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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-739


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Echo - Foxtrot
 NGEF
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 (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 27 February 1944 at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 8 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-739, 15 May 1944, LT. Milton U. Sarezky, USNR, in command
  • During World War II, USS LST-739 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 29 October 1944
    Ormoc Bay landings, 7 to 8 December 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 22 May 1945

  • For the Okinawa Gunto operations USS LST-739 was assigned to:
    For Okinawa only
     LST Flotilla Sixteen, CAPT. N. W. Sears;
     LST Group Forty-Six, (flagship) LCDR. J. R. Keeling USNR;
     LST Division Ninety-Two
  • Following World War II USS LST-739 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    20 September to 1 December 1945
    15 to 23 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 1 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold, 1 March 1948, to Tex-O-Kan Flour Mills Co., Dallas, TX. for operation, fate unknown.
  • USS LST-739 earned two battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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-739 26k USS LST-739 at anchor, date and location unknown.  
    LST-739
    1016073926    		 162k USS LST-739 entering San Francisco Bay after passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, circa 1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 83639    		 Darryl Baker
    Photo Collection of Earl Kouba, USS LST-739
    Contributed by Jimmy Kouba
    LST-739 LST-739
    Earl Kouba on left     		LST-739
    Earl Kouba on left     		LST-739 LST-739 LST-739
    LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739
    LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739
    LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739 LST-739
    USS LST-739
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Sarezky, Milton U. USNR15 May 1944 - September 1945
    02LT. Humphrey, Raymond V. USNRSeptember 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Ferry, Thomas L. USNRMarch 1946 - 1 May 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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 September 2024