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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-709


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Romeo - Kilo
 NFRK
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 (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
  • Laid down, 18 May 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 24 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-709, 21 July 1944, LTjg. George P. Cruikshank USNR, in command
  • During World War II, USS LST-709 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 10 to 21 November 1944     		Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Palawan Island landings, 12 to 14 January 1945
    Visayan Island landings, 26 March and 3 April 1945
    Borneo operation
    Brunei Bay operations, 10 to 12 and 27 to 28 June 1945     		 

  • Following World War II USS LST-709 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    12 September to 25 October1945
    14 to 23 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 3 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1946
  • USS LST-709 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final disposition, sold to Consolidated Builders, Inc., of Seattle, WA., 19 June 1948 and subsequently scrapped
    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 Contributed
    By
    LST-709 123k USS LST-709 entering San Francisco Bay following completion of service in the Far East, 1946. Leroy "Bud" Slovick
    USS LST-709
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Cruikshank, George P., USNR 21 July 1944 - 21 April 1945
    02LT. Jamieson, Van Ness, USNR 21 April 1945 - 31 October 1945
    03LTjg. Force, Frank J., USNR 31 October 1945 - April 1946
    04LTjg. Braster, William Albert, USNR April 1946 - 3 July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    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 Homeport
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 20 March 2015