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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

IX-511
ex
 USNS T-LST-399 (1945-1948)
 USS LST-399 (1943 - 1945)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima)
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 September 1942, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 23 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-399, 4 January 1943, LT. George F. Baker, USN, in command
  • During World War II LST-399 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. J.R. Clark, USN
     LST Group Fifteen, CDR. V.K. Busck, USN
     LST Division Twenty-Nine and participated in the Following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 21 July 1943
    Vella Lavella occupation, 15 and 26 August 1943     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 25 February 1945
    Treasury Island-Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landing, 27 October and 6 November 1943     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 14 April 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 28 July 1944     		 

  • Following World War II LST-399 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 1 October 1945 to 8 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 8 December 1945 and transferred to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q088
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 31 March 1952 and placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS T-LST-399
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1973
  • Reinstated on the Naval Register, date unknown Unclassified Miscellaneous IX-511
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 June 1985
  • USS LST-399 earned five battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, to be disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, presumed sunk
    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
    USS LST-399
    LST-399 75k USS LST-399 beached and loading cargo at Mono Island, Treasury Islands, Central Solomon Islands, 27 October 1943 Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-399 54k USS LST-399 during heavy bombardment by Allied forces while landing off Mono Island, Treasury Islands, Central Solomons, 27 October 1943 Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-399 58k USS LST-399 preparing to beach at Mono Island, Treasury Islands, Central Solomons, 27 October 1943. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-399 78k USS LST-399 beached in the Solomon Islands in 1943. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-588 73k USS LST-588, USS LST-399, USS LST-390, LCT-1326 and other amphibious ships and landing craft on the beach at Iwo Jima, February 1945. Note: Mount Suribachi in the background. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LST-399 107k USS LST-399 and USS LSM-453 beached at Okinawa after that island had been secured, circa 1945. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    USNS T-LST-399
    LST-399 508k USNS T-LST-399 underway, probably near Korea, circa 1950.
    US Air Force photo.    		 James Swank
    USS LST-399
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Baker, George F., USN4 January 1943 - October 1943
    02LT. Fabre, J. M., USNROctober 1943 - February 1944
    03LTjg. Wisenthal, Jerome M., USNRFebruary 1944 - 14 December 1944
    04LTjg. Dever, Francis J., USNR14 December 1944 - November 1945
    05LT. Baker, R., USNRNovember 1945 - 8 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
    LST Flotilla Five War Diary May 1944
    LST Flotilla Five War Diary July 1944
    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 by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 June 2023