USSLST-556

	LST-556 and LST-559.
History
United States
Name	USSLST-556
Builder	Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company,Evansville,Indiana
Laid down	4 February 1944
Launched	7 April 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. James C. Bradshaw
Commissioned	1 May 1944
Decommissioned	14 March 1946
Stricken	12 April 1946
Honors and; awards	Fivebattle starsforWorld War II
Fate	Sold for scrapping 26 April 1948
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-542-classtank landing ship
Displacement	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light; 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full (seagoingdraftwith 1,675-tonload;
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Unloaded 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft; Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft; Landing with 500-ton load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft;
Installed power	1,800horsepower(1.34megawatts)
Propulsion	Two 900-horsepower (0.67-megawatt)General Motors12-567diesel engines,two shafts, twinrudders
Speed	12knots(22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range	24,000 nautical miles (44,448 kilometerss) at 9knotswhile displacing 3,960 tons
Boats & landing; craft carried	6 xLCVPs
Capacity	1,600-1,900 tonscargodepending on mission
Troops	14officers,131enlisted men
Complement	9 officers, 120 enlisted men
Armament	2 × twin40 mmgun mounts; 4 × single 40-millimetergun mounts; 12 ×20 mmguns;

USSLST-556was aUnited States Navy LST-542-class tank landing shipin commission from 1944 to 1946.

Construction and commissioning

LST-556was laid down on 4 February 1944 atEvansville,Indiana,by theMissouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company.She waslaunchedon 7 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. James C. Bradshaw, andcommissionedon 1 May 1944.

DuringWorld War II,LST-556was assigned to thePacific Theater of Operations.She participated in thecapture and occupationof the southernPalau Islandsin September and October 1944. She then took part in thePhilippines campaign,participating in theLeyte landingsin October and November 1944, thelandingsatOrmoc Bayin December 1944, thelandingsatMindoroin December 1944, and the landings atZambalesandSubic Bayin January 1945. She then participated in theassault on and occupationofOkinawaGunto in April and May 1945.

Following the war,LST-556returned to theUnited States.

LST-556wasdecommissionedon 14 March 1946 and stricken from theNavy Liston 12 April 1946. On 26 April 1948, she was sold to theSun Shipbuilding and Drydock CompanyofChester,Pennsylvania,for scrapping.

LST-556earned fivebattle starsfor her World War II service.