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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-869


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Uniform - Tango
 NIUT
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)

USS LST-869 was sold to Argentina and designated ARA BDT No.8
542-Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 27 October 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machinery Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 11 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-869, 6 January 1945, LT. Edward J. Malloy Jr., USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-869 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (23);
     LST Group Ninety-Three CDR. E. R. Sperry USN (23);
     LST Div One Hundred Eighty-Five
  • Following World War II USS LST-869 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    23 October 1945 to 13 April 194623 October 1945 to 13 April 1946

  • Decommissioned, 31 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • Sold, 26 December 1947, to Pablo N. Ferrari & Co. and named MV Doņa Micaela
  • Resold to the government of Argentina in 1952, designated ARA BDT No.8
  • Transferred by the Argentine government for commercial service in 1952 for use as a collier
  • Sold, 14 January 1965, to Arenera Puerto Nuevo, converted to a sand dredge, renamed MV Rio Turbio
  • Final Disposition, sunk by collision, date unknown, with the tug ARA Payagua on the Parana River, Argentina
    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 Contributed
    By
    USS LST-869
    LST-869 30k USS LST-869 at anchor, date and location unknown. Norberto Gerardo Urcola
    Merchant Service
    LST-869 92k Ex-USS LST-869 working as the sand dredge MV Rio Turbio, date and location unknown. Norberto Gerardo Urcola
    LST-869 55k Hulk of the sand dredgeMV Rio Turbio after being sunk by collision in the Parana River, date unknown. Norberto Gerardo Urcola
    USS LST-869
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Malloy Jr., Edward James, USNR6 January 1945 - 21 February 1946
    02LTjg. Willcox, Harold Mott, USNR21 February 1946 - 31 July 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 June 2015