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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-381


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - November - Hotel
 NCNH

USS LST-381 was manned by the US Coast Guard after a crew swap, 23 August 1943
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LST-381 was transferred to the Royal Navy in December 1944
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 10 December 1942, at Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 10 February 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-381, 15 February 1943, LT. E. F. Marcellus, USNR, in command
  • Crew change from USN to USCG at Bizerte, Tunisia (USCG crew from LST-25), 23 August 1943, LT. James P. Houlihan Jr., USCGR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-381 was assigned to the Europe-Africa Middle East Theater:
    LST Flotilla Eleven;
     LST Group Thirty-Two;
     LST Division Sixty-Four and participated in the following campaigns:

    European Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 West Coast of Italy operations - 1944
    Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings    , 22 January to 1 March 1944
    Salerno Landings, 9 to 21 September 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • Decommissioned and transferred to the United Kingdom, 19 December 1944
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 10 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 11 September 1947
  • USS LST-381 earned four battle stars 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.
    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
    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
    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-381 126k From left to right; HM LST-323, USS LST-1, USS LST-381 and USS LST-351 being loaded with reversed DUKWs at Salerno Harbor in preparation for the Anzio Landings scheduled for January 20-21, 1944.
    Imperial War Museum War Office Second World War Official Collection, by Dawson (Sgt), Photo No. © IWM (NA 11079)    		 Mike Green
    LST-381 105k USS LST-381 loading German POWs at Anzio, 3 February 1944. Rick Thorn for his father Charles Henry Thorn USS LST-381
    LST-381 129k USS LST-381 unloading equipment at Normandy, June 1944. Rick Thorn for his father Charles Henry Thorn USS LST-381
    LST-381 70k USS LST-381 moored pierside, Barry, Wales, UK, July 1944. Rick Thorn for his father Charles Henry Thorn USS LST-381
    LST-381 43k USS LST-381 beached at Normandy, 1944 Rick Thorn for his father Charles Henry Thorn USS LST-381
    LST-381 82k USS LST-381 crew photo, England, November 1944. Rick Thorn for his father Charles Henry Thorn USS LST-381
    USS LST-381
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Marcellus, E. F., USNR15 February 1943 - 25 August 1943
    02LT. Houlihan Jr., James P., USCGR25 August 1943 - 31 March 1944
    03LT. Stewart, Melvin L., USCGR31 March 1944 - 19 December 1944
    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
    Miscellaneous Crew Photos
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS LST-381
    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 5 August 2016