USS LST-740

History
United States
Name	USS LST-740
Builder	Dravo Corporation Neville Island Pennsylvania
Laid down	12 February 1944
Launched	8 April 1944
Sponsored by	Miss A. Jean Blocker
Commissioned	15 May 1944
Decommissioned	8 March 1946
Stricken	12 April 1946
Honors and awards	5 battle stars (World War II)
Fate	sold 14 June 1948
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Unloaded : 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Loaded : 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
Propulsion	2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 LCVPs
Troops	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	1 × single 3"/50 caliber gun mount 8 × 40 mm guns 12 × 20 mm guns

USS LST-740 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship laid down on 12 February 1944 by the Dravo Corporation at Neville Island. She was launched on 8 April 1944, sponsored by Miss A. Jean Blocker, and commissioned on 15 May 1944.

During World War II, LST-740 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the Morotai landings—September 1944; the Leyte landings—October and November 1944; the Lingayen Gulf landing—January 1945; the Mindanao Island landings—April 1945; and the Balikpapan operation—June and July 1945.

Following the war, LST-740 performed occupation duty in the Far East until late October 1945. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 8 March 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 12 April that same year. On 14 June 1948, the ship was sold to the Oil Transport Co., of New Orleans, Louisiana, for non-self-propelled operation.

LST-740 earned five battle stars for World War II service.

References[]

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links[]

• History and Story of the LST 740