 USSLST-911 unloadingRAAFNo. 3 Airfield Construction Squadron atMindoro Island, Philippines, 15 December 1944. Leading the way is Aircraftman H. Quick ofExeter, South Australia, five minutes after the ship hit the beachhead. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | LST-911 |
| Builder | Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard,Hingham, Massachusetts |
| Yard number | 3381[1] |
| Laid down | 28 February 1944 |
| Launched | 12 April 1944 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Christine Muir |
| Commissioned | 14 May 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 24 June 1946 |
| Stricken | 31 July 1946 |
| Identification |
|
| Honors and awards |  4 ×battle star |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 25 September 1947 |
| General characteristics[2] | |
| Class & type | LST-542-classtank landing ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 328 ft (100 m)oa |
| Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft |
|
| 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 xLCVPs |
| Capacity | 1,600–1,900short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg)cargo depending on mission |
| Troops | 16officers, 147enlisted men |
| Complement | 13 officers, 104 enlisted men |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of | LST Flotilla 8 |
| Operations |
|
| Awards | |
USSLST-911 was anLST-542-classtank landing ship in theUnited States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.
LST-911 was laid down on 28 February 1944, atHingham, Massachusetts, by theBethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 12 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Christine Muir; and commissioned on 14 May 1944.[3][2]
Underway the next day,LST-911 sailed toLittle Creek, Virginia., arriving there on 23 May, to commence two weeks ofshakedown exercises. With those evolutions complete on 4 June, the LST received five days of shipyard availability atNorfolk. After loading 500short tons (1,000,000 lb; 450,000 kg) of dry stores, she proceeded toNew York City, and moored at Pier 80 on 12 June. Embarking fiveLCT sections and 31 LCT crewmen soon thereafter, the tank landing ship got underway for thePanama Canal Zone on 25 June.[3]
Following stops atGuantánamo Bay andCoco Solo, the LST transited the Panama Canal on 9 July. Proceeding west, she made fueling stops atBora Bora andNouméa before anchoring inSeeadler Harbor, Manus Island, on 23 August, to unload stores and equipment. After refueling and loading 42 short tons (84,000 lb; 38,000 kg) of cargo forDobbin, the tank landing ship sailed toHumboldt Bay, New Guinea, and finished transferring supplies to the destroyer tender on 7 September.[3]
Shifting toMaffin Bay, New Guinea, on 13 September,LST-911 loaded 490 short tons (980,000 lb; 440,000 kg) ofUS Army cargo (mostly vehicles) and sailed toMorotai, beaching there and unloading supplies without incident on 19 September. The tank landing ship made a second supply run 26 September to 1 October, unloading 550 short tons (1,100,000 lb; 500,000 kg) of bulk cargo inPitoe Bay before returning to Humboldt Bay.[3]
After loading 472 short tons (944,000 lb; 428,000 kg) of Army supplies on 14 October,LST-911 sailed to thePhilippines to take part in theSixth Army's landings there and disembarked her passengers and unloaded cargo atCataison Point,Leyte, without incident on 22 October. During her second supply run, 6–12 November, as she was returning throughSan Pedro Bay, fiveJapanese planes attacked the anchorage.LST-911's guns joined the fusillade that shot down two of the attackers, splashing one not 400 yd (370 m) off the starboard bow.[3]
On 28 November, a doctor and nine corpsmen reported on board, instantly transformingLST-911 into a casualty evacuation ship. Underway for Leyte on 29 November, as part of a reinforcement convoy, the LST's crew witnessed a series of Japanese aircraft attacks on the convoy on 5 December, including the torpedoing of freighterAntoine Saugraine. After unloading supplies the next day, the LST withdrew from the beach and anchored in San Pedro Bay. Three days later, she embarked 149 men and vehicles from theAustralianNo.3 Airfield Construction Squadron and sailed forMindoro on 12 December. Although the convoy came under repeated attacks by Japanese planes, the tank landing ship received no damage and disembarked her passengers and unloaded her equipment on 15 December. While on a second run from Leyte,LST-911's convoy came under attack off Mindoro by a dozenkamikazes, which damaged hersister shipsLST-460 andLST-749 as well asdestroyerFoote; another kamikaze crashed freighterJuan de Fuca offPanay. After unloading her cargo on 22 December, the LST then evacuated 47 Army casualties and 13 survivors ofLST-460 and transported them to Leyte, anchoring in San Pedro Bay on 24 December.[3]
