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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-72

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Mike - Alpha
NYMA

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS LST-72 was transferred to the Republic of the Philippines

LST 1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 20 December 1942, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co, Jeffersonville, IN.

Launched, 17 March 1943

Commissioned USS LST-72, 5 June 1943

During World War II USS LST-72 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

**Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign**
Campaign and Dates
Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1945

Following World War II USS LST-72 was assigned to occupation duty in the Far East from October 1945 to May 1946;

Decommissioned, 4 June 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Transferred, 8 June 1948, to the Philippines government

Sold by the Philippines government in 1957-58 (ref. Janes 1957-58 pg.77)

Purchased by T.Engan, Philippines,and named MV San Fernando, date unknown .

Final Disposition, sold by T. Engan for scrapping in November 1959 to Hong Kong shipbreakers (ref Marine News ,WSS, March 1960, pg77)

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
Length 328' o.a.
Beam 50'
Draft

(light) - 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft

(sea-going) 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft

(landing) 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
Complement

7 officers, 104 enlisted
Troop Accommodations

16 officers, 147 enlisted
Boats 2 LCVP
Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)

Typical loads

One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck

Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was

2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors

4 - Single 40MM gun mounts

12 single 20MM gun mounts
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	78k	Siege of Brest, France, August-September 1944 USS LST-325 (right) and USS LST-72 unloading directly onto trucks, after being left "high and dry" by the tide at Morlaix, France, 5 September 1944. Army Signal Corps photo # SC 194739, US Army Signal Corps Collection, US National Archives.		US Naval Historical Center

View LST-72 Crew Photos

View the USS LST-72
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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Last Updated 7 July 2008