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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-268
ex
 USS LST-268 (1943 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Charlie - Alpha
 NHCA
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 Medal (with Asia Clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 26 November 1942, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 18 June 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-268, 19 August 1943 li>During World War II LST-268 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 9 January 1945
    Tinian capture and occupation, 24 July to 1 August 1944 Okinawa Guno operation
    (a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, March through June 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, September and October 1944     		.

  • Redesignated Landing Ship Tank (Hospital) LST(H)-268, 15 September 1945
  • USS LST(H)-268 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early February 1946
  • Decommissioned, 16 February 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 October 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 March 1948, to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y.
  • USS LST-268 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 Source
    LST-121 332k USS LST-268 launching , 18 June 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA. Darin Goodman in honor of his father John W. Goodman USS LST-268
    LST-121 304k
    LST-121 265k USS LST-268 entering the drydock of either USS ABSD-1 or USS ABSD-2 at Espirito Santo in the New Hebrides Island, circa October - November 1944. Darin Goodman in honor of his father John W. Goodman USS LST-268
    LST-121 281k USS LST-268 and USS LST-271 drydocked in either USS ABSD-1 or USS ABSD-2 at Espirito Santo in the New Hebrides Island, circa October - November 1944. Darin Goodman in honor of his father John W. Goodman USS LST-268
    View the USS LST-268
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    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
    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
    © 2002, Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 29 May 2009