LST-66

 

LST-66 was laid down on 14 August 1942 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched on 16 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Landwehr; and commissioned on 12 April 1943, Lt. Howard E. White, USCG, in command.

 

During World War II, LST-66 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations:

 

Bismarck Archipelago operation:

(a) Cape Gloucester, New Britain—December 1943, January and February 1944

(b) Admiralty Islands landing—February, March and April 1944

Eastern New Guinea operation:

(a) Saidor occupation—January and February 1944

Hollandia operation—April and May 1944

Western New Guinea operations:

(a) Toem-Wakde-Sarmi area operations—May 1944

(b) Biak Island operation—June 1944

(c) Noemfoor Island operation—July 1944

(d) Cape Sansapor operation—July and August 1944

(e) Morotai landings—September 1944

Leyte landings—October and November 1944

Lingayen landings on Luzon—January 1945

Consolidation of the southern Philippines:

(a) Mindanao Island landings—March 1945

Borneo operations:

(a) Balikpapan operation—July 1945

 

LST-66 was decommissioned on 26 March 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 1 May 1946. On 7 April 1948, she was sold to the Kaiser Co., Inc., of Seattle, Wash., for scrapping.

 

LST-66 earned eight battle stars for World War II service as well as the Navy Unit Commendation.