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-125

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 8 June 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 23 August 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-125, 29 September 1943
  • During World War II LST-125 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LST Flotilla Five (CAPT. G.B. Carter, USN), Group Fifteen (CDR. V. K. Busck, USN), Division 30 and participated in the:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, July 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen landings, January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, October 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April 1945

  • Following World War II LST-125 performed occupation duty in the Far East and service in China until early June 1946
  • Decommissioned, 10 June 1946, at Naval Station Subic Bay, P.I.
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target by naval gunfire, 14 August 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 25 September 1946
  • LST-125 earned four battle stars 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 or 6 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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-125 88k Bow view of LST-125 underway departing Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. 17 August 1945. LST-125 was under repair at the yard from 23 June to 20 August 1945.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 3026-8-45    		 Darryl Baker and Susan Bloom, for her father Matthew R. Bloom, MoMM2 USS LST-125
    Courtesy Harry Urbach Gunners Mate USS LST-125
    LST-125 80k Stern view of LST-125 underway departing Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. 17 August 1945.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 3024-8-45    		 Darryl Baker
    LST-125 132k LST-125 crew photo, Melvin Donner top left, date and place unknown. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 77k LST-125 beached and unloading trucks at Guam in 1944. Susan Bloom, for her father Matthew R. Bloom, MoMM2 USS LST-125
    Courtesy Harry Urbach Gunners Mate USS LST-125
    LST-125 49k LST-125 date and place unknown. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 108k LST-125 view looking aft from the forecastle toward the superstructure, date unknown. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 141k LST-125 view looking forward from the superstructure toward the bow. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 102k LST-125 view looking forward on the main deck toward the bow. The up ended boat appears to be one of the ships LCVPs. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 70k LST-125, date and location unknown. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 99k LST-125, date and location unknown. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 89k LST-125 dropping a pontoon at the Leyte, October, 1944. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 89k LST-125 bridge showing the two Japanese flags representing the two planes shot down and her nickname (Dragon Lady). Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 46k LST-125 conning tower. Susan Bloom, Courtesy of Jack Silady USS LST-125
    LST-125 75k LST-125 crew photo at Shanghai, 6 March 1946. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner USS LST-125
    LST-125 71k LST-125 crew photo "Ship Control" at Shanghai, 10 March 1946. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Joe Avedisian USS LST-125
    LST-125 56k LST-125 and LST-505 at Shanghai, 6 March 1946. Susan Bloom, Courtesy Melvin Donner and Joe Avedisian USS LST-125
    View the LST-125
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Read the LST-125 News Release History located at Navsource
    View the LST-125 Deck Log for 5 to 11 January 1944 (Lingayen Gulf) located at Navsource
    View the LST-125 Deck Log for 15 to 18 June 1944 located at Navsource
    View the LST-125 Deck Log for 19 to 24 October 1944 (Leyte) located at Navsource
    View the LST-125 Action Report for 15 to 18 June 1944, dated 28 June 1944 located at Navsource
    View the LST-125 Action Report for 7 January 1944, dated 20 January 1944 located at Navsource
    View the LST-125 Action Report for 27 February 1945 to 4 April 1945, dated 4 April 1945 located at Navsource
    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
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 26 January 2007