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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-690


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - November - Romeo
 NFNR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe, Africa, Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 31 January 1944, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 14 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-690, 6 May 1944, LCDR, Ernest C. Reif USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-690 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-690 was assigned to:
  • During World War II USS LST-920 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater (convoy HXM 30) and later reassigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Six, CAPT. D. F. J. Shea USN (23);
     LST Group One Hundred Eight, LCDR. W. R. Peeler USN (34);
     LST Division Two Hundred-Sixteen and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-690 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    20 September to 2 October 1945
    18 October to 30 November 1945
    1 to 21 January 1946
    7 to 28 February 1946
  • Decommissioned, 23 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold, 16 December 1947, to James A. Hughes, New York, NY for scrapping
  • USS LST-690 earned two battle stars 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-690
    1016069005    		 174k USS LST-690 moored pierside, possibly at Oran, Algeria, date unknown.
    Luke Karolchyk LST-907 photo collection    		 Mary Ann Karolchyk and Cheryl Brozovic on behalf of their father Luke Karolchyk LST-907
    LST-690 12k USS LST-690 beached, date and location unknown. LST Home Port web site
    LST 970 247k USS LST-690, far right, along with USS LST-970, center, and USS LST-937, far left, 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-690 49k USS LST-690 exchanging movies with USS LST-708 while underway in the Pacific, date unknown. John Lee
    LST-690 56k USS LST-690 exchanging movies with an unidentified ship while underway in the Pacific, date unknown. John Lee
    USS LST-690
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Reif, Ernest C. USNR6 May 1944 - 27 October 1944
    02LT. Grady, Stephen J. USNR27 October 1944 - 13 December 1945
    03LTjg. Mills, William W. USNR13 December 1945 - 23 July 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 24 February 2023