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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

LST-650 / ARL-18 Pandemus


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Mike - Echo
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
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba) - Philippines Liberation Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship / Achelous Class Landing Craft Repair Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 July 1944 as LST-650 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Reclassified as a Landing Craft Repair Ship ARL-18, 14 August 1944
  • Named Pandemus, 11 September 1944
  • Launched, 10 October 1944
  • Placed in reduced commission for transit to her conversion yard, 21 October 1944
  • Decommissioned, 3 November 1944
  • Converted to a Landing Craft Repair Ship at Todd-Johnson Dry Dock Inc., New Orleans, LA.
  • Recommissioned, USS Pandemus (ARL-18), 23 February 1945, LCDR. Howard B. Shaw, Jr., USNR, in command
  • During World War II Pandemus was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
  • Following World War II Pandemus performed occupation duty including China service
  • Decommissioned, 23 September 1946, at Algiers, LA.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 14 December 1951, at Green Cove Springs, FL., Lt. John H. Thomas in command
  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1968
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1968
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target in 1969
  • Pandemus received one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,220 t.(lt) 4,100 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Speed 11.6 kts.
    Complement 255
    Armament
    2 quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    2 twin 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors 6 twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567 Diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Pandemus 686k Pandemus (ARL-18) coming alongside Proteus (AS-19) during highline operations at sea, 17 October 1963,
    .US Navy photo # NH 1085356.    		 David Buell for his father CWO4 Benton, E. Buell USN Ret.
    Pandemus 358k Pandemus (ARL-18) underway, date and place unknown. Frank Martin, ETR3 USNR USS Pandemus July 61 to August 64
    Additional Ships Patches
    Pandemus
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski    		 Pandemus
    Contributed by Robert Stahn
    View the Pandemus (ARL-18)
    DANFS history entry, located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 19 October 2007