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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-843


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Delta - India
 NIDI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS LST-843 was transferred to the Philippines and named BPR Bulacan
542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 13 October 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 29 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-843, 23 December 1944, LT. Vern W. Tracy, USN, in command
  • During World War II LST-843 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (22);
     LST Group Ninety-One, CDR. Jesse Hogan Motes Jr. USN (31);
     LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Two and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 18 April to 29 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-843 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    9 September to 26 October 1945 
    30 July 1946 to 11 February 1947 
    26 March to 2 December 194726 March to 2 December 1947

  • Decommissioned, 18 December 1947 and transferred to the Philippines and named BPR Bulacan
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 22 January 1948
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-843 earned one battle star 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 Contributed
    By
    LST-796 85k From front to back; USS LST-796, USS LST-794, USS LST-843, unidentified LST, and USS LST-1030 beached, date and location unknown while disembarking troops. .
    USS LST-843
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Tracy, Vern Willard, USN23 December 1944 - December 1945
    02LT. Gilliam, Lawrence N., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    03LT. Mitchell, G. W., USNMarch 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 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 22 May 2015