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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-970

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - India - Tango
NKIT

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

542-Class Tank Landing Ship:<

Laid down, 14 November 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc. Hingham, MA.

Launched, 16 December 1944

Commissioned USS LST-970, 13 January 1945, LT. William W. Rader USNR in command

During World War II USS LST-970 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaign**
Campaign and Dates
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June1945

Following World War II USS LST-970 performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until late February 1946

Decommissioned, 10 July 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1946

Final Disposition, sold for commercial service to Trailerships, Inc., 25 April 1947, renamed M/V Old Point Comfort

Resold to Chesapeake Bay Ferry District, March 1957

Resold to Chesapeake Bridge and Tunnel District (date unknown)

Resold to Delaware River Bay Authority, 16 December 1964

Resold to Navegacion, Atlantida, S.A., 6 January 1967, renamed M/V Atlantic

Current Disposition, laid up at Rio Parana, near San Nicolas, Argentina.

USS LST-970 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
USS LST-970
	66k	Hingham MA, USS LST-970 launching, 16 December 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc. Hingham, MA.	LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
	251k	USS LST-970 commissioning ceremony, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc. Hingham, MA., 13 January 1945. LT. William W. Rader, assuming command	Courtesy Frank Rader Submitted by LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
	587k	USS LST-970 ships company during commissioning ceremony, 13 January 1945, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc. Hingham, MA. Note, *LST-972* in the background.	Courtesy Frank Rader Submitted by LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
	267k	USS LST-970 seen here beached after unloading her cargo along with *LST-117* and *LST-822* at Leyte, 12 September 1945.	LT William (Bill) S Barnes
	247k	USS LST-970 flanked by *LST-937* and USS LST-690 beached at Ie Shima, near Okinawa, 21 February 1946.	Photo contributed by LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970, caption by LTjg Earl M. Wiggs, Jr. USS LST-937
	228k	USS LST-970 beached at Ie Shima, near Okinawa, 21 February 1946.	LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
Commercial Service
	21k	Ex-USS LST-970 seen here in merchant service as Trailerships Inc, M/V Old Point Comfort	LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
	33k	Ex-USS LST-970 seen here in merchant service as Trailerships Inc, M/V Old Point Comfort	LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
	153k	Ex-*LST-970* seen here in merchant service as Navegacion, Atlantida, S.A., M/V Atlantico coming into Darsena Norte, within the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina	LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970

View the USS LST-970
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site

View USS LST-970 Voyage Log

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Historia y Arqueologia Marítima
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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Last Updated 30 August 2007