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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-863


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Uniform - Echo
 NIUE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 October 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 14 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-863, 9 December 1944
  • During World War II USS LST-863 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April through June 1945
  • Following World War II USS LST-863 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-January 1946.
  • Decommissioned, 19 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 May 1948, to Hughes Bros., Inc.
  • USS LST-863 received one battle star 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-737 1086k USS LST-863 moored at Pearl Harbor, circa 16 to 23 January 1946.
    Also present are:
    USS Bennington (CV-20) moored across the channel at NAS Ford Island,
    USS Troilus (AKA-46) moored astern of,
    USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109),
    USS LST-1079 moored astern of
    USS LST-1070
    USS Terror (CM-5),
    USS LST-459 with LCT-1015 secured to her main deck, astern of
    USS LST-863
    Moored forward of LST-863 are an unidentified Minesweeper and two Rescue and Salvage ships
    The next pier has two unidentified ships, possibly AKs the Survey Ship USS Sumner (AGS-5), and two unidentified Minesweepers
    USS LST-737 moored astern of
    USS LST-45 moored astern of numerous Minesweepers and possibly
    USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85)
    US Navy photo BUAer photo # 496019 from "CINCPAC, Released 23 January 1946.    		 David Buell
    View the USS LST-863
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 7 November 2008