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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-309


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Romeo - Zulu
 NYRZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 22 September 1942, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 23 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-309, 11 January 1943, LT. C. A. Lanborn, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-309 was assigned first to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    European-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation, July 1943
    Tunisian operations, November 1943 to July 1943     		Salerno landings, September 1943
    Sicilian occupation, July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, June 1944

  • Following service in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater USS LST-309 was reassigned to the Asiatic-Pacific and performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 19 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 June 1947
  • Sold for conversion to merchant service, 1 June 1948, to Humble Oil and Refining Co., Houston, TX.
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-309 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
    9 officers, 120 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    14 officers, 131 enlisted
    Boats 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-309 26k USS LST-309 off the coast of England, 1944.
    US National Archives image.    		 Bill Brinkley
    LST-309 54k USS LST-309 beached on Omaha Beach, Normandy, August 1944. John Mikolaj USS LST-309
    LST-309 49k USS LST-309 on the beach at Saipan, December 1945. Photo by John H. Kellers, GM3/c LCT-539
    LST-388.LST-309 48k USS LST-309 and USS LST-388 at Pearl Harbor, T.I., 1945. Photo by John H. Kellers, GM3/c LCT-539
    LST-309 49k USS LST-309 with LCT-539 loaded on her main deck, Pearl Harbor, T.I., 1945 Photo by John H. Kellers, GM3/c LCT-539
    LST-309 49k Looking forward across USS LST-309's main deck from the ramp of LCT-539 which is loaded onto LST-309's main deck, Pearl Harbor, T.I., January 1946 Photo by John H. Kellers, GM3/c LCT-539
    View the USS LST-309
    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
    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 by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 10 April 2009