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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-66


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Delta - Sierra
 NPDS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2) - 26 December 1943, 12 November 1944
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (8)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
Personnel Awards

Silver Star (Joseph Gerczak SM3/c, USCGR, posthumously); Bronze Star with "V" (Peter Chase PHM2/c; LCDR. Howard E. White; Robert Goldman PHM21/c) - Purple Hearts - (7-KIA 13-WIA)

During World War II USS LST-66 was manned by the US Coast Guard
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 14 August 1942, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 16 January 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-66, 12 April 1943, LT. Howard E. White, USCGR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-66 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Eleven
     LST Group Thirty-One
     LST Division Sixty-One and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 25 to 30 December 1943, 15 to 18 January
    28 January to 1 February, 7 to 10, 19 to 23, 26 to 29 February 1944
    Admiralty Islands landing, 11 February and 28 March to 1 April 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 to 27 October and 5 to 18 November 1944
    Eastern New Guinea operation
    Saidor occupation, 20 to 22 January and 12 to 14 February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 17 January 1945
    Hollandia operation
    Aitape Humboldt Bay-Tanah Merah Bay, 21 to 27 April 1944 and 1 to 7 May 1944     		Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines;
    Mindanao Island landings, 10 to 11 March 1945
    Western New Guinea operations
    Toem-Wakde-Sarmi area operation, 18 to 20 and 23 to 25 May 1944
    Biak Island operation, 6 to 20 and 12 to 16 June 1944
    Noemfoor Island operation, 2 to 7 and 9 to 14 July 1944
    Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July, 2, and 4 to 10 August 1944
    Morotai landings, 15 September 1944     		Borneo Operation
    Balikpapan operation, 3 to 7 July 1945

  • Decommissioned, 26 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • USS LST-66 earned eight battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 April 1948, to Kaiser Co., Inc., Seattle, WA.
    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-66 104k USS LST-66 disembarks troops during the invasion of Cape Gloucester, circa December 1943-February 1944.
    US Coast Guard photo # 3406 from the collections of the US Coast Guard's Historians Office.    		 Mike Green
    LST-66
    1016006614    		 301k Aboard USS LST-66 Coast Guardsman Rudolph Broker, coxswain, examines the hole pierced in an armored gun shield by a Japanese bomb fragment during an air attack, 25-27 December 1943 off Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The fragment wounded Broeker slightly, but he stuck to his gun post and helped knock out one of the attacking Japanese bombers. Two others were bagged by the Coast Guard gunners. Twice attacked by enemy aircraft, four near misses caused minor damage, with two killed and seven wounded. The ship's gunners shot down three enemy aircraft.
    US National Archives LST-66 War Diary, Identifier 78270636, Local Identifier 26-G-2112, US Coast Guard photo 2112 by Coast Guard photographer Halscher.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006615    		 256k USS LST-66 gunners shot down three Japanese bombers in the battle off Cape Gloucester, New Britain on 25-27 December 1943 and they are justly proud of their marksmanship. They call their LST the "Little Joe," in honor of a Coast Guard shipmate who was killed in that battle. Left to right; S1/c Cleo Kidd, Perkins, Oklahoma, RM2/c Kenneth Gundling, West New York, N.J. MMoM2/c Julio Pascuito, Hyde Park, Mass., and F1/c John Langston Newport, Arkansas.
    US National Archives Identifier 205584225, Local Identifier 26-G-2108, US Coast Guard photo # 2108 by Coast Guard Photographer Halscher.    		 David Upton
    LST-66 510k USS LST-66 disembarking troops while beached at Red Beach #2, Tanah Merah Bay, Dutch New Guinea (Hollandia Operation), 23 April, 1944.

