USS LST-205

USS LST-205 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II.^[1]

USS LST-205 launching a LCT at Saipan on 20 June 1944
History
United States
Name	LST-205
Builder	Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca
Laid down	5 August 1942
Launched	13 April 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Doris DeHaven
Commissioned	15 May 1943
Decommissioned	2 April 1946
Reclassified	LST(H)-205, 15 September 1945
Stricken	5 June 1946
Identification	Callsign: NZQB
Honors and awards	See Awards
Fate	Scrapped, 4 June 1948
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,700 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 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 or 6 x LCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
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

Construction and career

LST-205 was laid down on 5 August 1942 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, Indiana. Launched on 12 April 1943 and commissioned on 15 May 1943.^[2]

During World War II, LST-205 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She took part in the Gilbert Islands operations from 21 November to 8 December 1943.

She was present during the West Loch disaster and she was moored with LST-69, LST-225, LST-274, LST-43, LST-179, LST-353, and LST-39. No crew members were lost aboard the ship during that disaster.^[3] She was then sent to take part in the Battle of Biak Island from 9 to 13 June 1944. The ship again took part in the Battle of Saipan from 17 June to 3 July 1944 and the Leyte landings from 20 October and 19 to 29 November 1944.

On 15 September 1945, she was redesigned as a hospital tank landing ship.

LST-205 was decommissioned on 2 April 1946 and struck from the Navy Register on 5 June later that year.

On 4 June 1948, she was sold for scrap to Hughes Bros., Inc., New York City, New York.^[1]

Gallery

• 
  USS LST-205 during Battle of Saipan on 21 June 1944
• 
  USS LST-205 during Battle of Kiska on 21 August 1943

Awards

LST-205 have earned the following awards:

• China Service Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4 battle stars)
• World War II Victory Medal
• Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
• Philippines Presidential Unit Citation
• Philippine Liberation Medal (1 award)

Citations

1. "Tank Landing Ship LST-205". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "LST-205". NHHC. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
3. "US LST Association - LST Memories: The Second Pearl Harbor Disaster". www.uslst.org. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

Sources

• United States. Dept. of the Treasury (1962). Treasury Decisions Under the Customs, Internal Revenue, Industrial Alcohol, Narcotic and Other Laws, Volume 97. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Moore, Capt. John (1984). Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710607959.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710628886.
• Fairplay International Shipping Journal Volume 222. United Kingdom: Fairplay Publishing Limited. 1967.