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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS T-LST-488
ex
 USS LST(H)-488 (1945 - 1946)
 USS LST-488 (1943 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Alpha - Sierra
 NHAS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

USS LST-488 was transferred to the Philippines and named BPR Suriago Del Norte (LT-94)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 January 1943, at Kaiser, Inc., Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 5 March 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-488, 24 May 1943, LTjg. Jessie M. MacKey, USN, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-488 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. G.B. Carter, USN;
     LST Group Fifteen, CDR. V. K. Busck, USN;
     LST Division Twenty-Nine and
     LST Flotilla Three, CDR. A. A. Ageton USN;
     LST Group Seven, LCDR. E. B. Garrigures;
     LST Division Thirteen and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Treasury-Bougainville operation
    Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 6 and 17 November 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 28 July 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 15 January 1945

  • Redesignated Landing Ship Tank (Hospital) LST(H)-488, 15 September 1945
  • Following World War II USS LST-488(H) was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    17 to 29 October 1945
    12 November to 2 December 1945
    3 to11 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 11 January 1946 and transferred to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority (SCAJAP), redesignated Q009
  • Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service, 12 March 1952 and placed in service as USNS T-LST-488
  • Transferred, on lease, to the Philippines, 15 July 1972, named BPR Suriago Del Norte (LT-94)
  • Sold outright to the Philippines, 5 March 1980
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LST-488 earned four battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, fate 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 Source
    LST-353 188k Reinforcements wade ashore from USS LST-353 on the shores of Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, 6 November 1943. Also present are USS LST-488 and USS LST-70. Note barrage balloons overhead.
    US National Archives Catalog # 80-G-202485 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LST-353
    1016035304    		 226k Four LSTs; USS LST-353, USS LST-488, and two unidentified LST lined up along the beach while unloading heavy equipment at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 17 November 1943.
    US National Archives Identifier 193852929, US Army Air Corps photo # 67339A.C. now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-353
    1016035306    		 263k Anti-aircraft gunners ashore and aboard the ships are at the ready as USS LST-488 and USS LST-353, and one unidentified LST lined unload heavy equipment at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 17 November 1943.
    US National Archives Identifier 193852167, US Army Air Corps photo # 67341A.C. now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-488 154k USS LST-488 beached at Bougainville, British Solomon Island, 28 November 1943.
    US Navy photos from the US Navy Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA.    		 John Ratomski for his father John Joseph Ratomski S1c 6th Special Naval Construction Battalion
    LST-488 1173k USS LST-488 under way, date and location unknown. Marvin D Shumway USS LST-488
    USS LST-488
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. MacKey, Jesse M., USN24 May 1943 - 26 April 1944
    02LTjg. Scott, Glenn E., USNR26 April 1944 - May 1945
    03LT. Lewis, M. V., USNRMay 1945 - 11 January.1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    For more photos and information about USS LST-488 see;
  • LST Flotilla Five War Diary May 1944
  • LST Flotilla Five War Diary July 1944
  • USS LST-488 War Diary, 1 to 30 June 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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 9 June 2023