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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-44


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Oscar - Papa
 NPOP
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - (Normandy 1944)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 July 1943, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 11 September 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-44, 22 October 1943, LT. Claude O. Lowe, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-44 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • Following World War II USS LST-44 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    11 November 1945 to 20 February 194611 November 1945 to 20 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 20 February 1946, and turned over to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q068
  • Final Disposition, transferred to US Army custody, 1947, destroyed, 23 July 1947, cannibalized and scrapped
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1947
  • USS LST-44 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-44
    1016004403    		 210k USS LST-44 moored outboard of USS LST-283 at Plymouth, England, 20 March 1944. The Army tug alongside is ST-344, the derrick barge is unidentified.
    US National Archives photo # 111-SC-314377-380 a US Army Signal Corps photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.     		Lowell Silverman
    LST-44 36k USS LST-44 beached at Normandy, June 1944
    Note the doomed USS LST-493 in background    		 LST Home Port
    Web Site
    LST-44 103k USS LST-44 commissioning crew photo, 22 October 1943, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA. LST Home Port Web Site
    USS LST-44
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Lowe, Claude Olen, USNR22 October 1943 - 20 February 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
    SCAJAP - Shipping Control Authority, Japan
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To the Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 September 2021