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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Pandemus (ARL-18)
ex
USS LST-650 (1944 - 1945)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Mike - Echo
NDME

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 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, June 1945

Following World War II USS 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

USS Pandemus received one battle star for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 2,220 t.(lt) 3,960 t.(fl) 4,100 t.(lim)
Length 328'
Beam 50'
Draft 11' 2" (lim)
Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
Complement

Officers 19

Enlisted 270
Armament

one single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mount

two quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors

six twin 20mm AA gun mounts
Largest Boom Capacity 50 t.
Fuel Capacity 4,715Bbls
Propulsion

two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines

single Falk Main Reduction Gears

Ships Service Generators

three 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.

two 60Kw 450V A.C.

two propellers, 1,800shp

twin rudders

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
144k	*USS Pandemus* (ARL-18), MINRON 4 flagship, with MSCs USS Falcon (MSC-190), USS Humming Bird (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.
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.
358k	*USS Pandemus* (ARL-18)** underway, date and location unknown.	Frank Martin, ETR3 USNR USS Pandemus July 61 to August 64