USS Caddo Parish

WWII US tank landing ship

USS Caddo Parish (LST-515) underway c. 1965

History
United States
Name|

* LST-515 (1943–1955)
* Caddo Parish (1955–1969)

Namesake| Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Builder| Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, Seneca, Illinois
Laid down| 3 September 1943
Launched| 31 December 1943
Commissioned| 28 January 1944
Decommissioned| 20 October 1955
Recommissioned| 2 August 1963
Decommissioned| 26 November 1969
Renamed| Caddo Parish, 1 July 1955
Honors and
awards|

* 1 × battle stars (WWII)
* 9 × battle stars, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation (Vietnam)

Fate| Transferred to the Philippines, 26 November 1969
Philippines
Name| Bataan
Namesake| Municipality of Batan, Philippines
Acquired| 26 November 1969
Identification| LT-85
Fate| Unknown
General characteristics [1]
Class and type| LST-491-class tank landing ship
Displacement|

* 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light)
* 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load)
* 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)

Length| 328 ft (100 m) oa
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 3 in (2.51 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
* Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 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| 6 x LCVPs
Capacity| 1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
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

USS Caddo Parish, originally named LST-515, was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not originally named and was properly referred to by her hull designation. On 1 July 1955, she was given the name Caddo Parish, named after Caddo Parish, Louisiana, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

## Construction

[edit]

LST-515 was laid down on 3 September 1943, at Seneca, Illinois, by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 31 December 1943; sponsored by Miss Rebekah Brown; and commissioned on 28 January 1944.[2]

## Service history

[edit]

During World War II, LST-515 was assigned to the European Theater.[2] She was one of the eight LST's that took part in the disastrous "Exercise Tiger", a practice for the planned invasion of France, in April 1944. Under attack from German E-boats, LST-515 returned fire and lowered her boats to pick up survivors from LST-507.[citation needed]

LST-515 participated in the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Following the war, LST-515 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-November 1952. She also saw postwar service with the Service Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.[2]

LST-515, an unidentified LST and LST-54 beached, date and place unknown. LST-54 is unloading a truck.

Upon her return to the United States, she was redesignated Caddo Parish, on 1 July 1955. The ship was decommissioned on 20 October 1955, and recommissioned on 2 August 1963.[2]

In August 1964 Caddo Parish and USS Monmouth County [LST-1032] transported the US Navy School of Music from Washington DC to Norfolk, VA. Army musicians aboard noted that the last time Army personnel had been embarked was during the invasion of Normandy.

The tank landing ship performed service in Vietnam until transferred to the Republic of the Philippines as grant aid on 26 November 1969, she served the Philippine Navy as RPS Bataan (LT-85).[2]

## Awards and honors

[edit]

LST-515 received one battle stars for World War II service, and nine battle stars, one Navy Unit Commendation, and one Meritorious Unit Commendation for Vietnam War service.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Navsource 2020.
2. ^ a b c d e f DANFS.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* "USS LST-515". NavSource Online. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
* "LST-515". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 13 May 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

## Further reading

[edit]

* "Exercise Tiger". Naval Historical Center. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2021.

* v
* t
* e

LST-491-class tank landing ships

* LST-491 / T-LST-491
* LST-492
* LST-493
* LST-494
* LST-495
* LST-496
* LST-497
* LST-498
* LST-499
* LST-500
* LST-501
* LST-502
* LST-503
* LST-504 / Buchanan County
* LST-505
* LST-506
* LST-507
* LST-508
* LST-509 / Bulloch County
* LST-510 / Buncombe County
* LST-511
* LST-512 / Burnett County
* LST-513 / Endymion
* LST-514 / Midas
* LST-515 / Caddo Parish
* LST-516 / Calaveras County
* LST-517
* LST-518 / Nestor
* LST-519 / Calhoun County
* LST-520
* LST-521 / T-LST-521 / Cape May County
* LST-522
* LST-523
* LST-524
* LST-525 / Caroline County
* LST-526
* LST-527 / Cassia County
* LST-528 / Catahoula Parish
* LST-529 / Cayuga County
* LST-530
* LST-531
* LST-532 / Chase County
* LST-533 / Cheboygan County
* LST-534
* LST-535
* LST-536
* LST-537
* LST-538
* LST-539
* LST-540
* LST-541

Other operators

Republic of China Navy|

* Chung Ting (ex-LST-537)
* Chung Kuang (ex-LST-503)
* Chung Shu (ex-LST-520)
* Chung Wan (ex-T-LST-535)

Colombian National Navy|

* Midas

French Navy|

* Orne (ex-LST-508)

Republic of Korea Navy|

* ex-LST-536

Peruvian Navy|

* Paita (ex-Burnett County)

Philippine Navy|

* Bataan (ex-Caddo Parish)
* Cotabato del Sur (ex-Thị Nại)
* Lanao del Sur (ex-T-LST-491)

Republic of Singapore Navy|

* ex-Chase County

Royal Navy|

* LST-538

Republic of Vietnam Navy|

* Thị Nại (ex-Cayuga County)
* Qui Nhơn (ex-Bulloch County)

Vietnam People's Navy|

* HQ-505 (ex-Qui Nhơn)

* Preceded by: LST-1 class
* Followed by: LST-542 class

* List of United States Navy LSTs
* List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships

* v
* t
* e

MARCOM Ships built by Chicago Bridge & Iron's, Prairie Shipyard, Seneca, Illinois

