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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-349

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 10 November 1942, at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.

Launched, 7 February 1943

Commissioned USS LST-349, 11 February 1943, LT. Aubrey Strickland, in command

Succeeded by LT. Robert W. Emmons, USNR, 25 August 1943

During World War II USS LST-349 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
North African occupation Tunisian operations, 27 April to 9 July 1943	Sicilian occupation, 10 July 1943

The crews of USS LST-349 and USS LST-208 exchanged ships at Bizerte, 25 August 1943

Ran aground and sank off Ponza, Italy, 26 February 1944

Struck from the Naval Register, 25 March 1944

USS LST-349 earned two 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 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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
79k	USS LST-349 partial crew photo, North Africa, 1943.	William Fraser USS LST-208
79k	HM LST-302, HM LST-303 and USS LST-349 at Nisida, Italy, while loading or unloading equipment, date unknown.	Robert Hurst
61k	USS LST-349 main deck looking forward from the superstructure, date and location unknown. Note "All Boats Away."	William Fraser USS LST-208
42k	USS LST-349 anchored off the coast of Italy, 1943.	Dennis Painter for his Father-in-Law John S. White USS LST-349
103k	USS LST-349 anchored off the coast of Italy, 1943.	Dennis Painter for his Father-in-Law John S. White USS LST-349
140k	USS LST-349 3"/50 gun crew off North Africa or Sicily, 1943.	William Fraser USS LST-208
128k	USS LST-349 crew members showing off their shaved heads	William Fraser USS LST-208
164k	USS LST-349 crew members showing off their beards, or lack of.	William Fraser USS LST-208
56k	USS LST-349 crew, shaved heads, 1943.	Dennis Painter for his Father-in-Law John S. White USS LST-349
385k	Letter written by ENS. George Wolhuter USNR, Gunnery Officer USS LST-349 during the Sicily Campaign describing his personnel view of the action during the invasion. The letter was printed in the hometown war production plant newspaper, "Victory News" and dated 13 August 1943	Submitted by William Fraser USS LST-208, courtesy George Wolhuter USS LST-349 and LST-208
101k	USS LST-349 officers. This group of officers would be reassigned to USS LST-208 sometime in October 1943. Top row, Left to Right; Kranich, First Lieutenant, Search, Communications, Hughes, Supply, (payroll), unknown, Rittenhouse, Executive Officer. Bottom row, left to right; unknown, Bixler, Engineering, George Wolhuter, Gunnery, Stewart, Supply.	William Fraser USS LST-208
86k	USS LST-349 crew with Italian Prisoners of War, Tunis, Tunisia, sometime in October 1943.	William Fraser USS LST-208
95k	USS LST-349 Officers, LTjgs Krainich, Hughes and Bixler, Tunis, Tunisia, sometime in October 1943.	William Fraser USS LST-208
101k	USS LST-349 Chief Petty Officers, (All unknown except for MoMMC Loomis, front row far left.) Tunis, Tunisia, sometime in October 1943.	William Fraser USS LST-208
59k	USS LST-349 aground off Isla de Ponza Italy and breaking up, circa February 1944.	LST Home Port web site