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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-243
ex
 USS LST-243 (1943 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Bravo - Xray
 NHBX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 26 April 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 9 July 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-243, 9 August 1943, LT. Floyd H, Blaske, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-243 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirteen, CAPT. J.G. Sampson USN (22);
    LST Group Thirty-Eight, LCDR. M.F. Stiling USNR;
    LST Division Seventy-Six and participated in the following operations:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation, 20 November to 5 December 1943 Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September 14 October 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January 8 February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 9 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 25 July 1944     		 

  • Redesignated Landing Ship Tank (Hospital) LST(H)-243, 15 September 1945
  • Following World War II USS LST(H)-243 performed occupation duty in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 9 January 1946
  • Decommissioned, 9 January 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) redesignated Q006
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 17 July 1947
  • USS LST-243 earned five battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 April 1948, to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y.
    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
    LST-243 227k USS LST-243 beached with an unidentified LST, date and location unknown. Joe Caserta for his father Anthony J. Caserta; RM/1c USS LST-243
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Blaske, Floyd H., USNR9 August 1943 - 9 April 1945
    02LT. Cutts, Robert, USNR9 April 1945 - June 1945
    03LTjg. Taylor, W. H., USNR (acting CO)June 1945 - 4 July 1945
    04LT. Stiller, Ernest W., USNR4 July 1945 - 23 November 1945
    05LTjg. Canfield, Charles E., USNR23 November 1945 - 9 January 1946
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    For more photos and information about USS LST-243 see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • History of LST Flotilla Seven
  • Western Caroline Islands Attack Landing Order
  • Beach White Peleliu - CTF 32 Operation Plan A501-44 Appendix 4 to Annex "D"
  • LST-243 Cruise Log of Anthony Caserta RM/1c
  • 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 25 June 2021