Endurance: 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
Complement:
13 officers
104 enlisted
Troop Accommodations:
16 officers
147 enlisted
Boats: 2 LCVP
Cargo Capacity:(varied with mission – payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
Typical loads:
One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
Armament: varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was:
2 x Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
4 x Single 40MM gun mounts
12 x single 20MM gun mounts
Fuel Capacity: Diesel 4,300 Bbls
Propulsion: two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
single Falk Main Reduction Gears
three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship’s Service Generators
two propellers, 1,700shp
twin rudders
History
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
Laid Down: 3 September 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
Launched: 5 November 1943.
Commissioned: USS LST-499, 10 January 1944, LT, Elmer F. Witte USNR in command.
During World War II: During World War II USS LST-499 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy, June 1944.
Action: Sunk as a result of enemy action, 8 June 1944.
Deregistered: Struck from the Naval Register, 22 August 1944.
Commendations: USS LST-499 earned one battle star for World War II service.
Commanding Officer(s)
LT. Witte, Elmer F., USNR 10 January 1944 – 8 June 1944
