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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-66

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Delta - Sierra
NPDS

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2) - 26 December 1943, 12 November 1944
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (8)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
Personnel Awards

Silver Star (Joseph Gerczak SM3/c, USCGR, posthumously); Bronze Star with "V" (Peter Chase PHM2/c; LCDR. Howard E. White; Robert Goldman PHM21/c) - Purple Hearts - (7-KIA 13-WIA)

During World War II USS LST-66 was manned by the US Coast Guard

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 14 August 1942, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.

Launched, 16 January 1943

Commissioned USS LST-66, 12 April 1943, LT. Howard E. White, USCGR, in command

During World War II USS LST-66 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Eleven
LST Group Thirty-One
LST Division Sixty-One and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Bismarck Archipelago operation Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 25 to 30 December 1943, 15 to 18 January 28 January to 1 February, 7 to 10, 19 to 23, 26 to 29 February 1944 Admiralty Islands landing, 11 February and 28 March to 1 April 1944	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 13 to 27 October and 5 to 18 November 1944
Eastern New Guinea operation Saidor occupation, 20 to 22 January and 12 to 14 February 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 17 January 1945
Hollandia operation Aitape Humboldt Bay-Tanah Merah Bay, 21 to 27 April 1944 and 1 to 7 May 1944	Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines; Mindanao Island landings, 10 to 11 March 1945
Western New Guinea operations Toem-Wakde-Sarmi area operation, 18 to 20 and 23 to 25 May 1944 Biak Island operation, 6 to 20 and 12 to 16 June 1944 Noemfoor Island operation, 2 to 7 and 9 to 14 July 1944 Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July, 2, and 4 to 10 August 1944 Morotai landings, 15 September 1944	Borneo Operation Balikpapan operation, 3 to 7 July 1945

Decommissioned, 26 March 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946

USS LST-66 earned eight battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 April 1948, to Kaiser Co., Inc., Seattle, WA.

Specifications:

Displacement

1,625 t.(lt)

4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)

2,366 t. (beaching displacement)

Length 328' o.a.

Beam 50'

Draft

light 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft

sea-going 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft

landing 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)

limiting 11' 2"

maximum navigation 14' 1"

Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)

Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons

Complement

13 officers

104 enlisted

Troop Accommodations

16 officers

147 enlisted

Boats 2 LCVP

Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)

