USS LST-959

USS LST-959 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-959
Builder: Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number: 3429[1]
Laid down: 6 October 1944
Launched: 4 November 1944
Commissioned: 29 November 1944
Decommissioned: 13 June 1946
Stricken: 3 July 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 1 × battle star
Fate: Stripped and destroyed, 10 June 1948
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
Part of: LST Flotilla 23
Operations: Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (8–18 June 1945)
Awards:

Construction

LST-959 was laid down on 6 October 1944, at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 4 November 1944; and commissioned on 25 November 1944,[3] with Ensign Jacob. H. Giesmann Jr., USN, in command.[2]

Service history

During World War II, LST-959 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in June 1945.[3]

Following the war, she performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until mid-May 1946. She was decommissioned on 13 June 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 3 July, that same year. On 10 June 1948, the ship was stripped and destroyed at Subic Bay, Philippines.[3]

Awards

LST-959 earned one battle star for World War II service.[3]

Notes

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

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "LST-959". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 15 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 15 June 2017.
    • "USS LST-959". Navsource.org. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2017.


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