History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS LST-551, later USS Chesterfield County |
Namesake | Chesterfield County, South Carolina, and Chesterfield County, Virginia, |
Builder | Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana |
Laid down | 15 January 1944 |
Launched | 11 March 1944 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. H. Edward Lannan |
Commissioned | 14 April 1944 |
Decommissioned | 10 June 1955 |
Renamed | USS Chesterfield County (LST-551), 1 July 1955 |
Recommissioned | 21 December 1965 |
Stricken | 1 June 1970 |
Honours and awards |
|
Fate | Sold for scrapping, February 1971 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | LST-542-class tank landing ship |
Displacement |
|
Length | 328 ft (100 m) |
Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
Draft |
|
Propulsion | 2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders |
Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
Boats & landing craft carried | 2 LCVPs |
Troops | Approximately 140 officers and enlisted men |
Complement | 8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted men |
Armament |
|
USS Chesterfield County (LST-551), originally USS LST-551, was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1955 and again in the late 1960s. Named after Chesterfield County, South Carolina, and Chesterfield County, Virginia, she has been the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name.
LST-551 was laid down on 15 January 1944 at Evansville, Indiana, by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company. She was launched on 11 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. H. Edward Lannan, and commissioned on 14 April 1944.
During World War II, LST-551 was assigned to the European Theater of Operations and participated in the Operation Dragoon the invasion of southern France, in August and September 1944. Following the war, LST-551 performed occupation service in Europe until early July 1945. She then served with Amphibious Force, United States Atlantic Fleet, until she was decommissioned on 10 June 1955.
While out of commission, LST-551 was renamed USS Chesterfield County (LST-551) on 1 July 1955.
Chesterfield County was recommissioned on 21 December 1965 and operated on the Brown Waters Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 during the Vietnam War. Decommissioned once again in 1968, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1970 and sold to Mitsui and Company of Japan in February 1971 for scrapping.
LST-551 earned one battle star for World War II service and Chesterfield County earned two battle stars for Vietnam War service.
USS LST–542 was the lead ship of her class of tank landing ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was later named USS Chelan County (LST-542) for the county in Washington, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. The LST-542-class was built with a water-distilling plant and heavier armament than the earlier LST-1 class, which slightly decreased their payload.
USS Benton County (LST-263) was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for nine counties of the United States, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Calaveras County (LST-516) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Calaveras County, California, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Cape May County (LST-521) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Cape May County, New Jersey, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Caroline County (LST-525) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for counties in Maryland and Virginia, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Chittenden County (LST-561), originally USS LST-561, was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Later named for Chittenden County, Vermont, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Middlesex County (LST-983) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia, she was the only United States Navy vessel to bear the name.
USS Churchill County (LST-583), originally USS LST-583, was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1946 and 1960 to 1968. Named for Churchill County, Nevada she was the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name.
USS Clarke County (LST-601), originally USS LST-601, was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship built during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1955 and again in the late 1960s. Named after Clarke Counties in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, and Virginia, she was the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name.
USS Meeker County (LST-980) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation. Later named after Meeker County, Minnesota, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Clearwater County (LST-602), originally USS LST-602, was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship built during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1946 and from 1950 to ca. 1957. Named after Clearwater County, Idaho, and Clearwater County, Minnesota, she was the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. It was transferred to the Mexican Navy.
USS Coconino County (LST-603), originally USS LST-603, was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1955 and from 1966 to 1969. Named after Coconino County, Arizona, she was the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name.
USS Dodge County (LST-722) was an LST-542 class Landing Ship Tank, built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was renamed USS Dodge County on the first of July 1955, for counties in Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, and was the only United States Navy vessel to bear the name.
USS Dukes County (LST-735) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Dukes County, Massachusetts, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. In 1957 she was decommissioned and leased to the Republic of China. In 1962 she was commissioned into Republic of China Navy service.
USS Dunn County (LST-742) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in North Dakota and Wisconsin, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Floyd County (LST-762) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Texas, and Virginia, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Hunterdon County (LST-838) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II, and later reconfigured and recommissioned for riverine warfare during the Vietnam War. Named after Hunterdon County, New Jersey, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Maricopa County (LST-938) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation. She was later named after Maricopa County, Arizona, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Litchfield County (LST-901) was a LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Litchfield County, Connecticut, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Monmouth County (LST-1032) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Monmouth County, New Jersey, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.