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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-776


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Sierra - Mike
 NGSM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 7 May 1944, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 17 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-776, 20 July 1944, LT. Jefferson D. Copeland, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-776 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Three, CDR. A.A. Ageton USN (23);
     LST Group Nine, CDR. S.A. Life USNR;
     LST Division Eighteen and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 20 February to 1 March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and Occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 15 April 1945

  • Following the war, USS LST-776 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 20 September to 25 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 18 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • Sold for commercial operations, 17 January 1947, to Compania Naviera y Commercial Perez Compano, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-776 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
    LST-776
    1016077604     		41k USS LST-776 underway running trials off New Orleans, LA., in 1943. USS LST-776 is fitted with the Brodie launching and recovery system
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    LST-776
    1016077601    		 1411k USS LST-776 rigged with the Brodie System for operating observation aircraft.
    Photo taken from a Santa Ana based Blimp Squadron (ZP-31) Airship on 6 October 1944. off the coast of southern California.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-283548 and US National Archives Photo # 80-G-283548    		 David Buell
    LST-776
    1016077602    		 1251k
    LST-776 84k USS LST-776 underway fitted with the Brodie launching and recovery system for launching Marine Corps Piper OY-1s at Iwo Jima and US Army L-4 observation aircraft at Okinawa
    US Navy photo from "Aircraft Carriers" by Norman Polmar.    		 Robert Hurst
    LST-776
    1016077605     		58k USS LST-776 underway off Iwo Jima in 1943 fitted with the Brodie launching and recovery system.
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    USS LST-776
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Copeland, Jefferson D., USNR20 July 1944 - 11 December 1945
    02LTjg. Jimenez, Joseph W., USNR11 December 1945 - 18 March 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 Brodie System - Runway On A Rope
    Brodie System YouTube video
    Brodie Landing System
    The Saga of the Seasick US Army Piper Cubs on the Navy's Smallest Aircraft Carriers
    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 12 January 2024