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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-399 / IX-511

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima)
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 September 1942, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 23 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-399, 4 January 1943
  • During World War II LST-399 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
  • 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
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, July 1943
    Vella Lavella occupation, August 1943     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February 1945
    Treasury Island-Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landing, October and November 1943     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April 1945
    Marianas operation
    (a) Capture and occupation of Guam, July 1944     		.

  • Following World War II LST-399 performed occupation duty in the Far East
  • Decommissioned, 8 December 1945
  • Transferred to the Shipping Control Administration, Japan and placed in operation as Q 098
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 31 March 1952 and placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS T-399
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1973
  • Reinstated on the Naval Register, date unknown Unclassified Miscellaneous IX-511
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 June 1985
  • Final Disposition, to be disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, presumed sunk
  • LST-399 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 Source
    LST-399 75k LST-399 beached and loading cargo at Mono Island, Treasury Islands, Central Solomon Islands, 27 October 1943 Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-399 54k LST-399 during heavy bombardment by Allied forces while landing off Mono Island, Treasury Islands, Central Solomons, 27 October 1943 Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-399 58k LST-399 preparing to beach at Mono Island, Treasury Islands, Central Solomons, 27 October 1943. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-399 78k LST-399 beached in the Solomon Islands in 1943. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    LST-588 73k LST-588, LST-399, LST-390, LCT-1326 and other amphibious ships and landing craft on the beach at Iwo Jima, February 1945. Note: Mount Suribachi in the background. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LST-399 107k LST-399 and LSM-453 beached at Okinawa after that island had been secured, circa 1945. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    View the LST-399
    DANFS     history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 31 March 2006