USS LST-952

USS LST-952/LST(H)-952 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

USS LST-952 at anchor in San Francisco Bay, c. 1946.
History
United States
Name	LST-952
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number	3422[1]
Laid down	1 September 1944
Launched	11 October 1944
Commissioned	3 November 1944
Decommissioned	1 August 1946
Reclassified	Landing Ship Tank (Hospital), 15 September 1945
Stricken	22 January 1947
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-952 Hull symbol: LST(H)-952 Code letters: NKEW
Honors & awards	1 × battle star
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 10 October 1947
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light) 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load) 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Full load: 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft Limiting 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) Maximum navigation 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,800 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
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 x LCVPs
Capacity	1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons
Service record
Part of:	LST Flotilla 21
Operations:	Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (1 April–28 June 1945)
Awards:	China Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp

Construction

LST-952 was laid down on 1 September 1944, at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 11 October 1944; and commissioned on 3 November 1944.^[3][2]

Service history

During World War II, LST-952 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945.^[3]

On 15 September 1945, she was redesignated LST(H)-952 and performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until early May 1946. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 1 August 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 22 January 1947. On 10 October 1947, the ship was sold to Luria Bros. & Co., Inc., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for scrapping.^[3]

Awards

LST-952 earned one battle star for World War II service.^[3]