USS LST-766 was an LST-542-class Landing Ship, Tank in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 that took part in the amphibious landings during the war in the Far East.

History

Under an agreement made between the Commandant and the Chief of Naval Operations, the US Coast Guard supplied officers and crewmen for a number of LSTs. Even with Coast Guard crews all LSTs were commissioned US Navy vessels. Like most LSTs, LST-766 did not receive a name and is properly referred to by her hull designation.

LST-766 was laid down by the American Bridge Co., in Ambridge, Pa on 13 July 1944. The ship was launched on 30 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. C. E. Egeler. She made her way down the Ohio

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 and Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico through New Orleans. On 25 September 1944, she was commissioned under the command of LT

Lieutenant (naval)

LieutenantThe pronunciation of lieutenant is generally split between or , generally in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries, and or , generally associated with the United States. See lieutenant. is a commissioned officer rank in many nations' navies...

 Lester W. Newton, USCGR

United States Coast Guard Reserve

The United States Coast Guard Reserve is the reserve component of the United States Coast Guard. It is organized, trained, administered, and supplied under the direction of the Commandant of the Coast Guard through the Director of Reserve and Leadership....

.

During early October 1944, she underwent sea trials then proceeded to Gulfport, Mississippi for outfitting. She passed through the Panama Canal to San Diego and then on to Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 arriving on 10 December 1944. After training in amphibious operations near the Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

an islands she joined the Pacific invasion forces off Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

 on 19 February 1945. After completing operations at Iwo Jima she returned to Hawaii.

After further training exercises she set out for Okinawa (via Eniwetok, Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 and Saipan

Saipan

Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

) in April. arriving on 14 July 1945. Between mid-August and late September 1945, LST-766 was engaged in transportation duties between Saipan and Guam, From Okinawa she was deployed to Tsingtao, China. There she broke free of her anchor, and was gounded but freed without damage. She returned to Guam and then, in November 1945 after the end of the war, returned to the United States, via Pearl Harbor, arriving in San Francisco on 16 December 1945. The majority of her Coastguard Crew was discharged, and she was decommissioned there on 19 March 1946 and ultimately sold for commercial use.

LST-766 was awarded one battle star for her service during World War II.

External links

• Naval Historical Center
• United States Coast Guard archive
• Unofficial Website of USS LST-766 Includes photos of ship and crew members, and discussion board.