Don's ship WWII 1944-1946

LST 133

The LST 133 LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship; Laid down, 24 June 1943 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL; Launched, 2 November 1943; Commissioned USS LST 133, 29 November 1943; During World War II,
USS LST-133 was assigned to the European and Asiatic-Pacific theaters and participated in the invasion
of Normandy-June 1944 and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto -May and June 1945.
On August 15, 1944, LST 133 hit a German Acoustic mine, receiving serious damage, approximately 40 miles off the Normandy coast. It was towed to Omaha Beach to enable the unloading of men and cargo that it was assigned to deliver. After temporary repairs on Omaha beach, LST 133 was towed back to England/Wales on August 18, 1944, then later back to the U.S. for major repair. After the war, USS LST-133 performed occupation duty in the Far East until late December 1945. Used as a target in the Bikini atomic bomb tests July 1946; Decommissioned, 29 August 1946; Final disposition, sunk as a target 11 May 1948; Struck from the Naval Register, 28 May 1948; USS LST-133 earned two battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service. Specifications: Displacement 1,780 t.(lt), 3,880 t.(fl); Length 328'; Beam 50'; Draft unloaded, bow 2' 4" stern 7' 6", loaded bow 8' 2" stern 14' 1"; Speed 12k.; Complement 8-10 Officers, 100-115 Enlisted; Troop Capacity, approx. 140 officers and enlisted; Boats, 2-6 LCVP; Armament; one single 3"/50 gun mount, five 40mm gun mounts, six 20mm gun mounts, two .50-cal machine guns, four .30-cal machine guns; Propulsion, two General Motors 12-567 Diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders. Don's tour of duty Don enlisted into the Navy during May 1944. He received boot camp training in San Diego, CA and subsequently shipped to St. Louis, MO for Electrical training. Don's completion of training was coincident with the final repairs to the LST 133. Don was shipped to New Jersey where he was assigned duty on LST 133 as an Electrician. The LST 133 departed shortly thereafter for a cruise through the Panama Canal to Hawaii then participated in the occupation of Saipan, Guam, Philippines and invasion of Okinawa. Numerous trips were made carrying men and equipment between the Philippines and Okinawa. After the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945, and occupation troops delivered to Japan, Don was assigned to another LST for approximately nine months and discharged from the Navy in June of 1946. LST 133 mine incident