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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-734

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Charlie - November
NGCN

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

USS LST-734 was transferred to Argentina and named ARA Cabo San Vincente (BDT-14)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 25 January 1944, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA.

Launched, 4 March 1944

Commissioned USS LST-734, 22 April 1944, LT. William L. Singer USNR in command

During World War II USS LST-734 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Fourteen;
LST Group Forty (circa 1944) and participated in the following campaigns;

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, Peleliu, 6 September to 14 October 1944	Manila Bay-Bicol operations Zambales-Subic Bay, 29 to 30 January 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 18 October to 6 November and 19 to 29 November 1944 Ormoc Bay landings, 7 to 8 December 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 18 June 1945

Following service in the Southwest Pacific Area USS LST-734 was assigned to:
LST Flotilla Sixteen, CAPT. N.W. Sears;
LST Group Forty-Six, LCDR. J. R. Keeling;
LST Division Ninety-One (May 1945)

USS LST-734 transported LCT(6)-774 to Western Caroline Islands for the attack on the Palau Islands

Following World War II USS LST-734 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
20 to 26 September 1945
20 to 29 October 1945

Decommissioned, 7 May 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946

USS LST-734 earned four battle stars for World War II service

Sold, 24 May 1948, to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA., named Mc Williams

Foreign Naval Service

Resold in 1948 to the government of Argentina Ministry of Transport, designated 276-B

Transferred in 1948 to the Argentine Navy as BDT-14, disarmed at Rio Santiago Naval Base

Added to the Naval Transport Command in 1953

Named ARA Cabo San Vincente (BDT-14), 24 February 1959

Removed from Naval Transport Command Service in 1966

Listed for disposal in 1969

Sold in 1971 to May Zetone & Co.

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:

Displacement

1,625 t.(lt)

4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)

2,366 t. (beaching displacement)

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)

limiting 11' 2"

maximum navigation 14' 1"

Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)

Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons

Complement

13 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

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 4,300 Bbls

Propulsion

two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines

single Falk Main Reduction Gears

three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

two propellers, 1,700shp

twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS LST-734
	15k	USS LST-734 beached on Blue Beach, Banika, Russell Islands, August 1944.	Rebecca Leidner (daughter of Roberta Wells Leidner) for F.W. "Bert" Rowe Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class USS LST-734
	220k	USS LST-734 beached, date and location unknown.	Keith Brooker
ARA Cabo San Vincente (BDT-14)
	22k	*ARA Cabo San Vincente* (BDT-14)** (ex-USS LST-734) beached at Puerta Modryn, Argentina, date unknown.	Robert Hurst
	12k		Robert Hurst
	196k	*ARA Cabo San Vincente* (BDT-14)** dry docked, date and location date unknown.	Robert Hurst

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Singer, William L., USNR	22 April 1944 - November 1945
02	LTjg. Kroeger, John R., USNR	November 1945 - March 1946
03	LTjg. Chapman Jr., Judson W., USNR	March 1946 - 7 May 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

For more photos and information about USS LST-734 see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
Western Caroline Islands Attack Landing Order
Beach White Peleliu - CTF 32 Operation Plan A501-44 Appendix 4 to Annex "D"
Action Report - Landing of Occupation Forces, Nagasaki Japan, September 1945

The USS LST Ship Memorial
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 26 January 2018