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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-878


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Xray - Echo
 NIXE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal- World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 October 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 9 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-878, 3 January 1945, LT. Laurence Lattomus, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-878 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (22);
     LST Group Ninety-Two, CDR. J. G. Winn USN;
     LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Four
  • Following World War II USS LST-878 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 30 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 3 May 1946
  • Struck from the Navy Register, 19 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold to Bosey, Philippines, 5 November 1947, fate unknown
    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 Contributed
    By
    LST-878 185k USS LST-878 and USS LST-901 moored in San Francisco Bay as they prepared to leave for duty in the Far East in 1945. Karen Schuller for her father Virgil Schuller USS LST-878
    LST-878 177k
    LST-878 201k USS LST-878 crew members, Virgil Schuller on the right with two unknown crewmen. Karen Schuller for her father Virgil Schuller USS LST-878
    LST-878 3k USS LST-878 moored, date and location unknown. LST Home Port Web Site
    USS LST-878
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Lattomus, Lawrence, USNR 3 January 1945 - 17 October 1945
    02LT. Francke, Harry C., USNR17 October 1945 - December 1945
    03LTjg. Boone, Jerry B., USNR December 1945 - 7 February 1946
    04LTjg. Back, Joseph H., USNR 7 February 1946 - 3 May 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 Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 17 February 2017