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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-993


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Mike - Kilo
 NKMK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

USS LST-993 was transferred to the Republic of China
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 March 1944, at the Boston Navy Yard
  • Launched, 7 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-993, 12 May 1944, LT. Albert W. Bates USNR in command
  • During World War II LST-993 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Eight, CAPT. E. Watts, USN;
     LST Group Twenty-Three, CDR. T.C. Linthicum, USN;
     LST Division Forty-Five and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation;
    Leyte landings, 5 to 18 November 1944     		Borneo operation;
    Tarakan Island operation, 27 April to 5 May 1945
    Luzon operation;
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 15 January 1945     		 

  • Following World War II USS LST-993 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September to 23 October 1945 
    25 November 1945 to 1 June 194625 November 1945 to 1 June 1946
  • Decommissioned, 1 June 1946
  • Transferred to the Republic of China, 7 February 1948
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 March 1948
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-993 earned three battle stars for World War II service
    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-171 371k USS LST-993 and USS LST-171 beached on Red Beach, Tarakan Island, 1 May 1945. Carl Kracht for his father PHom1/c Ken Kracht
    LST 993 26k USS LST-993 off loading vehicles onto a pontoon causeway probably at Tarakan, Borneo, circa May 1945. LST Home Port Web Site
    LST 993 3,344k USS LST-993 and USS LST-1027 high and dry at low tide at Tarakan, Borneo 1 May 1945. Headquarters 26th Brigade Infantry troops and vehicles are crossing the muddy beach on a causeway pontoon.
    US Navy photo     		Carl Kracht for his father PHom1/c Ken Kracht
    LST 993 58k USS LST-993 high and dry at low tide at Tarakan, Borneo on 1 May 1945. Headquarters 26th Brigade Infantry troops and vehicles are crossing the muddy beach on a causeway pontoon.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. 090850    		 Mike Green
    LST 993
    1016099304    		 125k USS LST-993 high and dry at low tide at Tarakan, Borneo on 1 May 1945. Headquarters 26th Brigade Infantry troops and vehicles are crossing the muddy beach on a causeway pontoon. Photo from www.flickr.com by Blue Mountains Library John Spivey
    USS LST-993
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Bates, Albert W., USNR13 May 1944 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Zeigler, Frank L., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Lapidus, Sidney, USNRMarch 1946 - 1 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
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Homeport
    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 15 March 2024