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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-202


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Echo - Yankee
 NZEY
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 (5)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)

USS LST-202 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 July 1942 at the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL;
  • Launched, 16 March 1943;
  • Commissioned USS LST 202, 9 April 1943, LT Benjamin Ayesa, USCGR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-202 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LST Flotilla 7, Group 21, Division 42 and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Bismarck-Archipelago operations
    Cape Gloucester, New Britain-December 1943, January and February 1944
    Admiralty Islands landings, February and March 1944     		Western New Guinea operations
    Toem-Wakde-Sarmi operation, May 1944
    Noemfoor Island operation, July 1944
    Cape Sansapor operation, July and August 1944
    Morotai landings,September 1944
    Eastern New Guinea operation
    Saidor operations, January and February 1944     		Leyte operation;
    Leyte landings, October and November 1944Leyte operation
    Hollandia operations, April and May 1944 .

  • Following World War II USS LST-202 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945.
  • Decommissioned, 11 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold to the Bethlehem Steel Co., Seattle, WA, 16 April 1948 for scrapping;
  • USS LST-202 earned five 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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-202 60k USS LST-202 and USS LST-204 (background) beached at New Britain, while off loading tanks and other equipment, circa December 1943 to March 1944.
    US Coast Guard photo # 3058, from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.    		 Mike Green
    LST-466 965k LSTs, including USS LST-466 and USS LST-202, lined up on the beach at Cape Sudest, New Guinea, awaiting loading for the Admiralty Islands action, 12 March 1944.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC 271517, Box 504, a US Army Signal Corps photo, by T/4 Henry C. Manger, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-202 80k USS LST-202 under attack, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo from the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.    		 Mike Green
    LST-202 1112k A staff conference aboard USS LST-202 while enroute to the Vogelkop Peninsula at Dutch New Guinea. CDR. R.S. Malven USNR, General Headquarters Observer, BGEN Charles E. Hurtis, CG 6th Div Artillery, COL. Charles H. Swartz, Field Artillery executive officer, 6th Div Artillery, LCDR Thomas N. Kelley, USCGR, CO LST-202, 30 July 1944.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC 261034, a US Army Signal Corps. photo by LT. Schuman, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-202 953k Invasion task force as seen from USS LST-202 in Maffin Bay, Dutch New Guinea, 30 July 1944.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC 261039, a US Army Signal Corps. photo by, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-202 848k Various vehicles; Buffaloes, Ducks, Tractors, and a truck carrying a Piper Cub plane are put ashore from USS LST-202 on Red Beach, at Cape Opmarai, Dutch New Guinea, 30 July 1944.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC 261053, a US Army Signal Corps. photo by LT. Schuman, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-202 953k American troops land on Red beach as USS LST-202 and two other LSTs unloads during invasion at Cape Opmarai, Dutch New Guinea, 30 July 1944.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC 261037, a US Army Signal Corps. photo by PFC Wilbur Goen, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-18/202.245 61k USS LST-18, USS LST-245, and USS LST-202 landing troops and material on the beach at Leyte, P.I., D-Day 20 October 1944.
    US Navy photo    		 Scott at LBS Products
    LST-18/202 79k From left to right USS LST-67, USS LST-66, USS LST-18, USS LST-245, and USS LST-202 landing troops and material on the beach at Leyte, P.I., D-Day 20 October 1944.
    from the US Coast Guard Magazine "The Coast Guard and the Pacific War".     		Don Leal USS LST 67 & USS LST 19
    LST-202 96k USS LST-202 crew photo, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo    		 US Coast Guard web site
    View the USS LST-202
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Ayesa, Benjamin, USCGR9 April 1943 - ?
    02LT. Edge, R.R., USCGRno dates
    02LCDR. Kelley, Thomas N., USCGRno dates
    02LT. Gaillard, USCGRno dates
    02LT. Elliot, R.B., USCGRno dates
    Courtesy US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS LST-202
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 23 October 2009