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USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway in the Caribbean, circa 1958 | |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS De Soto County |
Namesake | De Soto County |
Builder | Avondale Marine Ways, Inc. Avondale, Louisiana |
Laid down | September 1956 |
Launched | 28 February 1957 |
Commissioned | 10 June 1958 |
Decommissioned | 17 July 1972 |
Stricken | 8 May 1992 |
Honours and awards |
|
Fate | Loaned to the Italian Navy, 1972 |
Italy | |
Name | Grado (L 9890) |
Acquired | 1972 |
Fate | Sold for scrapping, 1989 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | De Soto County-class tank landing ship |
Displacement |
|
Length | 445 ft (136 m) |
Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
Draft | 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m) |
Propulsion | 6 × Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, two shafts, fixed pitch propellers |
Speed | 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) |
Boats & landing craft carried | 3 LCVPs and 1 Captain's Gig |
Capacity |
|
Troops | 575 officers and enlisted men |
Complement | 10 officers and 162 enlisted men |
Armament | 3 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 Mark 22 caliber gun mounts |
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.
De Soto County was designed under project SCB 119 and laid down 15 September 1956 at Avondale, Louisiana by Avondale Marine Ways, Inc.; launched on 28 February 1957; sponsored by Mrs. C. Horton Smith; and commissioned on 10 June 1958.
For almost the entire length of her active service, De Soto County was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. She interspersed operations off the east coast of the United States with frequent deployments to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. The De Soto County was also used by the Navy for a PR deployment to the Great Lakes in 1964. [1] Many dignitaries were shown aboard, including Admiral John McCain. The tank landing ship saw brief service in the Vietnam theater of operations in 1969.
Decommissioned on 17 July 1972, De Soto County was transferred to the Italian Navy where she served as Grado (L 9890). Struck from the Naval Vessel Register 8 May 1992, the ship was sold for scrapping by the Italian government in 1989.
De Soto County earned one Meritorious Unit Commendation for service with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean and one battle star for Vietnam War service.
USS Mahoning County (LST-914) 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 Mahoning County, Ohio, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Newport (LST-1179) was the third ship of the United States Navy (USN) to bear the name of the Rhode Island city. The first of her class of landing ship tanks (LST), she was capable of a sustained speed of 20 knots. Her ability to adjust her draft, accompanied by her unique bow-ramp design, helped bring a new degree of responsiveness to the amphibious fleet. The ship was launched in 1968 and entered service with the USN in 1969. Assigned to the United States Atlantic Fleet for the entirety of her career, Newport made deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. The vessel was taken out of service in 1992 and laid up until 2001.
USS Burnett County (LST-512) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Burnett County, Wisconsin, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Grant County (LST-1174) was a De Soto County-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during the late 1950s. Named after counties in fifteen states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Alameda County (LST-32) was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not originally named, and only referenced by her hull designation. Later she was named for Alameda County, California, the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Blanco County (LST-344) was an LST-1-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Blanco County, Texas, she was the only U.S. Naval 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 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 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 Talbot County (LST-1153) was a tank landing ship (LST) built for the United States Navy just after World War II. The lead ship of her class of only two vessels, she was named after counties in Maryland and Georgia, and 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 Terrebonne Parish (LST-1156), originally USS LST-1156, affectionately nicknamed the "T-Bone" by her early crew, was a Terrebonne Parish-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy in 1952. The lead ship in her class, she was named for Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. The ship was later transferred to Spain and renamed Velasco (L-11), and was scrapped in 1994.
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.
USS Lorain County (LST-1177) was a De Soto County-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during the late 1950s. Named after Lorain County, Ohio, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Madera County (LST-905) was a LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Madera County, California, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Mahnomen County (LST-912) 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 Mahnomen County, Minnesota, and was the only US Navy vessel to bear the name.
USS Montgomery County (LST-1041) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in 18 U.S. states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Wahkiakum County (LST-1162), previously USS LST-1162, was a United States Navy landing ship tank (LST) in commission from 1953 to 1970, and which then saw non-commissioned Military Sealift Command service as USNS Wahkiakum County (T-LST-1162) from 1972 to 1973.
USS Waldo County (LST-1163), previously USS LST-1163, was a United States Navy landing ship tank (LST) in commission from 1953 to 1970, and which then saw non-commissioned Military Sealift Command service as USNS Waldo County (T-LST-1163) from 1972 to 1973.