USS LST-755

USS LST-755 was a LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was transferred to the Republic of China Navy as ROCS Chung Hai (LST-201).[2]

ROCS Chung Hai
History
United States
NameLST-755
BuilderAmerican Bridge Company, Ambridge
Laid down20 May 1944
Launched11 July 1944
Sponsored byMrs L. W. Day
Commissioned3 August 1944
Decommissioned29 May 1946
Stricken12 March 1948
Identification
Honors and
awards
See Awards
FateTransferred to Republic of China, 1948
Taiwan
Name
  • Chung Hai
  • (中海)
NamesakeChina Seas
Acquired29 May 1946
Commissioned29 May 1946
Decommissioned1 February 2010
HomeportKaohsiung
Identification
StatusAwaiting restoration to be a museum ship
General characteristics
Class and typeLST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full
Length328 ft (100 m)
Beam50 ft (15 m)
Draft
  • Unloaded :
  • 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward
  • 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Loaded :
  • 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward
  • 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
Propulsion2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
2 × LCVPs
Troops16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament

Construction and commissioning

LST-755 was laid down on 20 May 1944 at American Bridge Company, Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Launched on 11 July 1944 and commissioned on 3 August 1944.[3]

Service in the United States Navy

During World War II, LST-755 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater. She then participated in the Lingayen Gulf landings from 13 to 18 January 1945. Then she was sent to the Philippines to participate in the Mindanao Island landings from 17 to 23 April 1945. She was assigned to occupation and China from 2 to 8 September 1945 to 29 May 1946.[2]

She was decommissioned on 29 May 1946 and struck from the Naval Register, 12 March 1948.[3]

Service in the Republic of China Navy

She was acquired and commissioned into the Republic of China Navy on 29 May 1946 and renamed Chung Hai (LST-201).[4]

The 79th Congress of the United States passed the China Aid Naval Act No. 512 on July 16, 1946, and was approved by President Truman, allowing the President to directly donate up to 271 warships to the Republic of China. The first batch of landing ships accepted by the bill was handed over at Qingdao Wharf.[5][6]

This ship participated in the restoration of the sovereignty of the South China Sea Islands by the Republic of China. In 1939, the Japanese army seized control of the Dongsha, Xisha, and Nansha Islands from the French. After World War II, the Japanese troops occupying the Xisha and Nansha Islands surrendered to the national army.[7] The ship departed from Shanghai in March 1948, via Kaohsiung, Guangzhou, and Yulin Port, and first sent Major Peng Yunsheng, director of the Nansha Islands Management Office, and his subordinates to Taiping Island, becoming the first commander of the Republic of China Navy on Taiping Island. Then send Captain Zhang Junran, director of the Paracel Islands Management Office, and his subordinates to Yongxing Island.[8] The ship delivered supplies to Dongsha in early 1947 and between 1949 and 1951.[9][10]

During the second civil war between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the ship participated in the Zhoushan Islands encirclement and suppression campaign and the Tashan campaign in the Jinzhou Relief Campaign in the Liaoxi Campaign in 1948. After the Liaoxi Warring States Army’s westward army was defeated by Lin Biao, the ship covered the Yingkou 52nd Army’s retreat.[6]

During the Battle of Wanshan Islands, the ship was hit by a 28-ton gunboat Jiefang on May 25, 1950. The ship and destroyer escort Taihe fired back and killed the deputy of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet. Captain Lin Wenhui, Lin Wenhui was pursued by the Central South Military Region as Navy Battle Heroes. There were 16 casualties among the 19 crew members of the Jiefang.[11][12]

Before the battle of Yijiangshan Island in January 1955, the China Shipping Ship sent Colonel Wang Shengming who was in charge of the battle from Keelung to Yijiangshan. When it stopped on Dachen Island halfway, it was hit by two bombs from MiG-15 fighter jets on the 10th. Both bombs directly penetrated the main deck and fell into the coal pile carried in the tank without exploding.[13][14]

On August 4, 1958, 9 torpedo boats from the First Brigade of the Sixth Torpedo Division of the PLAN entered the front line of Xiamen. At 18:30 in the 824 naval battle, the People's Liberation Army first bombarded Liuluo Bay with coastal artillery. The ship being unloaded was hit by two 130mm shells and then turned around and retreated. Ships such as Taisheng also withdrew from the range of the shore artillery and wandered into the open sea. At 19:10, six torpedo boats of the PLAN launched an attack. When they approached the 15th chain (300 meters), the National Army discovered that it was the Communists and opened fire, and at the same time evaded it urgently. At 20:25, the 105, 178, and 180 boats of the Second Squadron of the PLAN attacked the ship, and the 180 and 105 boats launched four torpedoes at the Chung Hai. In the big hole in the square, the motor and radar failed. 8 people were killed and 12 injured on the spot. However, the Chinese ship still turned right and fired at full force. At a distance of 500 meters, the 184 and 175 boats of the First Squadron of the PLAN fired a salvo, and the 103 boat launched separately. The Taisheng was hit and exploded and sank five minutes later. During the retreat of the PLAN torpedo boat, the No. 175 boat released smoke in the moonlight, but exposed its whereabouts. It was fired by the artillery fire of the national patrol ships Xiangjiang (PC-103), Mei Song (LSM-347) and Chung Hai. It sank after been hit 11 times.[15][16] Three people on a sunk PLAN torpedo boat were captured and sent to Taiwan.[17] The history of the Chinese military warfare claimed that the PLAN ship sunk 2 enemy boats and seriously injured 1 ship in this campaign. The national army calimed sank 8 enemy torpedo boats.[18][16] However, Taiwan’s Central News Agency and other reports have adopted the statement that one enemy ship sunk.[19][20] The People's Liberation Army admitted that the torpedo boat 175 was sunk.[15]

