USS ''LST-724'' was an
''LST-542''-class tank landing ship acquired by the
U.S. Navy during
World War II for the task of landing troops and supplies on enemy beachheads.
World War II service
''LST-724'' was laid down on 20 July 1944 at
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city and the county seat of Clark County, Indiana, Clark County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It lies directly across the Ohio River ...
, by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched on 29 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Frances M. Lively; and commissioned on 22 September 1944.
Iwo Jima
LST-724 participated in the assault on Iwo Jima, landing at the beach closest to Mount Suribachi. LST-724 was below Mount Suribachi when the marines took it on 23 February 1945, and its crew witnessed the famous raising of the U.S. flag as captured by Marine photographer Joe Rosenthal.
Landing operations at Okinawa
During
World War II, ''LST-724'' was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of
Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945. In preparation for the assault on Okinawa, LST-724 was damaged in a kamikaze attack on 31 March 1945 at 25°59'N, 127°50'E, but was still able to participate in the landing as scheduled.
End-of-war operations
Following the war, she performed occupation duty in the
Far East and saw service in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
until late March 1946.
Post-war decommissioning
''LST-724'' returned to the
United States and was decommissioned on 26 June 1946 and struck from the
Navy list on 31 July that same year. On 23 September 1947, the ship was sold to William E. Skinner,
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
.
Military awards and honors
''LST-724'' earned two
battle stars for World War II service at
Okinawa and
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high.
...
.
References
External links
USS LST-724
{{DEFAULTSORT:LST-0724
LST-542-class tank landing ships
World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Ships built in Jeffersonville, Indiana
1944 ships