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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-718


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Tango - Hotel
 NFTH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 June 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 3 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-718, 28 August 1944, LT. Richard A. Fisher, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-718 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS LST-718 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September to 19 November 1945 
    20 November 1945 to 9 April 194620 November 1945 to 9 April 1946

  • Decommissioned, 25 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1948.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 June 1948, to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, WA.
    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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-718 125k USS LST-718 off loading vehicles in the Philippines, circa 1944. Marvin Cunningham USS LST-718
    LST-718 36k USS LST-718 at Shanghai, China while assigned to Occupation and China service from 20 November 1945 to 9 April 1946. Marvin Cunningham USS LST-718
    LST-718 54k USS LST-718 officers, circa 1946 Marvin Cunningham USS LST-718
    LST-718 52k USS LST-718 engineers, circa 1946 Marvin Cunningham USS LST-718
    LST-718 35k USS LST-718 returning Chinese civilians to their homeland in 1946 Marvin Cunningham USS LST-718
    LST-718 44k USS LST-718 transported Chinese soldiers during 1946 Marvin Cunningham USS LST-718
    LST-862 155k USS LST-862 and USS LST-718 loading supplies for the Chinese First Army, at Kowloon docks, Hong Kong BCC for transport to Northern China, 13 March 1946
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-365977 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 USNHHC
    USS LST-718
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Fisher, Richard Allen. USNR28 August 1944 - 31 March 1945
    02LTjg. Cronin, Edward John, USNR31 March 1945 - 6 December 1945
    03LTjg. Chalk Jr., Alfred F., USNR6 December 1945 - 8 February 1946
    04LTjg. Wrocklage, Matthew J., USNR8 February 1946 - April 1946
    05LTjg. Karpas, Charles Morris, USNRApril 1946 - 25 June 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 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
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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 1 July 2016