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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-681


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Mike - Echo
 NFME
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 Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 10 May 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 1 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-681, 25 July 1944, Ltjg. Louis J. J. Spengler USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-681 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayan Gulf landings, 9 January 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 April to 7 June 1945

  • Following service in the Southwest Pacific Area USS LST-681 was assigned to:
    LST Flotilla Six, CAPT. Laidlaw;
     LST Group Seventeen, CAPT. E. Watts USN;
     LST Division Thirty-four
  • Following World War II USS LST-681 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 25 October 1945 to 12 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 6 September 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 October 1946
  • USS LST-681 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 9 October 1947, to Mr. William E. Skinner
    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-127/681 32k USS LST-681 and USS LST-127 unload on the beach at Lingayen Gulf in January 1945.  
    LST-819 327k Ten LSTs moored at the Yonabaru Pier, Okinawa, 23 July 1945. From right to left:

    USS LST-819,
    USS LST-879,
    USS LST-681,
    USS LST-926,
    USS LST-944,
    ?
    USS LST-715,
    USS LST-918,
    USS LST-871,
    ?
    ?
    US Navy photo 21st USNCB Neg. No. 204.    		 Donn Cuson
    LST-681
    1016068102    		 158k Homeward bound USS LST-681 passing under the Golden Gate Bridge as she enters San Francisco Bay with LCT(6)-1425 loaded on her main deck. circa July 1946. Note the homeward bound pennant.
    Vellejo Naval and Historical Museum - US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 79089.    		 Darryl Baker
    USS LST-681
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Spengler, Louis J. J., USNR25 July 1944 - 28 August 1945
    02LT. Daffron, John F., USNR28 August 1945 - 12 January 1946
    03LTjg. Deidrick, Elgin G., USNR12 January 1946 - 6 September 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
    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 20 September 2024