After the 824 naval battle, the ship was towed to the U.S. naval base Subic Bay, Philippines for repairs. The bow of the ship was replaced with a new one. The total repair cost was US$500,000. The China-Singapore Plan of the Republic of China Navy replaced all Chung Hai-class with new German engines and expanded the bridges. The ship sailed for 75,126 hours and 556,728 nautical miles (1,031,060 kilometers) during her service in the ROC Navy.[21] She was decommissioned on 1 February 2010.[22]

The 2018 Cultural Assets Conference proposed to transform the Chung Hai into a museum ship, which has a precedent in other countries.[21] The current status is designated as Important Antiquities and cannot be dismantled and sold.[6]

On 19 May 2020, the ship was sold for scrap despite backlash from military historians and enthusiasts due to her poor conditions.[23] There was discussion by the Navy to consider using the retired ship for SINKEX. The Kinmen County Government planned to move her to Kinmen Island to be preserved there but plans fell through due to the lack of funding.[24] On 21 May, the shipyard's plan to scrap the ship was postponed in fear of backlash. She is currently sitting in Qijin, Kaohsiung awaiting restoration.[25][26]

On 21 March 2021, the latest news regarding the ship is expected to settle in the Lin Mo Niang Memorial Park in Anping District, Tainan City. It will be connected with the nearby sailing ship Tainan Chenggong of Ming Zheng period and ROCS Te Yang (DDG-925).[27]

Awards

LST-755 have earned the following awards:

Citations

  1. "Tank Landing Ship LST". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  2. "Tank Landing Ship LST". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  3. "LST-755". public1.nhhcaws.local. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. "中海級戰車登陸艦 - 軍艦介紹 - 中華民國海軍". navy.mnd.gov.tw. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  5. Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 79–512: An act to provide assistance to the Republic of China in augmenting and maintaining a Naval Establishment, and for other purposes
  6. "文化部文化資產局--國家文化資產網".
  7. "1946年收復南海諸島的往事--黨史頻道-人民網". dangshi.people.com.cn. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  8. "抗战胜利后我国海军进驻南海诸岛纪实 - 中国军网". www.81.cn. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  9. https://www.cna.edu.tw/tw/download.php?f=54181
  10. https://np.cpami.gov.tw/filesys/dl/type1/61/dongsha_22.pdf
  11. http://www.shuku.net:8082/novels/wars/weizhjsea/weizhjsea29.html
  12. "林文虎 - 英烈纪念堂 - 中国军网". www.81.cn. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  13. 諸葛文武 (1988). 台海十大戰役 (in Chinese). 洞察出版社.
  14. "賈忠偉觀點:現今唯一留存的功勳艦——「中海艦」的故事". tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese). 22 September 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  15. "一九五八年——"8·24海戰"揭秘--中國共產黨新聞--中國共產黨新聞網". cpc.people.com.cn. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  16. 林福隆; 林慶銘; 金智; 田光祐; 楊晨光; 藍雪川 (1 June 2018). 軍事史評論第25期 (in Chinese). 國防部政務辦公室(秀威經銷).
  17. "文化部國家文化資料庫". nrch.culture.tw. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  18. "回顧「八二三臺海戰役」之海軍作戰(章長蓉) - 軍事刊物 - 中華民國海軍". navy.mnd.gov.tw. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  19. "功勳艦廢鐵出售 海軍:以影音書籍保存歷史精神 | 政治 | 中央社 CNA". www.cna.com.tw (in Chinese). 18 May 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  20. TVBS. "中海艦標售各界惋惜 時力籲完善文資保存機制│TVBS新聞網". TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. "搶救「中海號」作軍艦博物館 最終目標保存祖父級潛艇 | ETtoday軍武新聞 | ETtoday新聞雲". www.ettoday.net (in Traditional Chinese). 14 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  22. "中海艦保存有望 海軍:標售案暫緩簽約 | 政治 | 中央社 CNA". www.cna.com.tw (in Chinese). 29 May 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  23. Charlier, Phillip (19 May 2020). "Veteran Navy Ship sold for scrap". Taiwan English News. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  24. 聯合報. "【中海艦之死4】韓國瑜救援失敗?拆不拆仍未定!就怕成錢坑 | 聯合報". 聯合報數位版 (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  25. Charlier, Phillip (21 May 2020). "Historic navy ship sold as scrap iron gets last minute reprieve". Taiwan English News. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  26. News, Taiwan (13 July 2020). "Taiwan Navy changes course to save historic warship | Taiwan News | 2020-07-13 16:55:00". Taiwan News. Retrieved 20 August 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  27. 聯合報. "823戰役中曾擊沉中共魚雷艇 中海艦逃過廢鐵命運有望落腳台南安平 | 聯合報". 聯合報數位版 (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2021.

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.