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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS T-LST-643
ex
 USS LST-643 (1944 - 1952)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Hotel - Zulu
 NFHZ
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 (2)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 10 June 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 12 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-643, 2 October 1944, LT. Erwin 'Erv' Windward, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-643 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and for the Okinawa Gunto Campaign further assigned to:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-One
     LST Group Nine CDR. S.A. Lief and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 25 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 10 April 1945

  • Following World War II, USS LST-643 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East 22 December 1945 to 18 January 1946
  • Decommissioned, 18 January 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q018
  • Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 31 March 1952, and placed in service USNS T-LST-643
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 15 June 1973
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 17 September 1973
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 September 1973, to S. S. Zee, Inc., Taipei, Taiwan
  • USS LST-643 earned two battle stars 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 Source
    USS LST-643
    LST-643 794k USS LST-643 launching, 10 June 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL. Bill McClellan and Ken and Cheryl Nail, to honor their grandfather John B. "Spike" Nail USS LST-643
    LST-643 866k
    LST-643 118k USS LST-643 beached at Leyte, Philippines, loading Marine LVTs for the Iwo Jima invasion, circa early-February 1945. Note LCT 1333 loaded on the deck of the unidentified LST in the background. Rolfe Windward for his father LT Erwin "Erv" Windward USNR, CO USS LST-643
    LST-643 132k USS LST-643 beached at Leyte, Philippines while loading ammunition for the Okinawa invasion, circa late-May 1945, Note LCT 1241 loaded on the deck of the unidentified LST in the background. Rolfe Windward for his father LT Erwin "Erv" Windward USNR, CO USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 91k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 approaching USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379466, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed to honor her father-in-law Dallas Dwain Reed CM2/c USNR SV-6 USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 98k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 entering USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379467, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed to honor her father-in-law Dallas Dwain Reed CM2/c USNR SV-6 USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 112k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 in the forward end of USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379468, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed to honor her father-in-law Dallas Dwain Reed CM2/c USNR SV-6 USS LST-643
    USNS T-LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 184k USNS T-LST-643 and USS Washoe County (LST-759 beached at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, circa 1966 Rich Krebs USS USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
    USS LST-643 / USNS T-LST-643
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Windward, Erwin 'Erv', USNR2 October 1944 - 29 October 1945
    02LT. Minahan, Roger Copp, USNR29 October 1945 - 18 January 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 Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Commander LST Group Nine (CTU 55.3.5), Letter of Commendation recommendation for LT. Erwin Windward, USNR
    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 18 December 2020