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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-68

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Lima - Lima
NPLL

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 (7)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

USS LST-68 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 7 September 1942, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.

Launched, 8 March 1943

Commissioned USS LST-68, 4 June 1943, LT Karl A. E. Lindquist USCG, in command

During World War II USS LST-68 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Seven;
LST Group Twenty-One;
LST Division Forty-One and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Bismarck-Archipelago operations Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 26 to 27 December 1943, 3 to 7, 11 to 14 January, 13 to 18 February 1944 Admiralty Islands landings, 4 to 8 March 1944	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 13 to 27 October and 5 to 18 November 1944
Eastern New Guinea operation Saidor occupation, 15 to 17, 19 to 21, 28 to 30 January, 17 to 19, 21 to 23, 25 to 28 February 1944	Luzon operations Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 18 January 1945
Hollandia operation Aitape Humboldt Bay-Tanahmerah Bay, 21 to 27 April 1944	Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines Visayan Island landings, 18 March 1945
Western New Guinea operations Biak Island operation, 9 to 15 June 1944 Noemfoor Island operation, 8 to 14 July 1944 Cape Sansapor operation, 20 to 26 August 1944 Morotai landings, 15 September 1944

Decommissioned, 7 March 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946

USS LST-68 earned seven battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 September 1947, to Southern Shipwrecking Co., New Orleans, LA.

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
1016006811	298k	USS LST-68 beached on a ramp while loading troops for the Cape Gloucester, New Britain, operation, circa December 1943 - February 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205584323, Local Identifier 26-G-3399, US Coast Guard photo 3399 by Hansen	David Upton
1016006808	523k	Coast Guard gunners aboard USS LST-68 stand by their gun, dubbed "Cobina", ready to follow the injunction painted on the gun shield to "lead'em" at the first sign of Japanese activity on the jungle-edged beach at Cape Gloucester, New Britain. *LST-68* participated in the invasion from December 1943 to February 1944. Note troops on shore US National Archives Identifier 205584334, Local Identifier 26-G-3069, US Coast Guard photo # 3069, by US Coast Guard photographer Hansen, 26 or 30 December 1943.	David Upton
1016006815	275k	USS LST-68 underway loaded with trucks and troops probably during the Cape Gloucester, New Britain Operations, circa December 1943- February 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205584305, Local Identifier 26-G-3072, US Coast Guard photo # 3072 by US Coast Guard photographer Dan Hansen.	David Upton
1016006810 NA 205584328	467k	USS LST-68 beached, probably, at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, circa December 1943 - February 1944, while unloading troops. US National Archives Identifier 205584328, Local Identifier 26-G-3406, US Coast Guard photo 3406 by Hansen US National Archives Identifier 205584317, Local Identifier 26-G-3398, US Coast Guard photo 3398 by Hansen	David Upton
1016006813 NA 205584317	430k		David Upton
1016006814	263k	Stretcher bearers and USS LST-68 crew members bring wounded soldiers aboard during in a heavy down-pour of rain at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, circa 26-30 December 1943. US National Archives Identifier 205584311, Local Identifier 26-G-3095, US Coast Guard photo # 3095 by US Coast Guard photographer Dan Hansen.	David Upton
1016006809 NA 205584331	265k	Japanese Prisoners of War being transported aboard USS LST-68 to a base camp help U.S. Coast Guard sailors scrub down the deck, circa December 1943 to February 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205584331, Local ID 26-G-3205, US Coast Guard photo # 3205, by US Coast Guard photographer Hansen and US National Archives Identifier 205584314. Local Identifier 26-G-3089, US Coast Guard photo 3089 by Hansen	David Upton
1016006812 NA 205584314.	494k		David Upton
1016006816	354k	USS LST-68 loaded with all things needed to support the Army units during the Cape Gloucester, New Britain Operations, circa December 1943- February 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205584240, Local Identifier 26-G-3200, US Coast Guard photo # 3200 by US Coast Guard photographer Dan Hansen.	David Upton
1016006801	569k	USS LST-68 beached at Cape Gloucester on New Britain Island after a tropical rain had transformed the shore into a quagmire. Trucks rolled down the ramp to struggle through the slime. Mud seems to be linked with war - even in the palmy South Seas. Note the torpedo boats alongside, Circa December 1943-February 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205584234, Local Identifier 26-G-3397, US Coast Guard photo # 3397 by US Coast Guard photographer Dan Hansen.	Don Leal USS LST-19 and USS LST 67 and David Upton
	154k	USS LST-68 beached at Oro Bay, New Guinea, 8 January 1944, while US Marine casualties returning from the Cape Gloucester, New Britain battle zone are being assisted into waiting ambulances. US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 186801, 17 May 1944 by T/SGT Jack L. Pfeiffer.	Dave Kerr
1016006817	525k	USS LST-68 beached while unloading trucks at Cape Sansapor on the western end of Dutch New Guinea, July-August 1944. US National Archives Identifier 205586826, Local Identifier 26-G-2643, US Coast Guard photo # 2643.	David Upton
	150k	USS LST-68 beached at Saipan, date unknown.	Stan Gardinich for his father Nick Gardinich SM1/c USNR USS LST-68
	49k	USS LST-68 loads troops from another amphibious craft while riding at anchor, date and location unknown. Caption accompanying this photo reads: "LSM brings out Major General Siebert's troop to LST 68, at anchor."	Tommy Trampp
1016006806 NA 205585663	455k	Sometime prior to 14 February 1945, USS LST-68 leads USS LST-18 as the invasion armada moves on Luzon. From the fantail of USS LST-168, the sea might of American presents a skyline of ships, as the U.S. task force steams into Lingayen Gulf to strike at the beaches of Luzon. Close in the wake of the LST's, riding low with heavy cargoes of supplies on the horizon are transports and more LSTs moving forward under a leaden sky." US National Archives Identifier 205585663, Local Identifier 26-G-3896, US Coast Guard # 26-G-3896 and US National Archives Identifier 205585654, Local Identifier 26-G-3891, US Coast Guard # 26-G-3891	David Upton
1016006807 NA 205585654	401k		David Upton
	122k	US Army 40th Infantry Division troops wade ashore from USS LST-68 at Panay Island, Philippines, date unknown. US Army Signal Corps photo.	Tommy Trampp

USS LST-68
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
	LT. Rogers, John Walton, USN (Ferry Command)	May 1943 - 26 May 1943	Ferry Command
01	LT. Lindquist, Karl A. E., USCG	26 May 1943 - 1944
02	LTjg. Poaler, Thomas E., USCG	1944 - 1945
03	LT. Raphaelian, G. A., USCGR	1945 - December 1945
04	LT. Gray, Julian L., USCG	December 1945 - 7 March 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
History of LST Flotilla Seven
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

Last Updated 27 August 2021