    US National Archives Identifier 205584995, Local Identifier 26-G-2184, U.S. Coast Guard Photo # 2184. by Coast Guard photographer Struges     		David Upton and Mike Green
    LST-66
    1016006611    		 367k USS LST-66 steams into Tanah Merah Bay, Dutch New Guinea, 23 April 1944, maneuvering past USS Virgo (AKA-20) LST-66's deck is jammed to the rails with trucks, jeeps and other motorized equipment. As she steams in to the Bay American amphibious forces spring their smashing invasion of this strategic area. At the right is Virgo and in the distance other LSTs have hit the beach and dropped their ramps.
    Refs. USS LST-66, USS John Rodgers and USS Virgo War Diaries, National Archives 205585106 Local Identifier 26-G-218, US Coast Guard photo # 2185 by Sturgis    		 David Upton
    LST-262
    1016002601    		 358k USS LST-26, USS LST-22 and in the far distance USS LST-66 and USS LST-18 unloading on the beach at Tanah Merah Bay, Hollandia, Dutch East Indies, circa April-May 1944. Photo taken from USS Virgo (AKA-20)
    National Archives Identifier 205584998, Local Identifier 26-G-2301, US Coast Guard photo # 2301.    		 Keith D Lumsden and David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006616    		 572k USS LST-66 beached on Red Beach 2, Tanah Merah Bay, Dutch New Guinea, 23 April 1944.
    US National Archives Identifier 205585040, Local ID 26-G-2195, US Coast Guard photo # 2195 by Sturges.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006617    		 311k USS LST-66 unloading a diesel-powered shovel during the Hollandia operation in April 1944.
    US National Archives Identifier 205585022, Local ID 26-G-2197, US Coast Guard photo # 2197 by Sturges.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006618
    NA 205585016    		 412k Prayer service aboard USS LST-66 during the Hollandia operation in April 1944. Note: someone probably from New York City has painted the familiar "BMT Downtown" and "IRT Uptown" subway signs at the hatchway entrances
    US National Archives Identifier 205585016, Local ID 26-G-2188, US Coast Guard photo # 2188 and
    US National Archives Identifier 205585013, Local ID 26-G-2186, US Coast Guard photo # 2186 by Sturges.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006619
    NA 205585013    		 292k
    LST-66
    1016006620    		 544k USS LST-66 underway during the Hollandia Operation. 23 April 1944. The LST in the background is laying a smoke screen before the landings.
    US National Archives Identifier 205585001, Local ID 26-G-2187, US Coast Guard photo # 2187 by Sturges.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006621    		 296k During the Hollandia operation in April 1944 four USS LST-66 Coast Guardsmen display a Japanese battle flag - their souvenir from a previous invasion in the South Pacific. The three Japanese flags painted on the bulkhead, testify to three enemy planes shot down by the LST-66's gunners. Left to right: Cleo E. Kidd, CM/3c, Elmer Litchfield, GM/3c, Noble A. Hardee, CM/3c and Winston S. Bourgeois, S1/c.
    US National Archives Identifier 205584980, Local ID 26-G-2189, US Coast Guard photo # 2189 by Sturges.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006622    		 327k A Signalman sends a blinker signal from USS LST-66 to USS LST-270 during the Hollandia operation in April 1944
    US National Archives Identifier 205585004, Local ID 26-G-2216, US Coast Guard photo # 2216 by Sturges.    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006612    		 273k An ambulance maneuvers into position to receive wounded Americans from USS LST-66, participating in the fighting at Noemfoor in the Southwest Pacific, circa July -August 1944
    US National Archives 205586191 Local Identifier 26-G-2641, US Coast Guard photo # 2641    		 David Upton
    LST-66
    1016006609    		 169k USS LST-66 launching tanks during the Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July, 2, and 4 to 10 August 1944. These tanks are being launched off of Middleburg Island. Photograph is believed to be at the beginning of the operations. Personal collection of Jeffrey Baird
    LST-66
    1016006610    		 364k USS LST-66 unloading troops and supplies during the Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July, 2, and 4 to 10 August 1944. She is in Slot 8 (right) at Red Beach, which was at Mar. Photograph is believed to be at the beginning of the operations. Personal collection of Jeffrey Baird
    LST-67 87k USS LST-66, far right and USS LST-67 disembark M4 Sherman tanks and other vehicles during the Western New Guinea operation, Invasion of Noemfoor Island in July 1944.
    US Coast Guard photo No. 2642 from the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.    		 Don Leal USS LST 67 & USS LST 19
    LST-18/202 79k From left to right USS LST-67, USS LST-66, USS LST-18, USS LST-245, and USS LST-202 landing troops and material, on the beach at Leyte, P.I., D-Day 20 October 1944.
    from the US Coast Guard Magazine "The Coast Guard and the Pacific War".     		Don Leal USS LST 67 & USS LST 19
    LST-66 17k USS LST-66 on the beach during the invasion of Leyte Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
    LST-66 19k USS LST-66 on the beach at Leyte loading battle casualties Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
    LST-66 19k USS LST-66 approaching the beach during the invasion of Zamboanga, circa March-July 1945 Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
    LST-66
    1016006613    		 680k USS LST-66 landing at Balikpapan, Borneo in July 1945.
    US National Archives Identified 205584136 Local Identifier 26-G-4741, US Coast Guard photo # 4741    		 David Upton
    LST-66 43k Water color of USS LST-66 beached artist, location and date unknown. Peter M. Chase PHM 2/c USCGR USS LST-66
    LST-66 88k USS LST-66 at anchor in San Francisco Bay, circa 1945-46.
    US Navy photo # NH 82165-A from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of J.A. Casoly.    		 Mike Green
    USS LST-66
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. White, Howard E., USCGR12 April 1943 - January 1944
    02LTjg. McGowan, William H., USCGJanuary 1944 - 1 November 1944
    03LTjg. Reed, B. C., USCG1 November 1944 - 1945
    04LT. Holbert, Wendell J., USCG1945 - 15 September 1945
    05LT. Wagley, George Z., USCG15 September 1945 - 28 September 1945
    06LT. Howard, Kenneth P., USCGR28 September 1945 - 26 March 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS LST-66 Stories
    History of LST Flotilla Seven
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 20 August 2021