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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Lyman County (LST-903)
ex
 USS LST-903 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Romeo - Hotel
 NJRH
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 - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia Clasp)
542-Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 October 1944 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 23 December 1944
  • Commissioned , 20 January 1945, LT. John B. Darrow, USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-903 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Two, CAPT. D. J. Sweeny;
     LST Group Ninety-Five, CDR. J. Capponi USNR;
     LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Nine
  • Following World War II USS LST-903 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 23 September to 20 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 10 September 1946, at Vancouver, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Renamed USS Lyman County (LST-903), 1 July 1955
  • Designated as a target, 20 October 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
  • Final Disposition, torpedoed and sunk by USS Menhaden (SS-377), 28 March 1959, off the coast of Baja California in 720 fathoms
    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
    LST-903
    NH 84703    		 127k USS LST-903 and USS LST-901 at anchor, location unknown, circa 1945-46.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 84703, courtesy of D.M. McPherson, 1976.    		 Mike Smolinski
    USS LST-903 /USS Lyman County (LST-903)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Darrow, John B., USNR20 January 1945 - March 1946
    02LTjg. Lawrence, Edward M., USNMarch 1946 - 22 April 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 31 January 2020