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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-343

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Mike - Charlie
NZMC

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship

Laid down, 18 October 1942, at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.

Launched, 15 December 1942

Commissioned USS LST-343, 9 January 1943, LT. Harry. H. Rightmeyer, USN, in command

During World War II USS LST-343 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. J. R. Clark, USN
LST Group Fifteen, CDR. CDR. V.K. Busck, USN
LST Division Twenty-Six and
LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. G. B. Carter USN;
LST Group Fifteen, CDR. V. K. Busck USN;
LST Division Twenty-Nine and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Consolidation of Solomon Islands Consolidation of southern Solomons, 20 June 1943	Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 July to 5 August 1944
New Georgia Group operation New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 4 and 21 July 1943	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 to 10 April 1945
Treasury-Bougainville operation Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 15 December 1943

Following World War II USS LST-343 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
20 October to 28 December 1945
7 to 28 January 1946

Decommissioned, 27 January 1946

Assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), date unknown, redesignated Q033

Transferred, 21 February 1947, to the US Army Military Government Korea

Struck from the Naval Register, 5 March 1947

USS LST-343 earned five battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
97k	USS LST-343 along with other ships near Guam, 24 July 1944, during the invasion, as seen from the *USS New Mexico* (BB-40). Including LST-343, there are a large number of other LSTs surrounding USS Stembel (DD-644), in Measure 32/10D camouflage scheme. Stembel was acting as flagship for LST Flotilla 16** off Guam from 21 July 21 through 1 August 1 1944, providing command and communication for the LSTs. US National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-256991, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Mike Green
426k	USS LST-390 (foreground) and USS LST-343 (background) beached, date and location unknown. US Marine Corps HQ photo # HQ. Photo No. 68,688	David Leoncavallo for his grandfather Charles Lovett. USS LST-343 and USS LST-620
90k	USS LST-343 alongside USS LST-78 while beached, possibly at Okinawa, circa May-June 1945	Photo by LTjg. (E) Jack D. Curlee, Engineering Officer LST-78

USS LST-343
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Rightmeyer, Harry Howard, USN	9 January 1943 - 18 July 1943
03	LT. Wardwell, David Otis, USNR	7 September 1944 - 21 April 1945
04	LT. Stoker, Carl E., USNR	21 April 1945 - 5 December 1945

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
LST Flotilla Five War Diary May 1944
LST Flotilla Five War Diary July 1944
LST Flotilla Five Action Report 28 July 1944
The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Homeport
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 9 June 2023