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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-944

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Tango - Zulu
NVTZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal

542-Class Tank Landing Ship

Laid down, 11 August 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.

Launched, 3 September 1944

Commissioned USS LST-944, 4 October 1944, LT. Joseph H. Floyd USNR in command

During World War II USS LST-944 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Twenty-Five, CAPT. H. E. Richter USN (24);
LST Group Seventy-Three, CDR. L. D. York USNR;
LST Division One Hundred Forty-Six and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 20 to 28 February 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 17 April to 7 June 1945

Decommissioned, 9 December 1945

Struck from the Naval Register, 8 January 1946

USS LST-944 earned two battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold to the Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD., 26 September 1947, for scrapping

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
1016094402	402k	from left to right; USS LST-944, USS LST-477 and USS LST-795 moored Naval Station Pearl Harbor between 8 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 undergoing training during the build up for Operation Detachment, the Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima in February 1945. TimeLife_Image_115948783, by W. Eugene Smith. For personal non-commercial use only.	David Upton
1016072407	350k	from left to right; *LCT-1245, USS LST-724, USS LST-944, USS LST-477* and USS LST-795 moored Naval Station Pearl Harbor between 8 December 1944 and 22 January 1945 undergoing training during the build up for Operation Detachment, the Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima in February 1945. TimeLife_Image_115948775, by W. Eugene Smith. For personal non-commercial use only.	David Upton
1016060901 TL 115948783	2336k	Six LSTs loading for their next combat operation moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, between 8 December 1944 and 22 January 1945. From left to right; USS LST-609, with an LCT loaded on her main deck (Manila Bay-Bicol operations) USS LST-790,with an LCT loaded on her main deck (Invasion of Iwo Jima) USS LST-641, with *LCT(6)-1300* loaded on her main deck (Invasion of Iwo Jima) USS LST-944, (Invasion of Iwo Jima) USS LST-84, (Invasion of Iwo Jima) and USS LST-648, with *LCT(6)-1404* loaded on her main deck (Invasion of Iwo Jima) and with an LCI alongside. TimeLife_Image_115948783, 11548889 and 115948888, by W. Eugene Smith. For personal non-commercial use only.	David Upton
1016060902 TL 11548889	2219k
1016060903 TL 115948888.	533k
	29k	USS LST-944 beached on Yellow Beach at Iwo Jima, 23 March 1945. *USS Zuni* (ATF-95)** is alongside assisting USS LST-944 in holding her position on the beach. USS LST-944 had either one of both of her engines out of commission at the time.	The Tamaroa Maritime Foundation
	327k	Ten LSTs moored at the Yonabaru Pier, Okinawa, 23 July 1945. From right to left: USS LST-819, USS LST-879, USS LST-681, USS LST-926, USS LST-944, ? USS LST-715, USS LST-918, USS LST-871, ? ? US Navy photo 21st USNCB Neg. No. 204.	Donn Cuson

USS LST-944
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Floyd, Joseph Harry, USNR	4 December 1944 - September 1945
02	LTjg. Ritter, Byron Eugene, USNR	September 1945 - 9 December 1945


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

Last Updated 13 August 2021