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April
1945
79th Battalion Seabees
Photo |
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There are three LST's in his photographs of enroute from Saipan to Okinawa and unloading
at Okinawa and identification of the photos of the events handwritten on them and also
identification as 79th Seabee Photos. The hull numbers are clearly visible on the LST''s
in one of the photos - LST-598, LST 736, and LST 785 and the handwritten words
"Unloading of LST's at Okinawa - April 1945 79th NCB Photo". The
following information on these three LST's is found in the "Dictionary of American
Naval FIghting Ships": - LST 736: (p. 668) Kiel Laid: 2 February 1944, Pittsburgh, Pa., Dravo Corp., Neville Island Launch: 18 March 1944 Sponsor: Mrs. G. O. Griffin Commissioning: 2 May 1944. Participation: Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, September & October 1944; Leyte landings, October and November 1944; Zambales-Subic Bay January 1945; Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April through June 1945. Decommissioning: 20 June 1946, removed from Navy list on 31 July 1946. Awards: Four battle stars, World War II. - LST-598: (p. 647) Kiel Laid: 14 July 1944, Evansville, Ind., Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. Launch; 29 August 1944 Sponsor: Mrs. Robert H. Vickery Commissioning: 23 September 1944 Participation: Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April and May 1945. Decommissioning: 10 June 1946, removed from Navy list on 19 July 1946. Awards: One battle star, World War II. - LST-785: (p. 675) Kiel Laid: 25 June 1944, Pittsburgh, Pa., Dravo Corp. Launch: 5 August 1944 Sponsor: Mrs. D. A . McFarlane Commissionomg: 4 September 1944 Participation: Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima in February 1945 and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945. Decommissioning: 3 May 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 5 June 1946. On 3 June 1947, sold to Walter W. Johnson Co. for scrapping. Awards: Two battle stars, World War II. I have not seen these LST's listed on the LST web sites that I have visited so far. If anyone can please share some information about the trip from Saipan and landing at Okinawa on any of these named LST's, please email "JWinter588@AOL.com". |