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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-737


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Delta - Kilo
NGDK
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 (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)


LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 13 February 1944, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 25 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-737, 6 May 1944, LT. Rudolph Brandman USN, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-737 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September 14 October 1944
    Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Zambales-Subic Bay, 29 to 30 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 18 October 6 November and 19 to 29 November 1944
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 22 June 1945
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 January 1945
     

  • For the Invasion of Okinawa USS LST-737 came under the command of:
    LST Flotilla Fourteen, CAPT. E. A. Seay USN (24);
    LST Group Forty, CDR. G. Reith USN (24);
    LST Division Eighty
  • Following World War II USS LST-737 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 26 March to 11 November 1946
  • Decommissioned and transferred to the US Army, 2 November 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 September 1947
  • USS LST-737 earned five battle stars for World War II service
  • 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
    LST-737 1086k USS LST-737 moored at Pearl Harbor, circa 16 to 23 January 1946.
    Also present are:
    USS Bennington (CV-20) moored across the channel at NAS Ford Island,
    USS Troilus (AKA-46) moored astern of,
    USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109),
    USS LST-1079 moored astern of
    USS LST-1070
    USS Terror (CM-5),
    USS LST-459 with LCT-1015 secured to her main deck, astern of
    USS LST-863
    Moored forward of LST-863 are an unidentified Minesweeper and two Rescue and Salvage ships
    The next pier has two unidentified ships, possibly AKs the Survey Ship USS Sumner (AGS-5), and two unidentified Minesweepers
    USS LST-737 moored astern of
    USS LST-45 moored astern of numerous Minesweepers and possibly
    USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85)
    US Navy photo BUAer photo # 496019 from "CINCPAC, Released 23 January 1946.
    David Buell
    LST-737 154k USS LST-737 and other LSTs at Palau, Western Caroline Islands, making smoke to protect the landing troops and equipment, circa 6 September 14 October 1944. John De Noma
    Quincy
    0407125
    229k Yokosuka Naval Base, 7 October 1953.
    USS Whetstone (LSD 27), USS Quincy (CA-71), USS Merrick (AKA 97) and USS LST-737 behind Quincy in the far background.
    US National Archives photo #80-G-628700, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    Chin Yu Chu

    USS LST-737
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Brandman, Rudolph USN6 May 1944 - March 1945
    02LT. Houghton, W. B., USNRMay 1945 - October 1945
    03LT. Kirk, Walter B., USNROctober 1945 - November 1945
    04LTjg. Derry, Lewis E., USNRNovember 1945 - March 1946
    05LTjg. Sussman, B. M., USNRMarch 1946 - May 1946
    06ENS. Ragland, James D., USNRMay 1946 - July 1946
    07LTjg. Sevier Jr., Cameron, USN (USNA 1945)July 1946 - 2 November 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    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
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    Last Updated 24 December 2020