Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS T-LST-643
ex
 USS LST-643 (1944 - 1952)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia Clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 10 June 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 12 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-643, 2 October 1944, LT. Erwin 'Erv' Windward in command
  • During World War II USS LST-643 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April through June 1945

  • Following World War II, USS LST-643 performed occupation duty in the Far East until January 1946
  • Decommissioned and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 31 March 1952
  • Placed in service as USNS T-LST-643
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 15 June 1973
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 23 June 1948, to S. S. Zee, Inc., Taipei, Taiwan
  • USS LST-643 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 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
    USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 306k USS LST-643 launching, 10 June 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL. Ken and Cheryl Nail, to honor their grandfather John B. "Spike" Nail USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 91k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 approaching USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379466, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed to honor her father-in-law Dallas Dwain Reed CM2/c USNR SV-6 USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 98k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 entering USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379467, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed to honor her father-in-law Dallas Dwain Reed CM2/c USNR SV-6 USS LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 112k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 in the forward end of USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379468, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed to honor her father-in-law Dallas Dwain Reed CM2/c USNR SV-6 USS LST-643
    USNS T-LST-643
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 184k USNS T-LST-643 and USS Washoe County (LST-759 beached at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, circa 1966 Rich Krebs USS USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
    View the USS LST-643 / USNS T-LST-643
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    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 Home Port
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    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 15 May 2009