USS LST-43

History
United States
Name	LST-43
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down	19 June 1943
Launched	28 August 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. C. A. Hill
Commissioned	6 October 1943
Stricken	18 July 1944
Identification	Callsign: NPKS
Honors and awards	See Awards
Fate	Sunk as target, 1945
General characteristics
Class and 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-43 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

Construction

LST-43 was laid down on 19 June 1943, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 28 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. C. A. Hill; and commissioned on 6 October 1943.

Service history

During World War II, LST-43 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She took part in the Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls from 31 January to 8 February 1944.

She was destroyed and sunk during the West Loch disaster alongside 5 other LSTs at Pearl Harbor, on 21 May 1944.

LST-43 was struck from the Navy Register on 18 July 1944.

In 1945, she was raised but deemed too expensive to be repaired thus she was towed out to sea and sunk again as a target ship for torpedoes.

Awards

LST-43 have earned the following awards:

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

Bibliography

• "LST-42". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• "USS LST-43". NavSource Online. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

Further reading

• 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.