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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-981


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Lima - Lima
 NTLL
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down , 9 December 1943, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 27 January 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-981, 11 March 1944, LT. Clyde A. Wilson, USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-981 was assigned first to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 29 May to 10 June 1945
  • While Assigned the the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-981 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Five, CAPT. D. H. Johnston USN (22);
     LST Group One Hundred Four, CDR. D. Stubbs USN (25);
     LST Division Two Hundred Eight
  • Following World War II USS LST-981 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    20 to 25 September 1945
    2 October to 1 November 1945
    18 November 1945 to 20 May 1946
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • USS LST-981 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 December 1947, to Salco Iron & Metal Co.
    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-981 212k USS LST-981 moored alongside another LST, date and location unknown. Sue Ellen Williams in honor of her father, Alfred G. Williams (1927-2007) S1/c USS LST-981
    LST-981 45k USS LST-981 moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy of George Breunig    		 Robert Hurst
    USS LST-981
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Wilson, Clyde Allen, USNR11 March 1944 - 2 January 1945
    02LT. Shaum, Jr., James Byron, USNR2 January 1945 - December 1945
    03LTjg. Pearlman, Bernard, USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    04LTjg. Withrow, Harry L., USNRMarch 1946 - 30 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 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 6 September 2019