USS LST-566

History
United States
Name	USS LST-566
Builder	Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana
Laid down	17 March 1944
Launched	11 May 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. George C. Martin
Commissioned	29 May 1944
Decommissioned	15 March 1946
In service	with Military Sea Transportation Service and Military Sealift Command as USNS LST-566 (T-LST-566) 1952-1973
Fate	Transferred to Philippines, 13 September 1976
Stricken	1 November 1973
Philippines
Name	BPR Lanao Del Norte (LT-504)
Acquired	1976
Decommissioned	December 2004
Out of service	December 2004
Fate	Abandoned near Pag-Asa Island, Kalayaan Islands
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-542-class LST
Displacement	1,490 tons (light); 4,080 tons (full load of 2,100 tons)
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	8 ft (2.4 m) forward; 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) aft (full load)
Propulsion	Two diesel engines, two shafts
Speed	10.8 knots (20 km/h) (max); 9 knots (17 km/h) (econ)
Complement	7 officers, 204 enlisted
Armament	8 × 40 mm guns; 12 × 20 mm guns

USS LST-566 was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship in commission from 1944 to 1946. From 1952 to 1973, she served in a non-commissioned status in the Military Sea Transportation Service and the Military Sealift Command as USNS LST-566 (T-LST-566).

LST-566 was laid down on 17 March 1944 at Evansville, Indiana, by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company. launched on 11 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. George C. Martin; and commissioned on 29 May 1944.

LST-566 saw no combat action in World War II. Following World War II, LST-566 performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until early March 1946. She was decommissioned on 11 March 1946.

On 31 March 1952, LST-566 was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service—from 1970 the Military Sealift Command—which placed her in non-commissioned service as USNS LST-566 (T-LST-566) until she was stricken from the Navy List on 1 November 1973.

USNS LST-566 was transferred to the Philippine Navy on 13 September 1976 and renamed BPR Lanao Del Norte (LT-504). During December 2004, LT-504 ran aground on the coral reef very near Pag-Asa Island which is part of the Kalayaan Islands chain, during a personnel and resupply mission. Her hulk has been abandoned and aground in 2007. Later in 2017, she was dismantled at her current location for salvaging, only the submerged lower half on the hull remains. On 9 June 2020, a new sheltered port for Pag-Asa Island was completed right beside where her remaining hull rests.

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Friedman, Norman (2002). US Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-250-1.

• history.navy.mil: USS LST-566
• navsource.org: USS LST-566

11°03′13″N 114°16′46″E / 11.053662°N 114.279514°E / 11.053662; 114.279514