Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-961


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Foxtrot - Uniform
 NKFU
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
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 13 October 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.
  • Launched, 11 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-961, 6 December 1944, LT. Harold A. Dabroe USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-961 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Palawan Islands landings, 1 to 2 March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 15 May to 10 June 1945

  • For the Okinawa Campaign USS LST-961 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-Three, CAPT. W.W. Weeden Jr. USN;
     LST Group Sixty-Eight, CDR. G. H. Dana USN (20);
     LST Div One Hundred Thirty-Six
  • Following World War II USS LST-961 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    6 to 23 September 1945 
    20 October to 5 November 1945 
    17 December 1945 to 14 April 194617 December 1945 to 14 April 1946
  • Decommissioned, 23 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • USS LST-961 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 December 1947, to The Learner Co., Oakland, CA.
    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-961 111k USS LST-961 under way, circa 1944-46.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 84877. Courtesy of William H. Davis, 1976.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LST-961 230k A stock photo depicting USS LST-961 under way, date and location unknown. Jason Moore for his grandfather R.A. Moore S1/c USS LST-961
    USS LST-961
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Dabroe, Harold A., USNR6 December 1944 - October 1945
    02ENS. Marzluff, Joseph Oscar, USN (USNA 1945)October 1945 May 1946
    03LTjg. Gelles, John J., USNRMay 1946 - 23 July 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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 5 May 2017