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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-724


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 July 1944 at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 29 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-724, 22 September 1944
  • During World War II LST-724 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, February and March 1945
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April through June 1945

  • Following World War II LST-724 performed occupation duty in the Far East, participating in the repatriation of Japanese civilians to the islands of Myoko and Ishigaka, and the moving war materials from Ie Shima to Naha until late March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 26 June 1946, at NavSta Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold to William E. Skinner, New York, NY, 23 September 1947, fate unknown;
  • LST-724 earned two battle star for World War II service
    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
    LST-724 66k LST-724 underway, date and place unknown. Willard Thomas Dickerson, Gunners Mate USS-724
    LSM-242 121k Aerial view of the Iwo Jima beachhead, circa February 1945. Ships that can be identified include;
    LST-715,
    LST-790,
    LST-724,
    LST-224,
    LST-784 and
    LST-779.
    LSM's include;
    LSM-242,
    LSM-140,
    LSM-47, and
    LSM-43.
    LCTs include;
    LCT-892, and
    LCT-1029,
    The one lone LCI that is identifiable is LCI(L)-1077.
    USMC photo # 110582
    USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-264 88k From top to bottom;
    LST-808,
    LST-788,
    LST-760,
    LST-724 and
    LSM-264 beached at the foot of Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, 24 February 1945.
    US Navy photo # S-193-1.
    USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-264 154k From top to bottom;
    LST-779,
    LST-808,
    LST-788,
    LST-760,
    LST-724 and
    LSM-264 beached at the foot of Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, 25 February 1945.
    US Navy photo # S-193-A2.
    USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LST-847/724/1056 77k LST-724, LST-847 and LST-1056 beached at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, circa 1-5 March 1946. Photo from the collection of Joe Grassoni, S2/c, USS LST-847
    LST-724 48k LST-724 moored bow doors open at Ie Shima, Okinawa, date unknown. Photo by Donald Kronish, submitted by Jon Strupp
    LST-724 48k LST-724 moored pierside, at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point, 24 June1946 while being prepared for storage as part of the reserve fleet. Photo by Donald Kronish, submitted by Jon Strupp

    View the LST-724
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 10 November 2006