USS LST-23

USS LST-23 and LST-910, beached in the Philippines, circa 1944.
History
United States
Name: LST-23
Operator:
Builder: Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 27 October 1942
Launched: 13 March 1943
Sponsored by: Mrs. Mary H. Miller
Commissioned: 22 May 1943
Decommissioned: 24 May 1946
Reclassified: Tank Landing Ship (Hospital), 15 September 1945
Struck: 3 July 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 6 × battle stars
Fate: sold for scrapping, 6 April 1948
General characteristics
Class and type: LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
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 st (22,000–27,000 lb; 10,000–12,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops: 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement: 13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:
Service record
Part of: LST Flotilla Thirteen
Operations:
Awards:

USS LST-23 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

Construction and commissioning

LST-23 was laid down on 27 October 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the Dravo Corporation. She was launched on 13 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Mary H. Miller, and commissioned on 22 May 1943[1] with Lieutenant John B. Swann Jr., USCGR, in command.[2]

Service history

During the war, LST-23 was manned by the United States Coast Guard. She served exclusively and extensively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from November 1943 until May 1946.[2][1]

Gilbert Islands operation

LST-23 participated in the Gilbert Islands operation from the end of November until the beginning of December 1943 and the occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls at the beginning of February 1944.[2]

Marianas operation

LST-23 moved to the Marianas next so she could take part in the Battle of Saipan from mid June until the end of July 1944, along with the Battle of Tinian at the end of July 1944. From around the middle of September until the middle of October she participated in the Battle of Peleliu.[2]

Leyte operation

From the Marianas LST-23 moved to the Philippines to finish out her combat career participating in General Douglas MacArthur's promised liberation of the islands from the Japanese occupation in the Battle of Luzon Lingayen Gulf landings on 9 January 1945.[2]

Postwar career

On 15 September 1945, she was redesignated Landing Ship, Tank (Hospital), LST(H). Immediately after the war, LST(H)-23 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early December 1945. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 24 May 1946. She was struck from the Navy list on 3 July 1946 and was sold to the Kaiser Company, Inc., Seattle, Washington, on 6 April 1948 for scrapping.[1]

Honors and awards

LST-23 earned six battle stars for her World War II service.[1]

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Online sources
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