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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-707


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Romeo - Echo
 NFRE
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 (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 1 May 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 16 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-707, 13 July 1944, LT. William P. Trefny Jr. USNR, in command
  • Ship's Officers:
    Executive LT. V.N. Jamison
    Communication ENS. R.H. Dorazio
    First Lieutenant LTjg. W.P Randle
    Gunnery LTjg. R.L. Otte
    Supply LTjg. D.J. Ferretti
    Medical LTjg. W. Leon
    Engineering LTjg H.J. Bowman
    Navigator LTjg. J.M. Koepper
    Assistant Communication LTjg. W.D.E. Jantzen
    Assistant First Lieutenant LTjg. W.L. Kellick
  • During World War II USS LST-707 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 5 to 18 November 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operation
    Zambales-Subic Bay operation 29 to 30 January 1945
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings 4 to 18 January 1945     		Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings 17 to 23 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-707 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 9 September to 23 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 28 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 May 1948, to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA.
  • USS LST-707 earned four 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.
    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
    9 officers, 120 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    14 officers, 131 enlisted
    Boats 6 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
    LST-707 1836k USS LST-707 preparing to unload at Mindoro, Philippine Islands in April 1945. Mike Cerreta for his father Ronald W. Cerreta USS LST-707
    LST-707 90k USS LST-707 at anchor in Manila Bay, date unknown. The sharks teeth were painted by Ronald W. Cerreta USS LST-707 Floyd Courtade USS LST-707 courtesy Arthur G. Hunziker USS LST-707
    LST-707 2580k USS LST-707 beached, date and location unknown. Mike Cerreta for his father Ronald W. Cerreta USS LST-707
    LST-707 424k Partial USS LST-707 crew photo:
    Top Row (Standing l to r): F. Kristiansen, Bill Kurtzweil
    Second Row (l to r): Millard Snyder, Norman Satterthwaite, Al Yeager, ?, Kinsey, Edward Gregg
    Kneeling (l to r): Dale Sanders, Melvin Vinson, Ronald W. Cerreta, John Rabideau    		 Mike Cerreta for his father Ronald W. Cerreta USS LST-707
    LST-707 674k USS LST-707 passing under the Golden Bridge at San Francisco in early 1946 after completing her service in the Pacific. Robert Read for his father Carl R. "Bob" Read USS LST-707
    USS LST-707
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Trefny Jr., William P., USNR13 July 1944 - 11 December 1945
    02LTjg. Randle, Wyndell P., USNR11 December 1945 - 23 April 1946
    03LTjg. Jantzen, William E. D., USNR23 April 1946 - 28 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 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 20 March 2015