USS LST-918

USS LST-918 underway in San Francisco Bay, California, with Mark 6 LCT-1292 on board, c. early 1946.
History
United States
Name	LST-918
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number	3388
Laid down	5 April 1944
Launched	7 May 1944
Commissioned	29 May 1944
Decommissioned	12 June 1946
Stricken	31 July 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-918 Code letters: NVPO
Honors and awards	2 × battle star
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 18 December 1947
General characteristics
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	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,800 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
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	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
Service record
Part of:	LST Flotilla 1
Operations:	Leyte landings (20 October 1944) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (26 March–7 June 1945)
Awards:	American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Philippine Liberation Medal

USS LST-918 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.

Construction

LST-918 was laid down on 5 April 1944, at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 7 May 1944; and commissioned on 29 May 1944.

Service history

During World War II, LST-918 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and took part in the Leyte landings in October 1944, and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in March and June 1945.

Following the war, LST-918 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946. Upon her return to the United States, she was decommissioned on 12 June 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 31 July, that same year. On 18 December 1947, the ship was sold to the Learner Co., Oakland, California, and subsequently scrapped.

Awards

LST-918 earned three battle star for World War II service.

Bibliography

Online resources

• "LST-918". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 20 May 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 20 May 2017.
• "USS LST-918". Navsource.org. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2017.

External links

• Photo gallery of LST-918 at NavSource Naval History