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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Marinette County (LST-953)
ex
USS LST-953 (1944 - 1945)

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International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Foxtrot - Bravo
NKFB

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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 (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

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During World War II USS LST-953 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater;

LST Flotilla Twenty-One, CAPT. W. H. Brereton, USN (24);

LST Group Sixty-Three, LCDR. R .E. Farnestock USNR;

LST Div One Hundred Twenty-Six and participated in the following campaign:

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign

Campaign and Dates
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 to 30 June 1945

Following World War II USS LST-953 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
20 to 26 September
1 January to 5 April 1946

Decommissioned, 12 November 1946

Placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training ship, date and location unknown

Placed out of service and laid up, 17 June 1950, in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Spring, FL.

Renamed Marinette County, (LST-953), 1 July 1955

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS LST-953 earned one battle star for World War II service

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Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
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)
Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
Complement

7 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
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	92k	USS LST-953 launching at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 15 October 1944		Christopher Demitras
	108k	USS LST-953 soon after launching at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 15 October 1944		Christopher Demitras

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USS Marinette County (LST-953) / USS LST-953
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

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Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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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 22 March 2013