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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-991

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Mike - Echo
NKME
Nicknamed "Lady Bug" by her crew

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 - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

USS LST-991 was transferred to the Republic of China (Taiwan)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 26 February 1944, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.

Launched, 27 March 1944

Commissioned USS LST-991, 6 May 1944, LT. Randall R. Shake, USNR, in command

During World War II, USS LST-991 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Fourteen, CAPT. E. A. Seay USN (24);
LST Group Forty, CDR. G. Reith USN (24);
LST Division Eighty and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 18 January 1945
Western New Guinea operation Morotai Landings, 22 to 23 December 1944 documented by Philip Schreibier (USS LST-991)	Manila Bay-Bicol operations Zambales-Subic Bay, 20 to 30 January 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 18 October to 6 November and 19 to 29 November 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April 22 June 1945

Following World War II USS LST-991 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
28 September 1945 to 3 May 1946	28 September 1945 to 3 May 1946

Decommissioned, 3 May 1946, at Shanghai, China

Transferred to the U.S. Department of State for immediate transfer to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Commission for service in China

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS LST-991 earned six battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, torpedoed and sunk off of Quemoy Island by torpedo boats of Chinese Peoples Liberation Navy in August 1958

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
	164k	USS LST-991 at anchor, date and location unknown.	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
	268k	USS LST-991 Engineering Department, September 1944.	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
	185k	USS LST-991 Engineering Department, September 1944.
	197k	USS LST-991 crew member John Turner Taylor MMoM1/c working at the engine room main panel.	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
1016099122	166k	USS LST-991 landing elements of the 1876th Engineer Aviation Battalion at Luzon, Philippine Islands, during the Luzon Operation, circa January 1945. US National Archives, USAF Collection, US Army Air Corps photo # 76826 AC	Jason Post
	86k	USS LST-991 at anchor, date and location unknown. Photo by LT. Jerome (Tom) Thomas engineering officer, 1944-45 USS LST-991	Jerrie Reining for her father Lt. Jerome (Tom) Thomas USS LST-991
	55k	USS LST-991 crew loading ammunition, date and location unknown.	Jerrie Reining for his father Lt. Jerome (Tom) Thomas USS LST-991
	65k	USS LST-991 crew members preparing to go over the side to paint, date and location unknown.	Jerrie Reining for her father Lt. Jerome (Tom) Thomas USS LST-991
	14k	USS LST-991 beached, data and location unknown.	Joe Mangan for his father Norman Mangan USS LST-991
	139k	USS LST-991 moored pierside inboard of an unidentified LST, in the Pacific, location and date unknown.	Joe Mangan for his father Norman Mangan USS LST-991
	14k	USS LST-991 loading supplies, date and location unknown. LTjg. Jerome (Tom) Thomas left, unidentified officer at right.	Jerrie Reining for her father Lt. Jerome (Tom) Thomas USS LST-991
	203k	USS LST-991 at anchor in the harbor at Hong Kong, BCC, circa September 1945 - May 1946	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
	219k	USS LST-991 captian's inspection, Hong Kong BCC, Navy Day, 27 October 1945.	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
	405k
	254k	USS LST-991 captian's inspection, date and location unknown	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
	353k	USS LST-991 crew members Joe Terreri, Bob Culley and Cary in one of the ship's .50 cal machine gun tubs.	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991
	427k	USS LST-991 crew members Joe Terreri and Bob Culley.	John Taylor for is father John Turner Taylor MoMM1/c USNR USS LST-991

LTJG Jerome (Tom) Thomas

Lou Zeleskey Comm Officer

Bill Remick Gunnery Off / CO

BMC and Ed Quinn Stores Off

Ship's officers
Submitted by - Jerrie Reining for her father Lt. Jerome (Tom) Thomas USS LST-991

USS LST-991
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Shake, Randall R., USNR	6 May 1944 - 24 September 1945
02	LT. Schweitzer, Norman W., USNR	24 September 1945 - 12 December 1945
03	LTjg. Remick, William Chadbourne, USNR	12 December 1945 - 3 May 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
Poem-"Ol' 991 Readiness for Sea; Special Report of"
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

Last Updated 22 January 2021