USS LST-20

USS LST-20 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II and manned by a United States Coast Guard crew. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS LST-20 beached at Guam, Marianas Islands in 1945, while loading/unloading an M4 medium tank.
History
United States
Name: LST-20
Builder: Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 5 October 1942
Launched: 15 February 1943
Sponsored by: Miss Anne B. Sylvester
Commissioned: 14 April 1943
Decommissioned: 3 April 1946
Stricken: 19 June 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 4 × battle stars
Fate:
  • transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARCOM), 8 October 1947
  • Sold, 8 October 1947
  • Resold, 21 December 1948
Panama
Owner: Pan Ore Steamship Company
Acquired: 21 December 1948
Status: Fate unknown
General characteristics [1]
Type: LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light)
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load)
  • 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
Length: 328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power:
Propulsion:
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 x LCVPs
Capacity: 1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops: 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement: 13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:
Service record
Part of: LST Flotilla 14
Operations:
Awards:

Construction

LST-20 was laid down on 5 October 1942, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 15 February 1943; sponsored by Miss Anne B. Sylvester.[2] She was floated down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and entered commissioned service on 14 May 1943, with Lieutenant Charles W. Smith, USCG, in command.[3]

Service history

During the war, LST-20 served exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from November 1943 until November 1945.[2]

On 27 July 1943, LST-20 departed with six other LSTs escorted by Oracle, Charleston, and Hutchins for Adak Island in the Aleutians.[3]

LST-20 participated in operations in the Gilbert Islands during November and December 1943.[1]

In October 1944, LST-20 moved to the Philippines to participate in General Douglas MacArthur's promised liberation of the islands from the Japanese occupation. LST-20 participated at the Leyte landings and the Battle of Luzon Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945.[1]

LST-20 finished her combat career with the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April 1945.[1]

Postwar career

Following the war, LST-20 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945.[2] She returned to San Diego on 23 December 1945. She departed San Diego on 11 January 1946, for Galveston, Texas, via the Canal Zone, arriving there on 1 February 1946, and was decommissioned on 3 April 1946.[3] She was struck from the Navy list on 19 June 1946, and was transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARCOM) on 8 October 1947.[2]

Merchant service

On 8 October 1947, MARCOM sold LST-20 to Southern Shipwrecking Company that in turn resold her to Pan Ore Steamship Company who reflagged her for Panama, her final disposition is unknown.[1]

Honors and awards

LST-20 earned four battle stars for her World War II service.[2]

References
  1. Navsource 2010.
  2. DANFS.
  3. Coast Guard.

Bibliography
  • "LST-20". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 16 August 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "USS LST-20". NavSource Online. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  • "USS LST-20" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 16 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.