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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-944


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Tango - Zulu
NVTZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal


542-Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 11 August 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.
  • Launched, 3 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-944, 4 October 1944, LT. Joseph H. Floyd USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-944 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-Five, CAPT. H. E. Richter USN (24);
    LST Group Seventy-Three, CDR. L. D. York USNR;
    LST Division One Hundred Forty-Six and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 20 to 28 February 1945
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 17 April to 7 June 1945
  • Decommissioned, 9 December 1945
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 January 1946
  • USS LST-944 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold to the Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD., 26 September 1947, for scrapping
    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-944
    1016094402
    402k from left to right; USS LST-944, USS LST-477 and USS LST-795 moored Naval Station Pearl Harbor between 8 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 undergoing training during the build up for Operation Detachment, the Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima in February 1945.
    TimeLife_Image_115948783, by W. Eugene Smith. For personal non-commercial use only.
    David Upton
    LST-724
    1016072407
    350k from left to right; LCT-1245, USS LST-724, USS LST-944, USS LST-477 and USS LST-795 moored Naval Station Pearl Harbor between 8 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 undergoing training during the build up for Operation Detachment, the Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima in February 1945.
    TimeLife_Image_115948775, by W. Eugene Smith. For personal non-commercial use only.
    David Upton
    LST-609
    1016060901
    TL 115948783
    2336k Six LSTs loading for their next combat operation moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, between 8 December 1944 and 22 January 1945. From left to right;
    USS LST-609, with an LCT loaded on her main deck (Manila Bay-Bicol operations)
    USS LST-790,with an LCT loaded on her main deck (Invasion of Iwo Jima)
    USS LST-641, with LCT(6)-1300 loaded on her main deck (Invasion of Iwo Jima)
    USS LST-944, (Invasion of Iwo Jima)
    USS LST-84, (Invasion of Iwo Jima) and
    USS LST-648, with LCT(6)-1404 loaded on her main deck (Invasion of Iwo Jima) and with an LCI alongside.
    TimeLife_Image_115948783, 11548889 and 115948888, by W. Eugene Smith. For personal non-commercial use only.
    David Upton
    LST-609
    1016060902
    TL 11548889
    2219k
    LST-609
    1016060903
    TL 115948888.
    533k
    Zuni 29k USS LST-944 beached on Yellow Beach at Iwo Jima, 23 March 1945. USS Zuni (ATF-95) is alongside assisting USS LST-944 in holding her position on the beach. USS LST-944 had either one of both of her engines out of commission at the time. The Tamaroa Maritime Foundation
    LST-819 327k Ten LSTs moored at the Yonabaru Pier, Okinawa, 23 July 1945. From right to left:

    USS LST-819,
    USS LST-879,
    USS LST-681,
    USS LST-926,
    USS LST-944,
    ?
    USS LST-715,
    USS LST-918,
    USS LST-871,
    ?
    ?
    US Navy photo 21st USNCB Neg. No. 204.
    Donn Cuson
    LST-820
    1016082012
    98k Nine LSTs including (from left to right) USS LST-820, USS LST-926, USS LST-944 and USS LST-931 moored at Okinawa in 1945.
    FLICKR photoliberian
    John Spivey

    USS LST-944
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Floyd, Joseph Harry, USNR4 December 1944 - September 1945
    02LTjg. Ritter, Byron Eugene, USNRSeptember 1945 - 9 December 1945
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 5 May 2024