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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Landing Craft Tank
LCT(5)-325


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 15 August 1943)
Bottom Row -American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal

Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (two 15 August 1943)
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 5):
  • Laid down, 10 October 1942, at Omaha Steel Works, Omaha, NE.
  • Delivered in three section, 21 October 1942, for trans-shipping to Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. for assembly
  • Launched and placed in service at Mare Island Navy Yard, 3 November 1942
  • During World War II LCT-325 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCT Flotilla Five, LCDR Paul A. Wells;
    LCT Group Fourteen;
    LCT Division Twenty Seven and participated in the following campaigns;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    New Georgia Group operations
    New Georgia - Rendova - Vangunu occupation, 20 June to 5 October 1943
    Marshall Islands operations
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 19 February to 2 March 1944
    Treasury - Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landing, 27 October 1943
     
    At Guadalcanal on 13 August 1943 LCT(5)-325 and LCT(5)-327 were directed to take mail and cargo to American Forces at Enogai Harbor, New Georgia, and to evacuate casualties in company with USS APc-25. Their escorts were PT-154 under the command of LTJG Hamlin D. Smith, USNR, and PT-157 under LTJG William F. Liebenow, Jr., USNR. At this time and place all travel was at night. At about 2015 hours, prior to their departure, enemy aircraft appeared over Lunga Point. The transport USS John Penn (APA-23) was unloading supplies and was hit by an aerial torpedo and exploded. APc-25 was anchored about 750 yards away waiting for the LCTs and PTs to arrive so they could get underway for New Georgia. They responded to the John Penn, arriving in about 3 minutes, and proceeded to rescue about 100 passengers and crew members who had jumped into the oily, flaming waters to pull in badly injured survivors. A doctor and corpsmen who were aboard as passengers treated those they could. All the patients were sent ashore in LCVPs and the little convoy left at 2245 hours. On the night of 15 August 1943 the little flotilla came under air attack. The PTs protected their charges by zigzagging at high speed and making puffs of smoke to distract the attention of the enemy pilots but despite these efforts two sailors on the LCT(5)-325 were wounded by bomb fragments.
  • Placed out of service in the Solomon Islands in November 1945
  • Final Disposition, destroyed in November 1945
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 January 1946
  • LCT(5)-325 earned three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 285 t.(fl)
    Length 114' 2" (o.a.)
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft
    limiting 3' 6"
    max.navigational 3' 6"
    Speed 10 kts.
    Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
    Complement
    1 officer
    10 enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
    Armament
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    two .50 cal. machine guns
    Armor
    wheelhouse 2 1/2"
    gun shields 2"
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 80 Bbls
    Propulsion
    three Grey Marine 6-71 Diesel engines
    one Diesel-drive 20Kw 120V. D.C. Ships' service generator
    three propellers, 675shp

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    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LCT-325 42k LCT(5)-325 off Bougainville, Solomon Islands in November 1945, just before she was destroyed and scuttled Richard Fox World War II LCTs web site
    Courtesy CDR. Robert W. Keniston USN Ret. OIC LCT-325 (deceased)

    There is no history for LCT(5)-325 at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    World War II LCT Flotillas

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 19 January 2018