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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-312


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Yankee - Victor
 NXYV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 7 September 1942, at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N. Y.
  • Launched, 30 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST 312, 9 January 1943, LT. Charles L. Haslup, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS USS LST-312 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, June 1944
    Salerno landings, September 1943 .

  • Decommissioned, 12 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1946
  • USS USS LST-312 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold 13 December 1947 to James A. Hughes, New York, NY 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 Source
    LST-312 168k USS LST-312 launching at New York Navy Yard, 30 December 1942. Robert J. Coates
    LST-312 72k USS LST-312 at HRPE Newport News, VA, 16 April 1943, waiting to load DUKWs and self-propelled artillery. The Library of Virginia
    US Army Signal Corps
    Photograph Collection
    LST-312 81k USS LST-312 at HRPE Newport News, VA, 16 April 1943 while loading DUKWs. The Library of Virginia
    US Army Signal Corps
    Photograph Collection
    LST-312 45k USS LST-312 at HRPE Newport News. VA. 16 April 1943 while loading DUKWs and self-propelled artillery. The Library of Virginia
    US Army Signal Corps
    Photograph Collection
    LST-312 97k USS LST-312 at HRPE Newport News VA, between Piers 5 and 6, 16 April 1943 with LCT-420 loaded on deck. Note the LCVP loaded in the well deck of LCT-420. The Library of Virginia
    US Army Signal Corps
    Photograph Collection
    LST-312 1156k USS LST-312 at right, approaching the beach with her ramp up and USS LST-344 at left, along with numerous LCVPs from transports anchored offshore, beached while landing troops and equipment at Gela, Sicily, 10 June 1943.
    US National Archives photo # III-SC 181046, Box 181, a US Army Signal Corps. photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-49
    US National Archives
    photo # 80-G-46817    		 370k LSTs land invasion supplies on "Utah" Beach, shortly after the 6 June 1944 "D-Day" assault.
    LSTs on the beach include from (right to left):
    USS LST-312
    HM LST-320
    HM LST-321
    USS LST-72
    USS LST-51? last digit not visible)
    HM LST-324
    USS LST-311
    USS LST-49
    USS LST-373
    USS LST-47 and two unidentified LSTs.
    Note: bow numbers of the British ships enclosed in colored blocks; crowd of shipping offshore; barrage balloons over many of the ships. Photo was released for publication, 23 October 1944
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-46817 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.

    Note: This image is labeled as Omaha Beach but is actually taken on Utah Beach. [See - The movie "A Newsreel Camaraman's View if D-Day" in color by Jack Lieb. About 15 minutes into the film Jack Lieb pans the beach one can see that this is Utah Beach showing LSTs 72, 324, 311, 46, 47 in the same sequence as in the NARA photo 80-G-46817.]

    		 Riley R. Re Qua MoMM3/C USS LST-49 and Arthur L Long MoMM2/C USS LST-49
    Marilyn Smith for her father Coastguardsman Jack Davenport USCGC Blackhaw (WLB-390)
    LST-312
    US National Archives
    photo    		 180k
    LST-312
    1016031208    		 130k USS LST-312, PT-603 moored just west of the Michigan Ave. Bridge, Chicago, IL. The ships were open for public viewing probably during a bond drive in 1945. Partial view of a third vessel which could be an LCI. Chin Yu Chu
    USS LST-312
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Haslup, Charles L., USN9 January 1943 - 1944
    02LT. Grinnell, Robert W., USNR1944 - 3 April 1945
    03LCDR. Grant, Walter H., USN3 April 1945 - 12 July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 3 March 2023