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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-223
ex
 USS LST-223 (1943 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Charlie - Lima
 NQCL
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 (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)

USS LST-223 was transferred to the Republic of France, named RFS Rance (L9004)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 31 March 1943, at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 24 August 1943
  • Accepted by the US Navy and placed in reduced commission for transit to New Orleans, LT. Jacobson (Ferry Command) in command
  • Commissioned USS LST 223, 17 September 1943, LT. Thomas S. Moulton, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-223 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater:
    LST Flotilla Fourteen, CAPT. E. E Seay USN (24);
     LST Group Forty-Two, CDR. G. E. Artz USN (34);
     LST Division Eighty-Four and participated in the:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 24 June 1944
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October and 19 to 29 November 1944     		 

  • Redesignated USS LST(H)-223, Landing Ship Tank, Hospital 15 September 1945
  • Following World War II USS LST-223 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 22 September to 21 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 1 May 1946
  • Transferred, 13 March 1947 to the State Department for disposal
  • Struck from the Naval Register, dates unknown
  • USS LST-223 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to France by the State Department in 1948, named RFS Rance (K04)
  • Decommissioned by the French Navy, 8 March 1961
  • Final Disposition, scrapped, date unknown
    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
    USS LST-223
    LST-223
    1016022319    		 315k LSTs including USS LST-223 and USS LST-126 beached on Leyte Island, P.I., September- October 1944.
    COM PHIB GR 3 "Report of Participation in Amphibious Ops the Capture of Leyte Is, Philippines, 9/15//44-10/23/44 page 106.    		 David Upton
    LST-126
    1016012602    		 546k Overhead view of from left to right; an LCT (Mark 5), an unidentified LST, USS LST-223 and USS LST-126 beached at Leyte in October 1944.
    US National Archives Identifier 80664694 page 8, US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 254863    		 Robert Hurst and David Upton
    LST-223 30k USS LST-223 underway, date and location unknown. LST Home Port web site
    LST-223 241k USS LST-223 beached, probably in the Philippines, date and location unknown. Elisa Johnson in honor of her Grandfather, William Foster LST-223
    RFS Rance (L9004)
    LST-223 34k RFS Rance (L9004) insignia badge Submitted by André Pilon Quartermaster (signalman) RFS Golo
    LST-223
    1016022318    		 148k RFS Rance (K04) underway near Toulon, France in 1948 Jacques Durel
    LST-223 99k US Navy band and Gisha dancers greet RFS Rance (L9004) as she arrives at Yokosuka, Japan in 1951. Note CVE in the background along with three LCTs. Submitted by André Pilon Quartermaster (signalman) RFS Golo Courtesy Quartermaster (radio) Guillevic RFS Rance
    LST-223 82k RFS Rance (L9004) sailors and American GIs in Yokosuka, Japan in 1951. Submitted by André Pilon Quartermaster (signalman) RFS Golo Courtesy Quartermaster (radio) Guillevic RFS Rance
    LST-223
    1016022313    		 213k RFS Rance (K04) underway on the Saigon River, circa early-1950s. Jacques Durel
    LST-223
    1016022314    		 594k RFS Rance (L9004) beached at Giai Phong, Indochina in 1955 Jacques Durel
    LST-223
    1016022315    		 286k
    LST-223
    1016022316    		 401k
    LST-223 81k RFS Rance (L9004) crew members at Casablanca, Morocco in 1956. Photo by Marcel Picard, matelot mecanician, RFS Vire submitted by André Pilon RFS Golo
    LST-223 176k RFS Rance (L9004) beached at the Suez Canal, 8 November 1956 during the Suez War. Submitted by André Pilon Quartermaster (signalman) RFS Golo, courtesy QM secretary Cormoran RFS Rance
    LST-223 59k Maneuvering one of RFS Rance (L9004)'s small craft in front of the open bow doors while at Casablanca, Morocco in 1956. Photo by Marcel Picard, matelot mecanician, RFS Vire submitted by André Pilon RFS Golo
    LST-223
    1016022317    		 276k RFS Rance (L9004) moored with RFS LCH-9055 at Cyprus, 22 December 1956 Jacques Durel
    LST-223 41k RFS Rance (L9004) at Nemours, Algeria, circa 1959. J. Laborde QM radio RFS Rance
    LST-223 35k
    LST-223 38k RFS Rance (L-9004) in front of Mers-el-Kebir ( near Oran, Algéria), circa 1959. J. Laborde QM radio RFS Rance
    LST-223 33k RFS Rance (L9004) anchored off the coast of Algeria, circa 1960. Submitted by André Pilon Quartermaster (signalman) RFS Golo Courtesy Loic Pairel
    USS LST-223
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
     LT. Jacobson (Ferry Command)8 September 1943 - 17 September 1943
    01LT. Moulton, Thomas S., USNR17 September 1943 - 26 August 1944
    02LTjg. Sullivan, James T., USNR26 August 1944 - 17 November 1944
    03LTjg. Clayton, John H., USNR17 November 1944 - December 1945
    04LTjg. Modlin, Charles Reed, USNDecember 1945 - 1 May 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
    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.
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    Last Updated 9 February 2024