USS LST-949

History
United States
Name	LST-949
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number	3419
Laid down	29 August 1944
Launched	30 September 1944
Commissioned	23 October 1944
Decommissioned	18 July 1946
Reclassified	Landing Ship Tank (Hospital), 15 September 1945
Stricken	25 September 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-949 Hull symbol: LST(H)-949 Code letters: NVUZ
Honors and awards	1 × battle star
Fate	Sold for commercial operations, 30 June 1948
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
Operations:	Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (1 April–7 June 1945)
Awards:	American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp

USS LST-949/LST(H)-949 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-949 was laid down on 29 August 1944, at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 30 September 1944; and commissioned on 23 October 1944.

Service history

During World War II, LST-949 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945.

On 15 September 1945, she was redesignated LST(H)-949 and performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-April 1946. The tank landing ship was decommissioned on 18 July 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 25 September, that same year. On 30 June 1948, she was sold to the Humble Oil & Refining Co., of Houston, Texas, for operation.

Awards

LST-949 earned one battle star for World War II service.

Bibliography

Online resources

• "LST-949". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 4 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 4 June 2017.
• "USS LST-949". Navsource.org. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2017.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS LST-949 at NavSource Naval History