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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-123
ex
USS LST-123 (1943 - 1945)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Delta - Bravo
NQDB

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 (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 5 June 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.

Launched, 14 August 1943

Commissioned USS LST-123, 7 September 1943, Lt. Francis P. Rossiter, USNR, in command

During World War II USS LST-123 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. G.B. Carter, USN;
LST Group Fifteen, CDR. V. K. Busck, USN;
LST Division Thirty and
LST Flotilla Three, CDR. A. A. Ageton USN (23);
LST Group Seven, LCDR. E. B. Garrigues;
LST Division Fourteen and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 28 July 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 15 January 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 October 1944

Redesignated Landing Ship Tank (Hospital) LST(H)-123, 15 September 1945

Following World War II USS LST(H)-123 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 24 September to 20 November 1945

Decommissioned, 22 March 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946

USS LST-123 earned three battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 March 1948, to Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Chester, PA.

Specifications:

Displacement

1,625 t.(lt)

4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)

2,366 t.

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
1016012302	313k	The ship's sponsor, Mrs. C.B. Enlow, christening *LST-123* prior to the ship's launching, August 14, 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Shipbuilding Division, Evansville, IN. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. catalog # 1948.151.03713b	David Upton
1016012301	313k	*LST-123* at anchor during US Navy acceptance trials, 31 August 1943, on the Ohio River near Evansville, IN. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. catalog # 1948.151.03933	David Upton
1016012303 1948.151.04140	281k	USS LST-123 commissioning ceremony, 7 September 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Shipbuilding Division, Evansville, IN. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. catalog item #'s 1948.151.04140 and 1948.151.04139	David Upton
1016012304 1948.151.04139	260k		David Upton
	112k	USS LST-123 and *LCT-139* beached, date and location unknown.
1016012305 1948.151.07949	261k	USS LST-123 unloading trucks and troops on a beach, 14 September 1944, location unknown. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library catalog item #'s 1948.151.07949 and 1948.151.07950	David Upton
1016012306 1948.151.07950	229k		David Upton

USS LST-123
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Rossiter, Francis P., USNR	7 September 1943 - 14 October 1943
02	LTjg. Byron, Walter, USNR	14 October 1943 - March 1945
03	LT. Post, David, USNR	March 1945 - 30 August 1945
04	LTjg. Pederson, Roger E., USNR	30 August 1945 - 27 November 1945
05	LTjg. Dirks, Louis E., USNR	27 November 1945 - 22 March 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

For more photos and information about USS LST-123 see;
LST Flotilla Five War Diary May 1944
Report of Anti-Aircraft Action by Surface Ship & After Battle Report, 17 June 1944
LST Flotilla Five War Diary July 1944
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

Last Updated 9 June 2023

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-123ex USS LST-123 (1943 - 1945)

USS LST(H)-123
ex
USS LST-123 (1943 - 1945)