After loading anLCVP and 500 tons of cargo,LST-911 proceeded forLingayen Gulf on 4 January 1945. While a three-plane attack on the convoy was driven off without loss on 7 January, a Japanese plane dropped two bombs about 100 yd (91 m) off the starboard quarter soon after the convoy anchored in Lingayen Gulf on 9 January. The next morning a plane flew straight over the LST in the morning darkness, dropping two bombs that fell 50 ft (15 m) astern, shaking the ship but doing no damage. Finally, on 11 January, the LST finished unloading supplies and equipment and returned to Leyte with three casualties embarked. Intermittent air attacks kept the crew atbattle stations over the next two days.LST-911 made a second supply run to Lingayen Gulf 21–27 January, returning to Leyte with 150 Army casualties on 5 February, and transferring them toComfort and theDutchhospital shipMaetsuycker over the next two days.[3]
Departing Leyte on 16 February,LST-911 sailed to Morotai where she embarked elements of the84th Naval Construction Battalion. Underway on 28 February, the tank landing ship disembarked those troops and unloaded supplies atPalawan Island, Philippines, on 13 March. She then embarked 26 Army casualties for transfer to Leyte. Later in the month, the LST proceeded toBiak Island where she loaded an Army artillery battery for transport to Morotai, an evolution completed on 6 April. She then sailed toSansapor Harbor, New Guinea, and loaded another artillery battery, lifting them to Mindanao, Philippines, on 23 April. Returning to Morotai on 26 April,LST-911 conducted one more ferry operation, the transfer of vehicles and cargo betweenSaidor andFinschafen, New Guinea in mid-May, before sailing south toCairns, Australia, arriving there on 19 March.[3]
The LST loadedAustralian Army medical cargo and vehicles a week later and got underway to Morotai, via Biak, on 30 May. With cargo unloaded on 13 June,LST-911 refueled before embarking Australian infantry, railway construction people, and petroleum experts for the invasion ofBalikpapan, Borneo. Departing Morotai on 28 June, the LST disembarked the Australians in Balikpapan Bay on 5 July. Returning to Morotai,LST-911 made another ferry run to Balikpapan between 12 and 17 July. While there, the ship embarked the men of a US Army amphibious tractor unit and transported them toManila Bay, Luzon, Philippines, between 21–27 July.[3]
After sailing to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, 28–31 July, the LSTdry docked inARD-19 to receive a coat of anti-corrosive paint on her hull on 2 August.LST-911 spent the next two weeks idling as events unfolded in Japan, including the dropping of theatomic bombs onHiroshima andNagasaki. Following the announcement of thearmistice ending the Pacific War on 15 August, the tank landing ship sailed to Morotai where she loadedUS Army Air Corps cargo. After delivery toSubic Bay, Luzon, on 7 September, the LST loaded Army cargo inBatangas Bay, Luzon, on 18 September and sailed for Japan.[3]
ReachingTokyo Bay on 29 September,LST-911 spent two days there before shifting toShiogama, Japan, where her Army cargo was unloaded by 7 October. She then shifted cargo from Shiogama toSenami by 16 October, before returning to Tokyo Bay on 21 October. The tank landing ship departed Japan on 24 October and sailed for the Philippines.[3]
The LST performed occupation duty in theFar East until April 1946, when she returned toSeattle, Washington, for inactivation.LST-911 decommissioned at Seattle on 24 June 1946, and was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on 31 July 1946. On 25 September 1947, the ship was sold to thePuget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., Seattle, Washington, for scrapping.[3]
LST-911 earned fourbattle star for World War II service.[3]
Online resources
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