Colt 1911A1 serial number 721200 and accessories
issued to Lt. Samuel Kalikman.
Lt. Samuel Kalikman
Lt. Samuel Kalikman was born in Camden, NJ. He
graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1934 and
received his law degree from Harvard in 1937.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy (at age 28) shortly after
Pearl Harbor. He was commissioned as Ensign and eventually
was promoted to Lieutenant J.G. He served as the navigation
officer on LST-175.
Lt. Kalikman participated in a number of invasions
including the D-Day landings in Normandy. On D- Day his
LST landed British troops on Gold Beach. He also served
in England, the South of France, North Africa, India and in
the Pacific near the end of the war.
LST-175 was laid down on 6 January 1943 at
Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.;
launched on 18 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. John Kuhn; and
commissioned on 19 May 1943.
During World War II, LST-175 served in the
European theater and participated in the invasion of
Normandy in June 1944. She was decommissioned on 1 March
1946 and struck from the Navy list on 8 May 1946. On 11
December 1947, she was sold to the Southern Shipwrecking
Co., of New Orleans, La., for scrapping. LST-175 earned one
battle star for World War II service.
Tags - LST 175 was manufactured in
Evansville Indiana. Evansville made more LST's than any
other city and has the last know operational LST, LST 375.
Unfortunately 375 was not made in Evansville, but it's
operational and serves as a floating museum. Evansville made
90% of all 45 caliber ammunition during WWII.
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 Gold
Beach
Gold Beach was the code name for the center of the
landings on the Normandy coast. The British 50th
(Northumbrian) Infantry Division of the 2nd Army
under Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey was to land
at H-Hour+1 (0730), seize Arromanches and drive
inland to capture the road junction at Bayeux. Its
additional objectives were to make contact with the
US forces to the west at Omaha Beach and the
Canadians to their east at Juno Beach. In addition
to the 50th, the 47th Royal Marine Commandos were to
land on sector Item and to attack south of
Arromanches and Longues and take Port-en-Bessin from
the rear.
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Two grounded LSTs in Normandy
Model 1911A1 Serial No. 721200 - A 1940 production
pistol that was part of the second Army contract for that
year. The second order ranged from sn 719753 thru 721977
inclusive with deliveries beginning in October. This pistol
was delivered to the Commanding Officer, Springfield Armory
on December 27, 1940. Serial Numbers 721190 to 721263
inclusive were then delivered January 23, 1941 to Naval
Operations Base, Norfolk, Virginia.
There is a P proof on the top of the
slide, in front of the rear sight and also a P on the
left side of the frame near the magazine release button.
The barrel in this gun is marked COLT .45 AUTO on the
left side, with the G in front of the barrel lug on
the underside of the chamber. There is a P on the
left lug.
Right Side close-up.
Left side.
The initials of Major Charles S. Reed, Officer in
Charge of Outside Inspection, were stamped on all M1911A1
pistols manufactured in 1940, signifying government
acceptance of the pistol. His initials were stamped on the
left side of the receiver below the slide stop in accordance
with Ordnance drawings. The initials C.S.R. were
also stamped on the top of the receiver near the
disconnector hole to indicate provisional inspection,
replacing the previous letter "R" within an oval.
Rear grip safety showing blued finish. |
