![]() USS Graham County | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | De Soto County class |
Builders | |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Terrebonne Parish class |
Succeeded by | Newport class |
Built | 1956-1959 |
In commission | 1958-1973 |
Planned | 8 |
Completed | 7 |
Cancelled | 1 |
Retired | 7 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Tank landing ship |
Displacement |
|
Length | 445 ft (136 m) |
Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
Draft | 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) |
Boats & landing craft carried |
|
Capacity |
|
Troops | 575 officers and enlisted men |
Complement | 10 officers and 162 enlisted men |
Armament | 3 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal Mark 22 guns |
Aviation facilities | Helipad |
The De Soto County-class tank landing ship was a class of tank landing ship of United States Navy and later sold to the Italian and Brazilian Navy.
In the 1950s, eight ships were authorized to begin construction but one was later cancelled as the ship's contract was not awarded. The remaining seven ships were put into service between 1957 to 1959. The ships were designed to give a comfortable experience for the crew thus the ships were air conditioned. They have the capability of carrying vehicles or equipments up to 75 tons and 87.7 meters. [1]
Five ships were decommissioned in 1972, with LST-1171 and LST-1175 being sold to Italy. Brazil too acquired LST-1174 and commissioned her into service. LST-1176 was converted into a patrol gunboat support ship and reclassified as AGP-1176. LST-1178 was to be converted into a support ship for the Pegasus-class hydrofoils but plans later fell through.
Pennant number | Name | Callsign | Builders | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
De Soto County-class tank landing ship [2] | |||||||
LST-1171 | De Soto County | NIOD | Avondale Shipyard | 28 February 1957 | 10 June 1958 | 17 July 1972 | Sold to Italy and renamed Nave Grado (L9890), later scrapped in 1989 |
LST-1172 | Cancelled | ||||||
LST-1173 | Suffolk County | NVWD | Boston Naval Shipyard | 5 September 1956 | 15 August 1957 | 25 August 1972 | Scrapped in 1999 |
LST-1174 | GrantCounty | NIOF | Avondale Shipyard | 12 October 1956 | 17 December 1957 | 15 January 1973 | Sold to Brazil and renamed Duque de Caxias (G 26), fate unknown |
LST-1175 | York County | NVWF | Newport News Shipbuilding | 5 March 1957 | 8 November 1957 | 17 July 1972 | Sold to Italy and renamed Nave Caorle (L9891), later scrapped |
LST-1176 / AGP-1176 | Graham County | NIOH | 9 September 1957 | 17 April 1958 | 1 March 1977 | Fate unknown | |
LST-1177 | Lorain County | NVWO | American Shipbuilding | 22 June 1957 | 3 October 1958 | 1 September 1972 | Scrapped in October 2002 |
LST-1178 | Wood County | NIOJ | 14 December 1957 | 5 August 1959 | 1 May 1972 | Scrapped in July 2002 |
Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers. This enabled amphibious assaults on almost any beach.
Newport-class tank landing ships were an improved class of tank landing ship (LST) designed for and employed by the United States Navy from 1969 to 2002. The ships were intended to provide substantial advantages over their World War II-era predecessors. Larger and faster than any previous LST design, they carried a ramp over the bow that allowed them to surpass 20 knots, a goal of the United States amphibious forces. 27 were planned of which twenty were completed, the high number due to the demands of US force projection estimates. However, the arrival of the air-cushioned landing craft which allowed for over-the-horizon attacks made the class obsolete in the eyes of the United States Navy. Placed in reserve, twelve were eventually sold to foreign navies, while the remaining eight have since been decommissioned.
USS LST-356 was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She earned three battle stars during the war and was decommissioned in July 1946. In July 1955, she was assigned the name USS Bledsoe County (LST-356) in honor of Bledsoe County, Tennessee, but never saw active service under that name. Bledsoe County was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in September 1960 and sold for scrapping in March 1961. She was apparently sold into commercial service in 1962 instead, serving under several names over the next five years. In 1967, she was acquired by the Indonesian Navy and renamed KRI Teluk Tomini (508). In 2012, the ship was decommissioned and scrapped.
USS De Soto County (LST-1171) was a De Soto County-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during the late 1950s. The lead ship of her class of seven, she was named after counties in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS LST-906 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.
USS Graham County (LST-1176/AGP-1176) was a De Soto County-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during the late 1950s. Named after counties in Arizona, Kansas, and North Carolina, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
The Terrebonne Parish-class tank landing ship was a class of tank landing ship of United States Navy and later sold to the Spanish, Hellenic, Peruvian, Venezuelan and Turkish Navy.
USS LST-464/LST(H)-464 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.
HMS LST-402/LSE-53 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship that was transferred to the Royal Navy during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.
HMS LST-407 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship that was transferred to the Royal Navy during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.
HMS LST-421 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship that was transferred to the Royal Navy during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.
USS LST-920 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation.
USS LST-649 originally was a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship built during World War II and in commission from 1944 to 1946 and again in the late 1952. She was sold to the Republic of Singapore Navy and renamed RSS Resolution (L-204).
USS Stark County (LST-1134) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Thai Navy as HTMS Pangan (LST-13).
USS LST-574 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 Yung (LST-210).
USS Sutter County (LST-1150) was a LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II.
USS LST-205 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II.
USS LST-277 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was later sold to Chile as Commandante Toro (LST-97).
USS LST-326 was a LST-1-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was later sold to France as Liamone (K06).