Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-69

USS LST-69 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 7 September 1942, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.

Launched, 20 February 1943

Commissioned USS LST-69, 20 May 1943, LT. Robert T. Leary, USCGR in command, 20 May 1943 - May 1944

During World War II, LST-69 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LST Flotilla 13, Group 37, Division 73 and LST Flotilla Five (Capt. G.B. Carter, USN), Group Fifteen (Cdr. V. K. Busck, USN), Division 30 and participated in the:

Gilbert Islands operation, 13 November to 8 December 1943

While moored in the West Loch at Peal Harbor LST-69 was destroyed by an ordnance explosion, and sank, 21 May 1944

Struck from the Naval Register, 18 July 1944

LST-69 earned one battle star for World War II service

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
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)
Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
Complement

7 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
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

Size	Image Description	Source
135k	*LST-69* and *LST-23* beached, probably at Kuluk Harbor, Adak, during unloading operations in the Aleutians, August 1943. US Coast Guard photo # 924435 from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.	Mike Green
64k	*LST-69* beached while unloading equipment, date and place unknown. US Coast Guard photo # 3237 from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.	Mike Green
66k	*LST-69* underway, 4 October 1943, place unknown. US National Archives photo # 80-G-26706 A US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Daniel Dunham

View the LST-69
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association
U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS LST-69
West Loch Disaster, Pearl Harbor, T.H., 21 May 1944
Eyewitness Account of the West Loch Disaster

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.

Last Updated 31 March 2006