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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-274


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Tango - Yankee
 NWTY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 March 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 15 August 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-274, 28 September 1943, LT. Russell E. Sard, Jr., USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-274 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. J.R. Clark;
    LST Group Fourteen, LCDR. K.L. DeForest USNR;
    LST Division Twenty-Eight and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January 8 February 1944     		Marianas operations
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 17 June to 3 July 1944

  • Decommissioned, 6 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 June 1947
  • Sold to Alexander Shipyard, Inc., New Orleans, LA., for conversion to commercial service, 29 June 1948
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-274 earned two battle stars for World War II service
    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-274
    1016027401    		 287k Members of the US Army 804th Engineer Aviation Battalion board LSTs, including USS LST-274 and USS LST-277, at Pearl Harbor, T.H., 27 May 1944 prior to departure for the Marianas.
    US National Archives Identifier 193835249, US Army Air Corps photo A63574A now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-274
    1016027402    		 264k USS LST-274 with LCT-982 loaded on her main deck with USS LST-119 to starboard at anchor in Kwajalein Harbor, Marshall Islands, 8 June 1944. Both LSTs are enroute to Saipan, Marianas Islands
    Ref. LST-274 and LST-119 War Diaries, National Archives.
    US National Archives Identifier 204980917, Local Identifier 342-FH-3A41903-63648AC, US Army Air Corps photo A63648A now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 David Upton
    LCT-982
    1018098203    		 266k USS LST-274 with LCT(6)-982 onboard in June 1944 while underway enroute to the Marianas Islands.
    Ref. COM LCT GR 38 5/1/44-9/30/44 war diary or LST-274 6/1-30/44 war diary National Archives.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 204976493, Local Identifer 342-FH-3A40334-63650AC, U.S. Air Army Air Corps photo # 63650AC    		 David Upton
    LST-274
    1016027403    		 156k USS LST-274 offloading equipment and supplies, 20 June 1944 at Saipan.
    Frame image taken from a short film named "Saipan Island Aslito Airfield and Astolap Airfield" National Archives ID 4157. Local ID 188-CS-1790.    		 David Upton
    LST-205 111k USS LST-205 and USS LST-274 beached at Saipan, circa 17 June to 3 July 1944. Tommy Trampp
    USS LST-274
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Sard Jr., Russell E., USNR28 September 1943 - 9 October 1944
    02LT. Price, William M., USNR9 October 1944 - November 1945
    03LTjg. Borre Jr., George J., USNRNovember 1945 - March 1946
    04LTjg. Sperline, Meredith E., USNRMarch 1946 - 6 May 1946
    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
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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 12 August 2022