USS LST-69

USS LST-69 on 4 October 1943
History
United States
Name	LST-69
Builder	Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville
Laid down	7 September 1942
Launched	20 February 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. S. F. Crum
Commissioned	20 May 1943
Stricken	18 July 1944
Identification	Callsign: NPPV
Honors & awards	See Awards
Fate	Sunk by internal explosion, 21 May 1944
General characteristics
Class & type	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328  ft (100  m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power	2 × 900  hp (670  kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,700  shp (1,300  kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
Troops	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

USS LST-69 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. ^[1]

Construction and career

LST-69 was laid down on 7 September 1942 at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, Indiana. Launched on 28 August 1943 and commissioned on 6 October 1943. ^[2]

During World War II, LST-69 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She took part in the Gilbert Islands operations from 13 November to 8 December 1943.

She was destroyed and sunk during the West Loch disaster alongside 5 other LSTs at Pearl Harbor on 21 May 1944. On that day, she was moored with LST-205, LST-225, LST-274, LST-43, LST-179, LST-353, and LST-39. No crew members were lost aboard the ship during that disaster. ^[3]

LST-69 was struck from the Navy Register on 18 July 1944. ^[4]

Awards

LST-69 have earned the following awards:

• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1 battle star)
• World War II Victory Medal

Citations

1. "Tank Landing Ship LST". NavSource. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "LST-43". NHHC. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
3. "US LST Association - LST Memories: The Second Pearl Harbor Disaster". www.uslst.org. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
4. "Tank Landing Ship LST". NavSource. Retrieved 11 November 2021.

Sources

• United States. Dept. of the Treasury (1962). Treasury Decisions Under the Customs, Internal Revenue, Industrial Alcohol, Narcotic and Other Laws, Volume 97. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Moore, Capt. John (1984). Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0710607959.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0710628886.
• Fairplay International Shipping Journal Volume 222. United Kingdom: Fairplay Publishing Limited. 1967.