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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-34


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Bravo - Bravo
 NGBB
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 (6)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 March 1943, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 15 June 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-34, 26 July 1943, LT. James J. Davis Jr., USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-34 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Sixteen, CAPT. N.W. Sears;
    LST Group Forty-Six, LCDR. J.R. Keeling USNR;
    LST Division Ninety-One and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation, 20 November to 5December 1943 Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October and 4 to 29 November 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 19 February to 2 March 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 18 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 24 June 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 to 18 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-34 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 26 March to 18 November 1946
  • Decommissioned, 1 December 1946 and transferred to Military Government, Ryukyus
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 December 1947
  • USS LST-34 earned six battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, ran aground in the Far East in January 1949, and her hulk was abandoned
    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-1
    1016003401    		 39k LST-34 launching at Dravo Corp's Neville Island Shipyard, Pittsburgh, PA., 15 June 1943.
    ©US LST Ship Memorial Inc.    		 Tommy Trampp
    USS LST-34
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Davis Jr., James J., USNR26 July 1943 - 12 August 1944
    02LT. Kane, John E., USNR12 August 1944 - September 1945
    03LTjg. Houghton, Alan B., USNRSeptember 1945 - June 1946
    04LTjg. Shellum, C. J., USNRJune 1946 - September 1946
    05LTjg. Asken, W., USNSeptember 1946 - 1 December 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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 8 January 2021