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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-203

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

USS LST-203 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 2 July 1942, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.;
  • Launched, 25 March 1943;
  • Commissioned USS LST-203, 22 April 1943, LT. Fred W. Nirschel, USCG, in command
  • Lost due to grounding - The ship ran aground. 1 October 1943, near Noumea in the Ellice Islands and was declared a total loss; [According to Lt. Gordon Miniclier, USCG, a crew member, LST 203 was being unloaded at Noumea in the Ellice Islands, when she punctured her forward tanks on the coral reef where she beached. She was unable to use her rear anchor to retract from the beach because of the water depth, while on the beach a storm caused her to broach-to.]
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 6 March 1944.
    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
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    There are no images of USS LST-203 available at NavSource
    USS LST-203
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Nirschel, Fred W., USCG29 April 1943 - 1 October 1943 (grounded)
    Courtesy US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To the Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index

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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 May 2014