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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-939


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Delta - Golf
 NKDG
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 - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 21 July 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.
  • Launched, 23 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-939, 14 September 1944, LTjg. Archie H. Hubbard USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-939 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-One, CAPT. W.H. Brereton USN (24);
     LST Group Sixty-Two, CDR. W.M. Gillett USN (27);
     LST Division One Hundred Twenty-Four and participated in the following campaign:
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-939 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    12 September 1945 to 16 March 194612 September 1945 to 16 March 1946

  • Decommissioned, 22 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946
  • USS LST-939 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 June 1948, to Walter W. Johnson Co., Seattle, WA.
    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-939 69k USS LST-939 Christening and Launching ceremony, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 23 August 1944. USS LST-939 was Christened by Mrs. Margaret Lovett, the wife of William Lovett, a shipyard employee (man in the dark suit wearing glasses) Jack Lovett
    LST-939 69k
    LST-939 107k
    LST-939 65k
    LST-939 181k USS LST-939 beached at Dulag Leyte, Philippines, circa 4 February 1945. Submitted by Roberta Ritchie on behalf of Edward Belleavoine BM2/c USS LST-939
    LST-939 130k USS LST-939 under way in San Francisco Bay, circa early 1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 79688. Courtesy D.M. McPherson, 1974.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS LST-939
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Hubbard Jr., Archie H., USNR14 September 1944 - 3 November 1945
    02LT. Fricks Jr., Ben, USNR3 November 1945 - 30 January 1946
    03LTjg. Palisi, Joseph A., USNR30 January 1946 - 22 June 1946
    99LT. Wilson, Roy E., USNRno dates
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 4 October 2022