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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Pandemus (ARL-18)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - India - November
 NFIN
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 (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 USS Pandemus was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 13 to 30 June 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    6 September to 22 December 19456 September to 22 December 1945

  • 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
  • USS Pandemus earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target in 1969
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,900 t.(lt) 4,100 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2" (lim)
    Speed 11.6 kts.
    Largest Boom Capacity 60 t.
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 233
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    six twin 20 mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,715 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 1,800shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    MSC-190/192/201 144k USS Pandemus (ARL-18), MINRON 4 flagship, with MSCs USS Falcon (MSC-190), USS Hummingbird (MSC 192) and USS Shrike (MSC 201) moored alongside. YO-129 is outboard of Shrike
    US Navy Photo from the February 1957 issue of All Hands magazine    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Pandemus 686k USS Pandemus (ARL-18) coming alongside USS 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 USS Pandemus (ARL-18) under way, date and location unknown. Frank Martin, ETR3 USNR USS Pandemus July 61 to August 64
    Pandemus 190k USS Pandemus (ARL-18) under way off San Diego, CA., circa 1967.
    US Navy photo from 1967-68 edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships"    		 Robert Hurst
    Pandemus 84k USS Pandemus (ARL-18) ship's plaque Tommy Trampp
    Additional Ships Patches
    Pandemus
    Contributed by Robert Stahn    		 Pandemus
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    USS Pandemus (ARL-18)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Shaw, Jr., Howard Baker, USNR23 February 1945 - November 1945
    02LT. Hoover, Robert Eugene, USNNovember 1945 - 23 September 1946
     Decommissioned23 September 1946 - 14 December 1951
    03LT. Thomas, John Hugo, USN14 December 1951 - ?
    04CDR. Engler, Clifford Will, USN1955 - 30 January 1957
    05LCDR. Dunham, Alonzo Colbert, USN30 January 1957 - 12 March 1958
    06LCDR. Fleming, Marion Russell, USN12 March 1958 - 23 July 1960
    07LCDR./CDR. Kubiszewski, Robert Joseph, USNR23 July 1960 - 12 April 1963
    08LCDR. O'Donnell, John Joseph, USN12 April 1963 - 20 August 1965
    09LCDR. Ryan, James Anthony, USN20 August 1965 - 5 June 1967
    10LCDR. Scarbrough, Vernon Ray, USN5 June 1967 - 30 September 1968
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 1 September 2023