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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-985


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Romeo - Tango
NVRT
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 - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 3 January 1944, at the Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 25 February 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-985, 7 April 1944, LT James S. Alexander USN in command
  • During World War II USS LST-985 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Seven, CAPT. Riley;
    LST Group One Hundred Ten, LCDR. C. Alexander;
    LST Division Two Hundred-Twenty
  • Following World War II USS LST-985 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
     2 to 23 September 1945
    1 October1945 to 19 March 1946 1 October 1945 to 19 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 6 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 October 1947, to William E. Skinner
    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-985 98k USS LST-985 at anchor in the Whangpoo River off Shanghai, China, 17 February 1946. David Wright
    LST-985 17k USS LST-985 passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, circa 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 83648 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
    US National Park Service, Charlestown Boston Naval Shipyard

    USS LST-985
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Alexander, James Silas, USN7 April 1944 - February 1946
    02LTjg. Ridenour, Walter L., USNRFebruary 1946 - 29 April 1946
    03LTjg. Gallagher, Joseph V., USNR29 April 1946 - 6 June 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
    Double Launching Program for LST-984 & LST-985 at Boston Navy Yard
    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 30 November 2018