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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-205
ex
 USS LST-205 (1943 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Quebec - Bravo
 NZQB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)

USS LST-205 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 5 August 1942 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, Ill.
  • Launched, 13 April 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST 205, 15 May 1943, LT. R. J. Buchar, USCG in command
  • During World War II, USS LST-205 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirteen;
     LST Group Thirty-Nine;
     LST Division Seventy-Eight
     LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. G.B. Carter, USN;
     LST Group Fifteen, CDR. V. K. Busck, USN;
     LST Division Thirty
     LST Flotilla Fourteen, CAPT. E. E Seay USN (24);
     LST Group Forty-Two, CDR. G. E. Artz USN (34);
     LST Division Eighty-Four and participated in the following campaigns

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation
    Tarawa, 21 November to 8 December 1943     		Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 17 June to 3 July 1944
    Western New Guinea operations
    Biak Island operation, 9 to 13 June 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October and 19 to 29 November 1944

  • USS LST-205 was redesignated Tank Landing Ship (Hospital), LST(H)-205, 15 September 1945;
  • Following World War II LST(H)-205 performed occupation duty in the Far East 2 September to 14 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 2 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • USS LST-205 earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 4 June 1948, to Hughes Bros., Inc., New York City, N.Y., for scrapping
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    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 Contributed
    By
    LST-205
    1016020530    		 341k USS LST-205 beached on the Northern Beachhead during the Kiska Island landings, 21 August 1943, the final amphibious operations phase of Operation Cottage.
    Ref. COM9thPHIBFOR Report of "Cottage" Operation, Occupation of Kiska, dated October 6, 1943. National Archives Identifier 78186893.
    Life Magazine. ID TimeLife_image_116091520, by Dmitri Kessel, (For personal non-commercial use only.)    		 David Upton
    LST-205 183k King Neptune and his court arrive aboard USS LST-205 to celebrate crossing the Equator, probably in November 1943 while enroute to the Gilbert Islands, circa November 1943. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 272k
    LST-205 231k USS LST-205 beached in either the Gilbert or Ellice Islands, circa 21 November 1943 to 13 February 1944. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 311k USS LST-205 at anchor in either the Gilbert or Ellice Islands, circa 21 November 1943 to 13 February 1944. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 33k USS LST-205 at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, circa 21 November to 11 December 1943. Peter Hansen in honor of his father CPO Harold Hansen USS LST-205
    LST-205 32k USS LST-205 at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, circa 21 November to 11 December 1943. Peter Hansen in honor of his father CPO Harold Hansen USS LST-205
    LST-205 45k USS LST-205 beached while unloading vehicles in either the Gilbert or Ellice Islands, circa 21 November 1943 to 13 February 1944. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 35k USS LST-205 at Apamama, Gilbert Island, circa 4 January to 12 February 1944 Peter Hansen in honor of his father CPO Harold Hansen USS LST-205
    LST-205
    1016020529    		 257k USS LST-205 launching an LCT at Saipan, Marianas Islands, 20 June 1944.
    US National ARchives Identifier 193831526, US Army Air Corps photo # 63665A.C., now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-205 111k USS LST-205 and USS LST-274 beached at Saipan, circa 17 June to 3 July 1944. Tommy Trampp
    LST-205
    1016020524    		 291k USS LST-205 beached on a reef along with two other LSTs during landing operations on Saipan, Marianas Islands, 21 June 21 1944.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 193832647, US Army Air Corps photo # 63658A.C., now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-205
    1016020528    		 243k USS LST-205 beached on a reef during landing operations on Saipan, Marianas Islands, 21 June 21 1944,
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 193831496, US Army Air Corps photo # 63660A.C., now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-205
    1016020525    		 312k USS LST-205 beached on a reef along with two another LST during landing operations on Saipan, Marianas Islands, 21 June 21 1944, as men of the US Army Air Corps 804th Engineer Aviation Battalion roll floating gasoline drums from the ship to shore.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 193831508, US Army Air Corps photo # B-63655A.C., now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-205
    1016020526    		 256k US Army soldiers of the 804th Engineer Aviation Battalion disembark from USS LST-205 during landing operations on Saipan, Marianas Islands, 21 June 1944.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 193831493, US Army Air Corps photo # A-63655A.C., now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-205
    1016020527    		 235k USS LST-205 sits on the reef in the background as US Army soldiers of the 804th Engineer Aviation Battalion unload their equipment from an LST, during landing operations on Saipan, Marianas Islands, 21 June 1944.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier 193831490, US Army Air Corps photo # 63656A.C., now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 David Upton
    LST-205 21k USS LST-205 at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, circa 14 to 17 November 1944 Peter Hansen in honor of his father CPO Harold Hansen USS LST-205
    LST-205 44k USS LST-205 at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, circa 14 to 17 November 1944 Peter Hansen in honor of his father CPO Harold Hansen USS LST-205
    LST-205 267k USS LST-205 at Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines, circa 23 November to 19 December 1944. Peter Hansen in honor of his father CPO Harold Hansen USS LST-205 and
    Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 353k USS LST-205 embarking Army troops while in the Philippines, circa, 23 November 1944 to 16 January 1945. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 478k Filipino selling food and other items to crew of USS LST-205 in the Philippines, circa, 23 November 1944 to 16 January 1945. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 24k USS LST-205 at Leyte in 1944 LST Home Port, courtesy Chris Wilkins
    LST-205 19k USS LST-205 and six unidentified LSTs on the beach at Leyte in 1944 LST Home Port courtesy Chris Wilkins
    LST-205 331k USS LST-205 beached in the Philippines, circa 23 November 1944 to 16 January 1945. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 173k USS LST-205 conning tower displaying Japanese planes shot down, during the Philippines campaign, circa 20 October 1944. Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 20k Left to Right, Rear to Front: Grasse, Walker, Mullines, Sangimo, Adams, Malling,
    Wherely, Growcock, Skatts, Frego, Kosiba, Kraft, Lykins, Rider, Johnson, Maxwell,
    Hansen, Newton, Elmore, Clemons, Rice, Kosup    		 Harold Hansen
    LST-205 18k Left to Right: VanWarmer, Heaton, Wiscow, Lally, Tatum, Koseba, Mullick, Kosup Harold Hansen
    LST-205 311k USS LST-205 crews mess, date and location unknown Lorne Mullick
    LST-205 268k Sacramento Bee newspaper photo, date unknown of local sailors serving in USS LST-205. Lorne Mullick
    USS LST-205
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Buchar, Raymond J. USCG15 May 1943 - 1944
    02LTjg. Bean, Phillip L. USCGR1944 - 1945
    03LT. Regard, S. F. USCGR1945 - 2 April 1946
    Courtesy US Coast Guard Historian's Office

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest see;
    1. The USS LST Ship Memorial
    2. LST Home Port
    3. State LST Chapters
    4. United States LST Association
    5. The First Cruise of USS LST 205
    6. The Disaster at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, T.H., 21 May 1944
    7. USMC Film #100459: "Army Air Force Weekly Digest, No. 34"
    Description "First Army Air Force Weekly Digest, No. 34."
    Contains campaign updates for: Attu; Hill #700 Bougainville; and Saipan
    Film marked as "Restricted."
    Running Time 17:58
    Location Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands); Bougainville Island (Papua New Guinea); Attu (Ak)
    LST 205 scenes at 12:52 to 13:34 minutes
    Source University of South Carolina, University Libraries, Moving Image Research Collections, Digital Collections United States Marine Corps. Films
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 7 May 2021