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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:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (23);
    LST Group Ninety-Three CDR. E. R. Sperry USN (23);
    LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Six and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 21 May to 30 June1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-970 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    20 to 28 September 1945 
    25 October to 5 November 1945 
    29 January to 26 February 194629 January to 26 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 10 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1946
  • USS LST-970 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Merchant Service
    Sold, 25 April 1947, to American Overseas Chartering reorganized as Trailerships, Inc., renamed MV Albany
    MV Albany hauled loaded trucks between New York City and Albany on the Hudson River until September 1955
    Acquired at a US Marshal's sale by McAllister Brothers in September 1955
    Resold to Chesapeake Bay Ferry District, March 1957, renamed M/V Old Point Comfort
    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 Atlantico, reflagged Uruguayan
    Placed in ferry service between Buenos Aires and Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay in March 1967, sailing on that route until early 90s. Between 1993/94 M/V Atlantico was laid and later abandoned on the San Nicolas Coast, Argentina. There she has vandalized, and set on fire
    Current Disposition, laid up and abandoned circa 1993-94 at Rio Parana, near San Nicolas, Argentina

    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
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    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LST-970
    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
    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
    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
    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
    LST 970 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
    LST 970 228k USS LST-970 beached at Ie Shima, near Okinawa, 21 February 1946. LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
    Merchant Service
    LST 970 21k Ex-USS LST-970 seen here in merchant service as the Chesapeake Bay Ferry District car ferry M/V Old Point Comfort LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970
    LST 970 33k
    LST 970 373k The Chesapeake Bay Ferry District car ferry M/V Old Point Comfort under way in Cheasepeake Bay. William Baxter
    LST 970 431k Post card image of the Chesapeake Bay Ferry District car ferry M/V Old Point Comfort departing Little Creek ferry terminal, circa 1958. William Baxter
    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
    LST 970 45k Ex-M/V Atlantico laid up, circa 1993-94 and abandoned on the San Nicolas Coast, Argentina. D.P. Martin
    LST 970 2019k Ex-M/V Atlantico laid up and abandoned on the San Nicolas Coast, Argentina, 18 June 2009. Ivan Fangio
    LST 970 2324k
    LST 970 2448k

    USS LST-970
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Rader, William W., USNR13 January 1945 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Bell, George E., USNRDecember 1945 - 28 April 1946
    03LTjg. D'Aiuto, Anthony James, USN28 April 1946 - 10 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
    USS LST-970 Voyage Log
    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
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    Last Updated 27 May 2016