The durability of the LST in World War II may have been surprising to some; it most certainly must have been satisfying to its designers and builders, gratifying to its commanders and comforting the crews that manned them. Intended to be a wartime expedient, it is surprising to see how many are registered as still in service almost 50 years later.

1,051 World War II LSTs were built (n's. 1 through 1152, 101 were cancelled). It is said by one historian that a total of 53 were lost to all causes during the war, 26 of these were U.S. Navy losses to enemy action, and 13 U.S. Navy losses to other perils. That leaves 998 that survived the war. Jumping ahead now almost 50 years later, how many survive today? Recent editions of Janes Fighting Ships list 103 still in service in 16 foreign navies (13 of these are somewhat larger LSTs built in the 1950s). Lloyd's Register of shipping lists 33 World War II types still in commercial service.

These figures on foreign navy LSTs are close to those written by Bob Reed (LST 530) in Scuttlebutt January,February 1992, in which he identified the navies and the quantities as they were at that time.

Looking through Dictionary of American Fighting Ships and tallying the initial disposition of LSTs immediately following the war, finds 376 listed as sold for scrapping, 208 sold to foreign navies and private owners, and 43 transferred to Military Sea Transport Service or U.S. Army. There were other sales and trades of ownership in later years.

As of 1955, the U.S. Navy retained 158 LSTs (active or reserve) and all were given country names that year. As years passed, the list diminished, until Janes final listing of LSTs in U.S. Naval Service was in 1976 - two were left (LSTs 758 and 1148) - they were 32 years old.

The information going onto this writeup really started out as a simple search to try to find what had become of LST 920 after the war. The search was successful, it found that she served in commerican shipping along the east coast of South America under Brazilian flag, into early 1970s, extending her life out to almost 30 years.

LST 920 was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in San Francisco in 1946, stripped of armanemt and stores, and placed in storage at Suisun Bay, available for purchase. A newspaper article of that period described the "yard sale" of LSTs. Price they quoted was $75,000.

Though only a little over 2 years old, 920 had taken some lumps and had her faults. The hull had been punctured in beaching at Normandy, flooding both engine rooms and the boiler and evaporator room. Drydocking and repairs at Southampton restored herengines but the evaporators were never again reliable, so fresh water was often in short supply, and the boiler thereafter frequently broke down, sometimes denying hot food and warm quarters to the crew. On being towed sternfirst from the Normandy "sinking," she swung at the end of the tow cable and struck the stern of merchant ship Aventi, putting a hole in her side. At Okinawa several frames were bent when an adjacent ammo-loaded CDT exploded, and her port shaft became bent probably frim resting on rocks at low tides in beachings at Inchon or Tsingtao. A purcher could probably have found a better-conditioned LST.

Nevertheless, in 1948, LST 920 was bought by Standard Oil and Gas for operation, and named Stanolind 55, This period did not last long because in 1951 she appeared in RECORD of American Bureau of Shipping as vessel GUARAPE, bought by new Brazilian owner Empreza International deTransportes, Santos, Brazil with Brazilian registry. The RECORD mentions that she was converted by Higgins of New Orleans to have four hatches instead of the original two, and four derricks were added.

Lloyds Register then carried ex LST 920 as GUARAPE from its 1952/53 edition until it dropped from listing, without explanation, after 1972/73 edition. By that time owner's name had changed to Companhia Paulista de Commercil Maritmo, still of Santos, Brazil.

A 1991 letter of inquiry to its owners brought a kind reply from Sr. Gilberto A. Ache' Pillar, Vice President, saying "Guarape was employed in the Brizalian coastal trade extending most of their vovayes up to Argentinian ports. She served with bravery to the company during many years. On june 23, 1972, she was sold to be scrapped."

A further note on her scrapping came through courtesy of the Mariners Museum at Newport News, VA. who furnished a copy of Journal of Marine News of March 1974, Demolition section, stating "GUARAPE, 3276/44 - M.M., is now known to have been sold by Cia Paulista de Comercia Maritimo, Brazil, on 6/10/70". So the book closed on the life of USS LST 920.

From commercial ship registries including Lloyd's Registry, RECORD of the American Bureau of Shipping, and Merchant Vessels of the United States (published in book form untill 1981 by U.S. Department of Transportation/US Coast Guard), in a spot check made each 10 years, these sources identify a grand total of 149 ex-LSTs as becoming registered in commercial service. Of these, 81 were found listed in 1970 and 99 in 1980. Lloyd's Registry 1990/91 lists 32 remaining:

In addition, LST 1166, El Centro, American, Costa Rica, now is on the U.S. west coast.

LSTs have come and gone, have taken on a wide variety of names from beautiful, like Ile de'Europe (LST 309), Bold like Magellan (LST 1097), to utilitarian like Sanitary 3 (LST 45), Barge No. 20 (LST 739). All of which attests to the versatility of these durable ships.

This page is a copy of a 1993 article in the "LST Scuttlebutt", written by Don Reed, former Ensign On the LST 920.