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Lost to enemy action, 18 July 1943

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-342


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal


LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 21 August 1942, at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Launched, 8 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-342, 31 December 1942, LT. Edward S. McCluskey, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-342 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. J.R. Clark, USN
    LST Group Fourteen, CDR. R.W. Lejeunesse, USN
    LST Division Twenty-Seven and participated in following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 2 and 17 to 18 July 1943
  • Lost to enemy action, sunk by Japanese submarine IJN RO-106 in the Blanche Channel of New Georgia Island, 18 July 1943
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 July 1943
  • USS LST-342 earned one battle star for World War II service
    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
    LST-342 173k The bow of the hulk of ex-USS LST-342 aground at Purvis Bay, Florida Island in the Solomon Islands. Paulo Soukup
    LST-342 167k
    LST-342 223k The bow of the hulk of ex-USS LST-342 aground at Purvis Bay, Florida Island in the Solomon Islands, 1983. Photo by Phil Long

    USS LST-342
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. McCluskey, Edward S., USNR31 December 1942 - 30 June 1943
    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
    LST Flotilla Five War Diary May 1944
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    LST-342 Wreck Site
    Location of the wreck of USS LST-342 in Iron Bottom Sound
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 June 2023