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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-393


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Yankee - India
 NCYI
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, 27 July 1942, at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 11 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-393, 11 December 1942, LT. John R. Halifax, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-393 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943  

  • Decommissioned, 5 March 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 14 March 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold to Sand Products Corp., Detroit, MI., 28 March 1948 for conversion to merchant service; renamed MV Highway 16
  • Acquired by the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum circa May 2002 for restoration as a National Historic Site
  • Acquired by the LST 393 Preservation Association, date unknown
  • Current Disposition, open to the public in Muskegon, MI.
  • USS LST-393 earned three 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. (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

    FLickr photo by vik
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS LST-393
    LST-393
    1016039306     		71k Memorabilia from the commissioning of USS LST-393, 11 November 1942, at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. Dale Hargrave
    LST-392 484k USS LST-393 and USS LST-392 moored pierside at Oran, Algeria, date unknown. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LST-392
    1016039312    		 67k USS LST-393 beached at Ballyholme, Northern Ireland, April 1944
    Photo from www.flickriver.com by US Forces in Northern Ireland    		 John Spivey
    LST-393
    1016039308     		38k USS LST-393 stranded by retreating tides on the beach at Normandy in July 1944.
    USS LST 393 Veterans Museum    		 Yu Chu
    LST-392 43k USS LST-393 in full camouflage paint, location unknown, circa 1945. Submitted by Bob Partell for his father-in-law Gene Wojciechowski USS LST-393
    LST-392 43k USS LST-393 at anchor, location unknown, circa 1945. Submitted by Bob Partell for his father-in-law Gene Wojciechowski USS LST-393
    LST-393
    1016039307     		36k USS LST-393 Wardroom Mess, circa September 1944 to May 1945, front left is the commanding officer. LT. Robert D. McRae, USN.
    USS LST 393 Veterans Museum    		 Yu Chu
    Merchant Service
    LST-393 29k Ex-LST-393 in commercial service as MV Highway 16, Great Lakes, date unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    LST-393
    1016039309     		50k New automobiles fill the top deck of M/V Highway 16, (ex-USS LST-393), circa 1970.
    Photo by Sand Products Corp.    		 Yu Chu
    Museum Ship
    LST-393 79k Ex-LST-393 moored at her berth in Muskegon, MI., date unknown. LST 393 Preservation Association
    LST-393
    1016039310     		61k The National Ensign flown from USS LST-393 at Omaha Beach, on D-Day, 6 June 1944, on display aboard the Veterans Museum in Muskegon, MI. Photo taken 13 May 2018.
    USS LST 393 Veterans Museum courtesy Andraya Croft Special to the Detroit Free Press    		 Yu Chu
    LST-393
    1016039311     		84k 'Wall of Honor' aboard Ex-USS LST-393 Veterans Museum in downtown Muskegon, MI. 13 May 2018. The wall honors Muskegon County enlisted soldiers killed during the Vietnam War. Photo taken 13 May 2018.
    USS LST 393 Veterans Museum courtesy Andraya Croft Special to the Detroit Free Press    		 Yu Chu
    LST-393
    1016039313     		108k Ex-USS LST-393 moored at her berth in Muskegon, MI., date unknown. John Spivey
    USS LST-393
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Halifax, John R., USNR11 December 1942 - December 1943
    02LT. Knight, William C., USNRDecember 1943 - September 1944
    03LT. McRae, Robert D., USNSeptember 1944 - May 1945
    04LTjg. Miller, F. P., USNRMay 1945 - August 1945
    05LTjg. Spatz, Raymond L., USNRAugust 1945 - February 1946
    06LTjg. Krause, Robert L., USNRFebruary 1946 - 5 March 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 Brodie System - Runway On A Rope
    Brodie System YouTube video
    Brodie Landing System
    The Saga of the Seasick US Army Piper Cubs on the Navy's Smallest Aircraft Carriers
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    USS LST-393
    USS LST 393 Veterans Museum on Facebook
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Ship that landed on D-Day, then hauled autos, now a museum in Muskegon
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 8 March 2024