History
United States
Name	LST-53
Builder	Dravo Corp.,Neville Island
Laid down	24 September 1943
Launched	6 November 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Nicholas Spanard
Commissioned	21 December 1943
Decommissioned	22 January 1946
Renamed	APL-59, September 1954 Q021, 19 January 1946
Identification	Callsign: NFCU
Honors & awards	SeeAwards
Fate	Transferred toSouth Korea, 11 May 1955
History
South Korea
Name	Chang Su (장수)
Namesake	Chang Su
Acquired	11 May 1955
Decommissioned	18 April 1959
Identification	Pennant number: LST-811
Fate	Unknown
General characteristics
Class & type	LST-1-classtank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328 ft (100 m)oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 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 Diesel12-567Adiesel engines 1,700 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk mainreduction 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	2 or 6 xLCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
Troops	16officers, 147enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 ×20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

USSLST-53 was aLST-1-classtank landing ship in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II. She was later sold toSouth Korean Navy asROKSChang Su (LST-811).^[1]

LST-53 waslaid down on 24 September 1943 atDravo Corp.,Neville Island,Pennsylvania.Launched on 6 November 1943 andcommissioned on 21 December 1943. She was in ferrying service to New Orleans to undergo fitting out from 5 December to 21 December 1943.^[2]

During World War II,LST-53 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East theater and later the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She took part in theinvasion of Normandy from 6 to 25 June 1944 and theinvasion of Southern France from 15 August to 25 September 1944.

She then participated in theassault and occupation of Okinawa from 17 to 30 June 1945.

LST-53 wasdecommissioned on 22 January 1946 and was assigned toCommander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE)Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) in which she was designatedQ021. She was put into theReserve Fleet following the end of her service there and later loaned to South Korea.

She was struck from theNavy Register.^[1]

ROKSChang Su was acquired by the South Korean Navy on 11 May 1955 and was commissioned on an unknown date.

She was decommissioned on 18 April 1959 and her fate is unknown.

LST-53 have earned the following awards:

• American Campaign Medal
• Combat Action Ribbon
• Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2battle stars)
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1 battle star)
• World War II Victory Medal
• Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

• United States. Dept. of the Treasury (1962).Treasury Decisions Under the Customs, Internal Revenue, Industrial Alcohol, Narcotic and Other Laws, Volume 97. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Moore, Capt. John (1984).Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. Jane's Information Group.ISBN 978-0710607959.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009).Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group.ISBN 978-0710628886.
• Fairplay International Shipping Journal Volume 222. United Kingdom: Fairplay Publishing Limited. 1967.

• World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
• Ships built in Pennsylvania
• 1943 ships
• LST-1-class tank landing ships of the United States Navy
• Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Republic of Korea Navy
• Naval ships of Operation Neptune
• Naval ships of Operation Dragoon

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from November 2021
• Ship infoboxes without an image