 USSLake County (LST-880) underway in the Bahamas, providing support for Seabee units ashore setting up satellite tracking sites, 10 February 1958 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSLST-880 |
| Builder | Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company,Evansville, Indiana |
| Laid down | 6 November 1944 |
| Launched | 16 December 1944 |
| Commissioned | 9 January 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 1 October 1946 |
| In service | May 1951 |
| Out of service | August 1951 |
| Recommissioned | 20 August 1951 |
| Decommissioned | 25 November 1958 |
| Renamed | USSLake County (LST-880), 1 July 1955 |
| Stricken | Unknown |
| Fate | Sunk as atarget ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | LST-542-classtank landing ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Propulsion | 2 ×General Motors12-567diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders |
| Speed | 12knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 ×LCVPs |
| Troops | Approximately 130 officers and enlisted men |
| Complement | 8-10 officers, 89-100 enlisted men |
| Armament |
|
USSLake County (LST-880) was anLST-542-classtank landing ship built for theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II. Named aftercounties in twelve U.S. states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally laid down asLST-880 by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company ofEvansville, Indiana on 6 November 1944; launched on 16 December 1944, sponsored by Mrs. L. H. Quigley; and commissioned atNew Orleans, Louisiana on 9 January 1945.
After shakedown off theFlorida coast,LST-880 departedNew Orleans forHawaii on 13 February. Steaming via thePanama Canal and the west coast, she reachedPearl Harbor on 31 March. During the next six weeks she participated in training operations withSeabees before departing Pearl Harbor for the westernPacific on 24 May. Carrying men and equipment of the 98thConstruction Battalion, she sailed via theMarshalls andMarianas toOkinawa where she arrived on 4 July. There she discharged men and cargo; and, after embarking combat veterans, she sailed for the Marianas on 10 July. Steaming viaGuam, she reachedSaipan the 19th.LST-880 sailed for theSolomon Islands on 27 July. ArrivingRussell Island on 7 August, she operated among the Solomons during the final week of fighting in the Pacific.
On the 19th she departedGuadalcanal for thePhilippines. Upon arrivingSamar on 30 August, she operated inLeyte Gulf until 20 September when she sailed forLuzon. She reachedLingayen Gulf the 24th; and, after embarking occupation troops atSan Fabian, Luzon she sailed for Japan on 26 September. Steaming in convoy she arrivedWakayama,Honshū on 7 October to support occupation landings in Japan.
Continuing her occupation duty,LST-880 departedNagoya, Honshū, for the Philippines on 27 October. She embarked more occupation troops at Lingayen Gulf, and from 11 to 18 November steamed toSasebo,Kyūshū for further occupation duty. Departing Sasebo on 23 November, she sailed for the Marianas where she arrived Saipan the 29th. She operated between Guam and Saipan until 18 December; then she sailed for Pearl Harbor. After touching atEniwetok,Kwajalein, andRoi in the Marshalls, she arrived Pearl Harbor on 8 January 1946. Departing three days later, she steamed to the west coast and arrivedSan Pedro Bay on 22 January. Between 6 and 28 February she sailed from San Pedro to New Orleans. She decommissioned there on 1 October 1946 and was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Towed toGreen Cove Springs, Florida early in 1947,LST-880 transferred toNorfolk, Virginia late in 1950.
From May to August 1951 she served theMilitary Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as a supply ship during the construction of military bases in theArctic. After returning to Norfolk,LST-880 recommissioned on 20 August. During the next nine months she operated out of Norfolk while making supply runs along the east coast and toCuba andPuerto Rico. Between 21 May and 5 June 1952 she steamed from Norfolk toPort Lyautey,French Morocco to begin logistics operations in the westernMediterranean for the6th Fleet. During the next six months she carried supplies to ports inNorth Africa and steamed fromPortugal toItaly while supporting peacekeeping and readiness operations in the Mediterranean. She departed Port Lyautey on 11 November; reached Norfolk the 26th; and resumed supply runs out of Norfolk.
Logistics duty in 1953 sent her to theCaribbean, and she carried supplies to American bases in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and in theBritish West Indies from theBahamas toTrinidad. Departing Norfolk on 21 September, she sailed viaDavisville, Rhode Island for North Africa and arrived Port Lyautey on 9 October. After unloading supplies, she sailed four days later and returned to Norfolk on 27 October.LST-880 resumed logistics operations to island bases in theAtlantic and the Caribbean. During late August and early September 1954 she operated between Norfolk andHalifax, Nova Scotia and during 1955 she made two additional runs to Halifax andArgentia, Newfoundland. NamedUSSLake County (LST-880) on 1 July 1955, she continued supply runs primarily in the Caribbean from 1955 to 1958.
Departing the Bahamas on 10 February 1958 she arrived Norfolk the 13th.Lake County steamed to Charleston on 29 August and decommissioned there on 25 November. Declared unsuitable for further naval service, she was used as atarget ship for destruction.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
.svg)
