USS LST-38

USS LST-38 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

Left to Right; LST-122, LST-38, LST-221 and LST-456 beached at Finschhaven, New Guinea, April 1944.
History
United States
Name: LST-38
Builder: Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 12 May 1943
Launched: 27 July 1943
Commissioned: 3 September 1943
Decommissioned: 26 March 1946
Reclassified: Tank Landing Ship (Hospital), 15 September 1945
Stricken: 1 May 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 4 × battle stars
Fate: Sold for scrapping, 5 December 1947
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 13
Operations:
Awards:

Construction

LST-38 was laid down on 14 April 1943, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 27 July 1943; sponsored by Bertha Karpinski; and commissioned on 3 September 1943.[2]

Service history

During World War II, LST-38 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She took part in the Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls in January and February 1944; the Admiralty Islands landings in March and April 1944, the Battle of Hollandia in April 1944; and the Battle of Guam in July 1944.[2]

Post-war decommissioning

Following the war, LST-38 was redesignated LST(H)-38 on 15 September 1945. She performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-November 1945.[2]

Upon her return to the United States, the ship was decommissioned on 26 March 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 1 May 1946. On 5 December 1947, she was sold to the Ships and Power Equipment Co., of Barber, New Jersey, and subsequently scrapped. [2]

Awards

LST-38 earned four battle stars for World War II service.[2]

See also

References
  1. Navsource 2017.
  2. DANFS 2015.

Bibliography
  • "LST-38". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "USS LST-38". NavSource Online. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2018.


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