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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:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
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
	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
	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
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
01	LT. Brandman, Rudolph USN	6 May 1944 - March 1945
02	LT. Houghton, W. B., USNR	May 1945 - October 1945
03	LT. Kirk, Walter B., USNR	October 1945 - November 1945
04	LTjg. Derry, Lewis E., USNR	November 1945 - March 1946
05	LTjg. Sussman, B. M., USNR	March 1946 - May 1946
06	ENS. Ragland, James D., USNR	May 1946 - July 1946
07	LTjg. 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

Last Updated 24 December 2020