During the war LST-18 served exclusively and extensively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from September 1943 until November 1945.[1][3]
LST-18 was then floated down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers from 19–25 April 1943, arriving at New Orleans on the latter date. When she entered commissioned service there were only 7 officers and 67 enlisted men in the original crew. After tests and maneuvers at St. Andrews, Florida, she returned to New Orleans on 14 May 1943, for post-shakedown availability. She was then assigned to LST Flotilla 7, Group 21, Division 41.[2]
On 1 June 1943, she got underway for the Canal Zone. Arriving at Coca Sola, Canal Zone, on 14 June 1943, Commander Clarence H. Peterson, USCG, with two officers and 13 enlisted men reported aboard for duty to the staff of Group 21, LST Flotilla 7 and LST-18 was designated flagship for the group.[2]
She then proceeded to Milne Bay, New Guinea, arriving on 2 September 1943, for ten days of beaching operations and loading for the first trip in the forward areas.[2]
From the Western New Guinea area LST-18 moved to the Philippines to participate in General Douglas MacArthur's promised liberation of the islands from the Japanese occupation starting with the Leyte landings from the middle of October until the end of November 1944.[1]
In carrying out these invasions, LST-18 was under attack on eight different occasions by enemy planes, shore installations and torpedo. No casualties were suffered by the ship's crew, but one Army passenger was killed aboard, the result of an enemy strafing run. The ship carried approximately 19,000st (270,000lb; 120,000kg) of equipment in all these trips and about 16,000 Army and Navy personnel. She also evacuated 617 ambulatory cases and 179 stretcher cases from the various beachheads. There were three deaths aboard; one Army enlisted who had been brought on board for treatment; one Army passenger who died of wounds during an air attack (mentioned earlier) and one prisoner of war who was brought on board for treatment. Up to the time of the ship's return to San Francisco on 16 December 1945, 291 enlisted men and 33 officers had served aboard at various intervals.[2]
Postwar career
After the cessation of hostilities on 14 August 1945, the LST made one support landing at Brunei Bay, Borneo, on 25 August 1945, and then completed her tour of duty by taking a load of occupation troops to Taku, China.[2]
LST-18 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 3 April 1946. She was struck from the Navy list on 17 April 1946 and was sold to the Suwannee Fruit & Steamship Co., of Jacksonville, Florida, on 31 October 1946 for conversion to merchant service.[3]
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