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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-897


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Foxtrot - Xray
NJFX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 19 September 1944, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 25 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-897, 22 December 1944, LT. Peter K. Peterson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-897 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (22);
    LST Group Ninety-One, CDR. Jesse Hogan Motes Jr. USN (31);
    LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Two and participated in the following campaign;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 29 May to 10 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-897 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 1945 to 20 March 19462 September 1945 to 20 March 1946

  • Decommissioned, 23 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for operation, 15 June 1948, to Steel Powers, fate unknown
  • USS LST-897 earned one battle star for World War II service.


    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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
    LST-897 78k USS LST-897, launching at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA., 25 November 1944. Submitted by Ruth Ann Griffin in memory of her father Lawrence Jones

    USS LST-897
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Peterson, Peter K., USNR22 December 1944 - 3 March 1946
    02LTjg. Gibbs, Marshall D. USNR3 March 1946 - 23 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 17 July 2015