Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-937


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Romeo - Zulu
 NVRZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 July 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.
  • Launched, 12 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-937, 6 September 1944, LT. George W. Mitchell USN in command
  • During World War II USS LST-937 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaigns and Dates
    Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines;
    Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-937 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    7 September 1945 to 24 May 19467 September to 24 May 1946

  • Decommissioned at Shanghai, China, 24 May 1946 and transferred to the State Department
  • Transferred by the State Department to the Republic of China
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LST-937 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 Contributed
    By
    LST 970 247k USS LST-937, USS LST-970 and USS LST-690, beached at Ie Shima, near Okinawa, 21 February 1946. Photo contributed by LT. William (Bill) S. Barnes USS LST-970, caption by LTjg Earl M. Wiggs, Jr. USS LST-937
    LST-937 83k USS LST-937 beached at Labaun Island Borneo while offloading Royal Australian Air Force heavy construction equipment, 11 June 1945.
    Australian War Memorial photo # OG2922    		 Australian War Memorial
    LST-937 46k USS LST-937 beached at Labaun Island Borneo while offloading Royal Australian Air Force trucks, 11 June 1945.
    Australian War Memorial photo # OG2923    		 Australian War Memorial
    LST-714 250k USS LST-714, USS LST-937 and USS LST-614 beached at Manila, Philippine Islands, circa 1945, while unloading equipment. Larry Gum for his father Waples Gum USS LST-714
    USS LST-937
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Mitchell, George Wilbur, USN6 September 1944 - 5 January 1946
    02LTjg. Welch Jr., Daniel E., USNR5 January 1946 - 24 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 Home Port
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 6 November 2015