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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-78


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Delta - Uniform
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 9 February 1943, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 28 April 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-78, 8 July 1943
  • During World War II LST-78 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation
    Makin and Tarawa, November and December 1943     		Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, July 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, January and February 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June 1945
    Hollandia operation .

  • Decommissioned, 8 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold to Kaiser Co., Inc., Seattle, WA. for scrapping, 13 April 1948
  • LST-78 earned five battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-78/781 60k LST-78 beached, circa April 1945 at Okinawa. To her port side is LST-781 and to her starboard an unidentified LST. Photo by Lt.(jg) (E) Jack D. Curlee,
    Engineering Officer USS LST-78
    LST-78/244/801 56k Just visible to starboard of LST-78 is LST-801, center is an unidentified water tanker, to her port is LST-244. LST-78. LCVP-78-1 is across the open bow doors of . Photo circa 1945, possibly taken at Tinian or Saipan Photo by Lt.(jg) (E) Jack D. Curlee,
    Engineering Officer USS LST-78
    LST-78/343 90k LST-78 beached alongside LST-343 possibly at Okinawa, circa May-June 1945 Photo by Lt.(jg) (E) Jack D. Curlee,
    Engineering Officer USS LST-78
    LST-78 93k Photo taken from tank deck of LST 78 through the open bow doors, possibly at Okinawa, circa May-June 1945 Photo by Lt.(jg) (E) Jack D. Curlee,
    Engineering Officer USS LST-78
    LST-78 44k LST-78 anchored in San Francisco Bay or the San Joaquin River preparing for decommissioning and lay up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton Group, circa February-March 1946. Submitted by Steve Curlee for Robert V. Hendricks, USS LST-78
    View LST-78 Crew Photos
    View the LST-78
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center.
    The West Loch disaster, 21 May 1944, a Second Pearl Harbor
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 8 June 2007