USS ''LST-480'' was an built for the
United States Navy used in the
Asiatic-Pacific Theater during
World War II.
Construction
''LST-480'' was laid down on 31 August 1942, under
Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1000, by
Kaiser Shipyards, Yard No. 4,
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council. ;
launched on 29 October 1942; and
commissioned on 3 May 1943.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
During
World War II, ''LST-480'' was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations:
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Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...
operation: Capture and occupation of Gilbert Islands, 13 November to 8 December 1943.
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Marshall Islands operation: Occupation of
Kwajalein and
Majuro Atolls
An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can grow ...
, 29 January to 8 February 1944.
Sinking
On 21 May 1944, ''LST-480'' and at least 28 to 33 other LSTs were gathered near
Waipio
Waipio () is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Ewa District of the island of Oahu in the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, ''wai pio'' means "curved water". As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a populat ...
peninsula, in
Pearl Harbors
West Loch
West Loch Estate is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 5,523 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.
...
, loading ammunition and supplies in preparation for the invasion of
Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
.
At 15:08, an explosion onboard , which may have originated near , caused a chain reaction that would eventually sink ''LST-480'', ''LST-353'', and four other LSTs. At least two other LSTs were severely damaged and 163 sailors were killed with another 396 wounded.
While the other ships were removed and sunk at sea, the wreck of ''LST-480'' can still be seen in the West Loch.
Awards
LST-480 earned two
battle stars for World War II service.
Notes
;Citations
Bibliography
Online resources
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Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:LST-0480
World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Ships built in Richmond, California
1942 ships
LST-1-class tank landing ships of the United States Navy
Ships sunk by non-combat internal explosions
Maritime incidents in May 1944
Shipwrecks of Hawaii
S3-M2-K2 ships