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	USS LST-20 beached at Guam, Marianas Islands in 1945, while loading/unloading an M4 medium tank.
History
United States
Name	LST-20
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Laid down	5 October 1942
Launched	15 February 1943
Sponsored by	Miss Anne B. Sylvester
Commissioned	14 April 1943
Decommissioned	3 April 1946
Stricken	19 June 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-20; Code letters: NQBG; ;
Honors and; awards	4 × battle stars
Fate	transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARCOM), 8 October 1947; Sold, 8 October 1947; Resold, 21 December 1948;
Panama
Owner	Pan Ore Steamship Company
Acquired	21 December 1948
Status	Fate unknown
General characteristics
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;
Service record
Part of:	LST Flotilla 14
Operations:	Gilbert Islands operation (November–December 1943); Leyte landings (October 1944); Battle of Luzon Lingayen Gulf landings (January 1945); Palawan Island landings (1–2 March 1945); Okinawa Gunto operation (April 1945);
Awards:	American Campaign Medal; Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp; Philippine Liberation Medal;

USS LST-20 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II and manned by a United States Coast Guard crew. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

Construction

LST-20 was laid down on 5 October 1942, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 15 February 1943; sponsored by Miss Anne B. Sylvester.^[2] She was floated down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and entered commissioned service on 14 May 1943.^[3]

Service history

During the war, LST-20 served exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from November 1943 until November 1945.^[2]

On 27 July 1943, LST-20 departed with six other LSTs escorted by Oracle, Charleston, and Hutchins for Adak Island in the Aleutians.^[3]

LST-20 participated in operations in the Gilbert Islands during November and December 1943.^[1]

In October 1944, LST-20 moved to the Philippines to participate in General Douglas MacArthur's promised liberation of the islands from the Japanese occupation. LST-20 participated at the Leyte landings and the Battle of Luzon Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945.^[1]

LST-20 finished her combat career with the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April 1945.^[1]

Postwar career

Following the war, LST-20 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945.^[2] She returned to San Diego on 23 December 1945. She departed San Diego on 11 January 1946, for Galveston, Texas, via the Canal Zone, arriving there on 1 February 1946, and was decommissioned on 3 April 1946.^[3] She was struck from the Navy list on 19 June 1946, and was transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARCOM) on 8 October 1947.^[2]

Merchant service

On 8 October 1947, MARCOM sold LST-20 to Southern Shipwrecking Company that in turn resold her to Pan Ore Steamship Company who reflagged her for Panama, her final disposition is unknown.^[1]

Honors and awards

LST-20 earned four battle stars for her World War II service.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Navsource 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e DANFS.
^ ^a ^b ^c Coast Guard.

Bibliography

"LST-20". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 16 August 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"USS LST-20". NavSource Online. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
"USS LST-20" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 16 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.