Typical loads

One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck

Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting

Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was

2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors

4 - Single 40MM gun mounts

12 single 20MM gun mounts

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 4,300 Bbls

Propulsion

two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines

single Falk Main Reduction Gears

three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

two propellers, 1,700shp

twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	104k	USS LST-66 disembarks troops during the invasion of Cape Gloucester, circa December 1943-February 1944. US Coast Guard photo # 3406 from the collections of the US Coast Guard's Historians Office.	Mike Green
1016006614	301k	Aboard USS LST-66 Coast Guardsman Rudolph Broker, coxswain, examines the hole pierced in an armored gun shield by a Japanese bomb fragment during an air attack, 25-27 December 1943 off Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The fragment wounded Broeker slightly, but he stuck to his gun post and helped knock out one of the attacking Japanese bombers. Two others were bagged by the Coast Guard gunners. Twice attacked by enemy aircraft, four near misses caused minor damage, with two killed and seven wounded. The ship's gunners shot down three enemy aircraft. US National Archives LST-66 War Diary, Identifier 78270636, Local Identifier 26-G-2112, US Coast Guard photo 2112 by Coast Guard photographer Halscher.	David Upton
1016006615	256k	USS LST-66 gunners shot down three Japanese bombers in the battle off Cape Gloucester, New Britain on 25-27 December 1943 and they are justly proud of their marksmanship. They call their LST the "Little Joe," in honor of a Coast Guard shipmate who was killed in that battle. Left to right; S1/c Cleo Kidd, Perkins, Oklahoma, RM2/c Kenneth Gundling, West New York, N.J. MMoM2/c Julio Pascuito, Hyde Park, Mass., and F1/c John Langston Newport, Arkansas. US National Archives Identifier 205584225, Local Identifier 26-G-2108, US Coast Guard photo # 2108 by Coast Guard Photographer Halscher.	David Upton
	510k	USS LST-66 disembarking troops while beached at Red Beach #2, Tanah Merah Bay, Dutch New Guinea (Hollandia Operation), 23 April, 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205584995, Local Identifier 26-G-2184, U.S. Coast Guard Photo # 2184. by Coast Guard photographer Struges	David Upton and Mike Green
1016006611	367k	USS LST-66 steams into Tanah Merah Bay, Dutch New Guinea, 23 April 1944, maneuvering past *USS Virgo* (AKA-20) LST-66's deck is jammed to the rails with trucks, jeeps and other motorized equipment. As she steams in to the Bay American amphibious forces spring their smashing invasion of this strategic area. At the right is Virgo** and in the distance other LSTs have hit the beach and dropped their ramps. Refs. USS LST-66, USS John Rodgers and USS Virgo War Diaries, National Archives 205585106 Local Identifier 26-G-218, US Coast Guard photo # 2185 by Sturgis	David Upton
1016002601	358k	USS LST-26, USS LST-22 and in the far distance USS LST-66 and USS LST-18 unloading on the beach at Tanah Merah Bay, Hollandia, Dutch East Indies, circa April-May 1944. Photo taken from *USS Virgo* (AKA-20)** National Archives Identifier 205584998, Local Identifier 26-G-2301, US Coast Guard photo # 2301.	Keith D Lumsden and David Upton
1016006616	572k	USS LST-66 beached on Red Beach 2, Tanah Merah Bay, Dutch New Guinea, 23 April 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205585040, Local ID 26-G-2195, US Coast Guard photo # 2195 by Sturges.	David Upton
1016006617	311k	USS LST-66 unloading a diesel-powered shovel during the Hollandia operation in April 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205585022, Local ID 26-G-2197, US Coast Guard photo # 2197 by Sturges.	David Upton
1016006618 NA 205585016	412k	Prayer service aboard USS LST-66 during the Hollandia operation in April 1944. Note: someone probably from New York City has painted the familiar "BMT Downtown" and "IRT Uptown" subway signs at the hatchway entrances US National Archives Identifier 205585016, Local ID 26-G-2188, US Coast Guard photo # 2188 and US National Archives Identifier 205585013, Local ID 26-G-2186, US Coast Guard photo # 2186 by Sturges.	David Upton
1016006619 NA 205585013	292k		David Upton
1016006620	544k	USS LST-66 underway during the Hollandia Operation. 23 April 1944. The LST in the background is laying a smoke screen before the landings. US National Archives Identifier 205585001, Local ID 26-G-2187, US Coast Guard photo # 2187 by Sturges.	David Upton
1016006621	296k	During the Hollandia operation in April 1944 four USS LST-66 Coast Guardsmen display a Japanese battle flag - their souvenir from a previous invasion in the South Pacific. The three Japanese flags painted on the bulkhead, testify to three enemy planes shot down by the *LST-66's gunners. Left to right: Cleo E. Kidd, CM/3c, Elmer Litchfield, GM/3c, Noble A. Hardee, CM/3c and Winston S. Bourgeois, S1/c. US National Archives Identifier 205584980*, Local ID 26-G-2189, US Coast Guard photo # 2189 by Sturges.	David Upton
1016006622	327k	A Signalman sends a blinker signal from USS LST-66 to USS LST-270 during the Hollandia operation in April 1944 US National Archives Identifier 205585004, Local ID 26-G-2216, US Coast Guard photo # 2216 by Sturges.	David Upton
1016006612	273k	An ambulance maneuvers into position to receive wounded Americans from USS LST-66, participating in the fighting at Noemfoor in the Southwest Pacific, circa July -August 1944 US National Archives 205586191 Local Identifier 26-G-2641, US Coast Guard photo # 2641	David Upton
1016006609	169k	USS LST-66 launching tanks during the Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July, 2, and 4 to 10 August 1944. These tanks are being launched off of Middleburg Island. Photograph is believed to be at the beginning of the operations.	Personal collection of Jeffrey Baird
1016006610	364k	USS LST-66 unloading troops and supplies during the Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July, 2, and 4 to 10 August 1944. She is in Slot 8 (right) at Red Beach, which was at Mar. Photograph is believed to be at the beginning of the operations.	Personal collection of Jeffrey Baird
	87k	USS LST-66, far right and USS LST-67 disembark M4 Sherman tanks and other vehicles during the Western New Guinea operation, Invasion of Noemfoor Island in July 1944. US Coast Guard photo No. 2642 from the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.	Don Leal USS LST 67 & USS LST 19
	79k	From left to right USS LST-67, USS LST-66, USS LST-18, USS LST-245, and USS LST-202 landing troops and material, on the beach at Leyte, P.I., D-Day 20 October 1944. from the US Coast Guard Magazine "The Coast Guard and the Pacific War".	Don Leal USS LST 67 & USS LST 19
	17k	USS LST-66 on the beach during the invasion of Leyte	Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
	19k	USS LST-66 on the beach at Leyte loading battle casualties	Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
	19k	USS LST-66 approaching the beach during the invasion of Zamboanga, circa March-July 1945	Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
1016006613	680k	USS LST-66 landing at Balikpapan, Borneo in July 1945. US National Archives Identified 205584136 Local Identifier 26-G-4741, US Coast Guard photo # 4741	David Upton
	43k	Water color of USS LST-66 beached artist, location and date unknown.	Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
	88k	USS LST-66 at anchor in San Francisco Bay, circa 1945-46. US Navy photo # NH 82165-A from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of J.A. Casoly.	Mike Green

USS LST-66
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. White, Howard E., USCGR	12 April 1943 - January 1944
02	LTjg. McGowan, William H., USCG	January 1944 - 1 November 1944
03	LTjg. Reed, B. C., USCG	1 November 1944 - 1945
04	LT. Holbert, Wendell J., USCG	1945 - 15 September 1945
05	LT. Wagley, George Z., USCG	15 September 1945 - 28 September 1945
06	LT. Howard, Kenneth P., USCGR	28 September 1945 - 26 March 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS LST-66 Stories
History of LST Flotilla Seven
The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 20 August 2021