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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-177

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - November - Charlie
NZNC

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LST-177 was transferred to France and named RFS Laita (K05) later (L 9001)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship

Laid down, 5 February 1943, at the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN.

Launched, 16 May 1943

Commissioned USS LST 177, 22 June 1943

During World War II USS LST-177 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following actions/campaigns:

**Europe-Africa-Middle East**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Convoy UGS-36, April 1944	Invasion of southern France, August and September 1944

Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946

Transferred, 13 March 1947, to France as a sale

Commissioned in to the French Navy as RFS Laita (K05), later (L 9001)

Decommissioned in January 1962 and converted to a port depot ship

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS LST-177 earned two 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 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
USS LST-177
	677k	USS LST-177 moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	432k	USS LST-177 officers listed on back of photo: "Back row left to right; Struber, Taylor, Jones. Front row; Norton, Dubinski, Leon Morriss, Coppinger. Kneeling; Compton. Missing; Jackson, Swart, Fisher, Bushey," date and location unknown.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	811k	USS LST-177 crew photo, date and location unknown.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	354k	USS LST-177 moored pierside at Marseille, France, New Years Day, 1 January 1945.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	488k	USS LST-177 moored pierside at Marseille, France, New Years Day, 1 January 1945.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	296k	USS LST-177 with deck cargo of trucks. Photo is labeled "Camouflage on main deck ferry of Canadian troops - Feb 1945."	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	119k	USS LST-177 and *LST-656* beached, probably in southern France, August or September 1944.	Kevin Harris
	70k	USS LST-177 crew inspection while at Palermo, Italy, date unknown.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
	69k	USS LST-177 beached at Salerno, Italy, date unknown.	Del Morris for his father Leon Morris USS LST-177
RFS Laita (K05) (L9008)
	43k	Ex-USS LST-177 in the Republic of France service as *RFS Laita* (K05)** underway, circa 1949, place unknown.	Robert Hurst
	76k	*RFS Laita* (K05)**, partial crew photo, 20 July 1950, place unknown.	André Pilon Quartermaster (signalman) RFS Golo

View the USS LST-177
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

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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Last Updated 11 April 2008