United States Navy
LST-1-class tank landing ships|

* LST-132
* LST-133
* LST-134
* LST-135 / Orestes
* LST-136
* LST-197
* LST-198
* LST-199
* LST-200
* LST-201 / Pontus
* LST-202
* LST-203
* LST-204
* LST-205
* LST-206
* LST-207
* LST-208
* LST-209 / Bamberg County
* LST-210
* LST-211
* LST-212
* LST-213
* LST-214
* LST-215
* LST-216
* LST-217
* LST-218
* LST-219
* LST-220
* LST-221
* LST-222
* LST-223
* LST-224
* LST-225
* LST-226
* LST-227
* LST-228
* LST-229
* LST-230 / T-LST-230
* LST-231
* LST-232 – LST-236 (Cancelled 1942)

United States Navy
LST-491-class tank landing ships|

* LST-511
* LST-512 / Burnett County
* LST-513
* LST-514
* LST-515 / Caddo Parish
* LST-516 / Calaveras County
* LST-517
* LST-518
* LST-519 / Calhoun County
* LST-520 / T-LST-520
* LST-521 / T-LST-521 / Cape May County
* LST-522

United States Navy
LST-542-class tank landing ships|

* LST-600
* LST-601 / Clarke County
* LST-602 / Clearwater County
* LST-603 / Coconino County
* LST-604 / Silenus
* LST-605
* LST-606
* LST-607 / T-LST-607
* LST-608
* LST-609
* LST-610
* LST-611 / Crook County
* LST-612
* LST-613 / T-LST-613
* LST-614
* LST-615
* LST-616
* LST-617
* LST-618
* LST-619
* LST-620
* LST-621
* LST-622
* LST-623
* LST-624
* LST-625
* LST-626
* LST-627
* LST-628
* LST-629 / T-LST-629
* LST-630
* LST-631
* LST-632
* LST-633
* LST-634
* LST-635
* LST-636
* LST-637
* LST-638
* LST-639
* LST-640
* LST-641
* LST-642
* LST-643
* LST-644 / Minos
* LST-645 / Minotaur
* LST-646
* LST-647
* LST-648
* LST-649 / T-LST-649
* LST-650 / Pandemus
* LST-651
* LST-652
* LST-772 / Ford County
* LST-773 / Antigone
* LST-774
* LST-850 / Juniata County
* LST-851
* LST-852 / Satyr
* LST-853 / Kane County
* LST-854 / Kemper County
* LST-855 / Kent County
* LST-856
* LST-857 / King County
* LST-858 / Stentor
* LST-859 / Lafayette County
* LST-860
* LST-1115 / Pentheus
* LST-1116 / Proserpine
* LST-1117 / Tantalus
* LST-1118 / Typhon
* LST-1119 / Diomedes
* LST-1120 / San Joaquin County
* LST-1121 / Demeter
* LST-1122
* LST-1123 / Sedgwick County
* LST-1124 / Amphitrite
* LST-1125 / Brontes
* LST-1126 / Snohomish County
* LST-1127 / Helios
* LST-1128 / Solano County
* LST-1129 / Somervell County
* LST-1130
* LST-1131 / Askari
* LST-1132 / Bellerophon
* LST-1133 / Chiron
* LST-1134 / Stark County
* LST-1135
* LST-1136 / Bellona
* LST-1137 / Chimaera
* LST-1138 / Steuben County
* LST-1139
* LST-1140
* LST-1141 / Stone County
* LST-1142 / Stafford County
* LST-1143 / Daedalus
* LST-1144 / Sublette County
* LST-1145 / Gordius
* LST-1146 / Summit County
* LST-1147 / Indra
* LST-1148 / Sumner County
* LST-1149 / Krishna
* LST-1150 / Sutter County
* LST-1151 / Quirinus
* LST-1152 / Sweetwater County

United States Navy
Portunus-class motor torpedo boat tenders|

* Orestes (ex-LST-135)
* Silenus (ex-LST-604)
* Antigone (ex-LST-773)
* Brontes (ex-LST-1125)
* Chiron (ex-LST-1133)
* Pontus (ex-LST-201)

United States Navy
Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ships|

* Zeus (ex-LST-132)
* Midas (ex-LST-514)
* Nestor (ex-LST-518)
* Demeter (ex-LST-1121)
* Diomedes (ex-LST-1119)
* Helios (ex-LST-1127)

United States Navy
Achelous-class landing craft repair ships|

| Completed|

* Atlas (ex-LST-231)
* Egeria (ex-LST-136)
* Endymion (ex-LST-513)
* Minos (ex-LST-644)
* Minotaur (ex-LST-645)
* Pandemus (ex-LST-650)
* Pentheus (ex-LST-1115)
* Proserpine (ex-LST-1116)
* Satyr (ex-LST-852)
* Stentor (ex-LST-858)
* Tantalus (ex-LST-1117)
* Typhon (ex-LST-1118)
* Amphitrite (ex-LST-1124)
* Askari (ex-LST-1131)
* Bellerophon (ex-LST-1132)
* Bellona (ex-LST-1136)
* Chimaera (ex-LST-1137)
* Daedalus (ex-LST-1143)
* Gordius (ex-LST-1145)
* Indra (ex-LST-1147)
* Krishna (ex-LST-1149)
* Quirinus (ex-LST-1151)

|

Cancelled|

* ARL-25 (ex-LST-856)
* ARL-34 (ex-LST-1141)

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