USS LST-1039 was a LST-542-class Landing Ship Tank of the United States Navy. Launched in 1944, she operated in the Pacific Theater during World War II during the Battle of Okinawa and ensuing occupation. Following the war, she was sold into civilian use and operated as a factory ship for at least the next 40 years.
Development and design Before the 1930s, amphibious assaults typically relied on ships' boats to ferry troops and equipment ashore, often with little enemy resistance. However, the introduction of mechanized armies required specialized vessels that could cross oceans to deliver large, heavy, vehiclessuch as tanksdirectly onto a beachhead. The British developed the first Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) in 1941. These vessels featured a shallow draft and a bow-mounted ramp that allowed vehicles to drive directly onto land. An anchor at the stern enabled the ship to pull herself free after intentionally beaching on shore. By early 1942, the United States began constructing LSTs based on the same principles. In late 1943, the LST-542 class was a refined version of the second generation LST(2) design, which incorporated war-time experience including a weather deck capable of carrying heavy cargo, more anti-air defenses, and a greater displacement.
The LST-542 class featured a length of and beam of . While at sea, the fully loaded draft ranged from in the bow and in the aft to and when beached. The vessels featured a light displacement of , loaded displacement of , and a deadweight (cargo) capacity of , which was capable of carrying up to 20 M4 Sherman tanks or 70 trucks across the tank and weather decks. They were propelled by two V12 General Motors 12-567 diesel engines that provided an economic cruising speed of for a range of through two propellers. Armament on LSTs varied widely between ships due to differences in shipyards, wartime modifications, supply shortages, and weapons provided by embarked troops. The ideal anti-air suite consisted of two twin , four single , and twelve single guns. Crew requirements also differed, with LSTs that retained davits to carry two Higgins boats were operated by seven officers and 104 enlisted sailors.
Service history LST-1039 was laid down on 26 November 1944 by the Dravo Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched on 6 January 1945, and commissioned on 9 February 1945. Once in service, she was assigned to the Pacific Theater and participated in the invasion and occupation of Okinawa in June. When World War II ended, the landing ship operated with American occupation forces in the region before she was recalled to the United States in April 1946. On 21 June 1946, she was decommissioned and struck from the Navy List on 31 July, and was sold to the Columbia River Packers Association on 2 September 1947. Her new owners retrofitted the vessel as a Honduran factory ship and renamed her Tinian. By 1962, she was owned by the Cooperative Maritime Itsasokoa and operated out of Bayonne, France, under the name Iraty for at least the next two decades.
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