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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-953 Marinette County

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Foxtrot - Bravo

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)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 15 September 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.

Launched, 15 October 1944

Commissioned USS LST-953, 7 November 1944, LT. T. W. Sexton in command

During World War II LST-953 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Okinawa Gunto operation
Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, June 1945

Following World War II LST-953 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early April 1946

Decommissioned, 12 November 1946

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

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

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

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958

Final Disposition, fate unknown

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

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

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

View the Marinette County (LST-953)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

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

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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Last Updated 9 November 2007