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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-343


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Mike - Charlie
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. H. H. Rightmeyer in command
  • During World War II LST-343 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater LST Flotilla Five (Capt. G.B. Carter, USN), Group Fifteen (Cdr. V. K. Busck, USN), Division 29 and participated in the:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of southern Solomons, June 1943     		Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, July and August 1944
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, July 1943     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April 1945
    Treasury-Bougainville operation
    Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, December 1943     		.

  • Following World War II LST-343 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-January 1946
  • Decommissioned, 27 January 1946
  • Transferred (sold), 21 February 1947, to the US Army Military Government Korea
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 March 1947
  • LST-343 earned five battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation 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 Contributed
    By
    LST-390 426k LST-390 (foreground) and 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
    LST-78/343 90k LST-343 alongside LST-78 while beached, possibly at Okinawa, circa May-June 1945 Photo by LTjg. (E) Jack D. Curlee,
    Engineering Officer LST-78
    View the LST-343
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    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 Homeport
    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 created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 19 October 2007