

LST-451 earned five battle stars for her World War II service.^[3]

Notes edit

Citations

^ ^a ^b Kaiser Vancouver 2010.
^ Navsource 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d DANFS.
^ ^a ^b ^c Seabees salvage LST Boat, U.S. Navy Official Photo from ACME, photo W12675, ACME Newspictures Washington Bureau, 2/29/44
^ USS Ute(AT-7)NHHC website, Robert J. Cressman, Published: Wed Feb 03 18:26:23 EST 2021 [1]

Bibliography edit

LST 451 beached and holed at Tanaga Island by gale force winds. Naval Construction Battalion 45 put damage control parties abroad that worked round the clock for 5 days to save her for a tugboat to refloat her^[1]

Seabees offload the beached LST 451 to lighten the ship making it easier for a tugboat to give the ship a pull. They manually took off 800 ton of barreled oil and supplies in that effort.

LST 451 The Seabees of CB 45 built a temporary fuel storage on the beach to lighten the ship by transferring 40,000 gal of fuel off the vessel. Approximately 140 tons by weight.

LST 451 beached at Tanaga Island. CB 45 Seabees were able to make low tide stern repairs at night

Online resources

"LST-451". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2 April 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Kaiser Vancouver, Vancouver WA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
"USS LST-451". Navsource.org. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2017.