USS LST-972

USS LST-972 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

History
United States
Name: LST-972
Builder: Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number: 3442[1]
Laid down: 21 November 1944
Launched: 22 December 1944
Commissioned: 22 January 1945
Decommissioned: 25 June 1946
Stricken: 15 August 1946
Identification:
Fate: Transferred to the Maritime Administration(MARAD), 29 May 1947
Status: Sold by MARAD for operation, 29 May 1949
United States
Name: Tucupita
Owner: Texas Petro Company
Acquired: 29 May 1949
Status: Fate unknown
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: LST-542-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 3 in (2.51 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
  • Limiting 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
  • Maximum navigation 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 11.6 kn (21.5 km/h; 13.3 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
Awards:

Construction

LST-972 was laid down on 21 November 1944, at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 22 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Avery; and commissioned on 22 January 1945,[3] with Lieutenant William E. Emslie, USNR, in command.[2]

Service history

During World War II, LST-972 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in May and June 1945.[3]

Following World War II, LST-972 performed occupation duty in the [[Far East] until early February 1946. She was decommissioned on 25 June 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 15 August, that same year. On 29 May 1947, the ship was transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal.[3] On 29 May 1949, she was sold by MARAD to the Texas Petro Company and renamed Tucupita.[2]

Notes

    Citations
    1. Bethlehem-Hingham 2011.
    2. Navsource 2016.
    3. DANFS.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "LST-972". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 June 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "Bethlehem-Hingham, Hingham MA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
    • "USS LST-972". Navsource.org. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2017.


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