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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-277

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Hotel - Oscar
NZHO

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)

USNS T-LST-277 was transferred to Chile, renamed Commandante Toro (LST-97)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship

Laid down, 31 May 1943, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.

Launched, 5 September 1943

Commissioned USS LST-277, 24 October 1943, LTjg. Edward B. Watson Jr., USNR, in command

During World War II USS LST-277 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 1 to 5 February 1944	Manila Bay-Bicol operations Nasugbu, 31 January 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 17 to 24 June 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 25 March to 24 June 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings 20 October 1944

During the Okinawa Gunto campaign USS LST-277 came under the command of:
LST Flotilla Three, CDR. A. A. Ageton USN;
LST Group Seven, LCDR. E. B. Garrigures;
LST Division Thirteen

Following World War II USS LST-277 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 20 October 1945 to 12 February 1946

Decommissioned, 12 February 1946

USS LST-277 earned five battle stars for World War II service

Assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), 20 May 1949, redesignated Q055

Transferred, 31 March 1952, the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), and placed in service as USNS T-LST-277

Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 February 1973

Sold to Chile, 2 February 1973, renamed Commandante Toro (LST-97)

Retired from Chile naval service, 24 October 1977

Final Disposition, disposed of as a target, 12 December 1977

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	Source
USS LST-277
1016027401	287k	Members of the US Army *804th Engineer Aviation Battalion* board LSTs, including USS LST-277 and USS LST-274, at Pearl Harbor, T.H., 27 May 1944 prior to departure for the Marianas. US National Archives Identifier 193835249, US Army Air Corps photo A63574A now in the collections of the US National Archives	David Upton
1207140404	296k	USS LST-277 sails in the background while USS PCS-1404, is being refueled while en route to Saipan, by an unidentified vessel, 15 June 1944. US National Archives Identifier 193832778 US Army Air Corps photo # A63650A.C.	David Upton
	1091k	USS LST-461, USS LST-277, USS LST-917 and USS LST-571 beached while unloading across pontoon causeways probably at Lingayen Gulf, circa January 1945. US Navy photo	Raymond Cvetovich, Ph.D
Commandante Toro (LST-97)
	60k	Ex-USS LST-277 in Chilean Naval service as Commandante Toro (LST-97) at anchor off Hanga Roa, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), 18 April 1976.	André Pilon

USS LST-277
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LTjg. Watson Jr., Edward B., USNR	24 October 1943 - February 1945
02	LTjg. Kenney, Robert P., USNR	February 1945 - 13 February 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 Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 16 February 2024