USS Sweetwater County

ROCS Chung Ming
History
United States
Name	LST-1152
Builder	Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca
Laid down	5 March 1945
Launched	8 June 1945
Commissioned	30 June 1945
Decommissioned	1 July 1946
Namesake	Sweetwater County
Renamed	Sweetwater County
Stricken	6 February 1959
Identification	Pennant number: LST-1152
Honors & awards	See Awards
Fate	Transferred to the Republic of China, 1958
Taiwan
Name	Chung Ming (中明)
Acquired	21 October 1958
Commissioned	21 October 1958
Homeport	Kaohsiung
Identification	Pennant number: LST-227
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 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
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	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	8 × 40 mm guns 12 × 20 mm guns

USS Sweetwater County (LST-1152) was a LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. She was transferred to the Republic of China Navy as ROCS Chung Ming (LST-227). ^[1]

Construction and commissioning

LST-1152 was laid down on 5 March 1945 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, Seneca, Illinois. Launched on 8 June 1945 and commissioned on 30 June 1945.

Service in the United States Navy

During World War II, LST-1152 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. She was assigned to occupation and Far East from 1 November to 22 December 1945. ^[1]

She was decommissioned on 1 July 1946 and struck from the Naval Register on 6 February 1956 after she was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed Chung Ming (LST-227). ^[2] While being mothballed on 1 July 1955, she was given the name Sweetwater County.

Service in the Republic of China Navy

On 18 March 2021, she participated in a military exercise. ^[3]

Awards

LST-1152 have earned the following awards:

• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Citations

1. "Tank Landing Ship LST". NavSource. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
2. "231 中業艦". 新浪部落. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
3. "中明軍艦搶退攤操演 強化戰訓". tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 August 2021.

Sources

• United States. Dept. of the Treasury (1962). Treasury Decisions Under the Customs, Internal Revenue, Industrial Alcohol, Narcotic and Other Laws, Volume 97. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Moore, Capt. John (1984). Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0710607959.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0710628886.
• Fairplay International Shipping Journal Volume 222. United Kingdom: Fairplay Publishing Limited. 1967.