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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-788


USS LST-788 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-511 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 9 July 1944 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 19 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-788, 18 September 1944, LT. Walter R. Benson, USCGR, in command
  • Succeeding Commanding Officers
    LT. Bernard J. Kearns, USCGR - 9 November 1945 - 30 January 1946
    LT. Bradley A. Kendis, USCGR: 30 January 1946 - 8 March 1946
    LTjg. Russel D. Erickson: 8 March 1946 - 16 April 1946
  • During World War II LST-788 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-788 LST Flotilla 29, Group 86, Division 171 and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 15 February to 16 March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April 1945

  • Following World War II LST-788 performed occupation duty in the Far East until late October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 16 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June, 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold, 26 September 1947, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD., for scrapping
  • LST-788 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 Contributed
    By
    LST-788 57k LST-788 beached at Iwo Jima, February 1945. LBS Products
    LSM-264 88k From top to bottom LST-808, LST-788, LST-760, LST-724 and LSM-264 beached at the foot of Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, 24 February 1945.
    US Navy photo # S-193-1.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-264 154k From top to bottom LST-779, LST-808, LST-788, LST-760, LST-724 and LSM-264 beached at the foot of Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, 25 February 1945.
    US Navy photo # S-193-A2.    		 Robert O. Baumrucker, 1978 to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    There is no DANFS history available for LST-788 at the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.
    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
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS LST-788
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 21 May 2004