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 USSLincoln County (LST-898) offMare Island Naval Shipyard, 15 March 1957 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | LST-898 |
| Builder | Dravo Corporation,Pittsburgh |
| Laid down | 15 October 1944 |
| Launched | 25 November 1944 |
| Commissioned | 29 December 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 9 May 1946 |
| Recommissioned | 28 August 1950 |
| Decommissioned | 24 March 1961 |
| Renamed | USSLincoln County (LST-898), 1 July 1955 |
| Honors & awards |
|
| Fate | Sold toThailand, 3 August 1962 |
 Thailand | |
| Name | HTMSChang (LST-712) |
| Namesake | Chang Island |
| Acquired | 3 August 1962 |
| Decommissioned | 2006 |
| Fate | Scuttled Nov 2012, Koh Chang |
| 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 |
|
USSLincoln County (LST-898) was anLST-542-classtank landing ship built for theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II. Named aftercounties in 23 U.S. states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally laid down asLST-898 by theDravo Corporation ofPittsburgh,Pennsylvania, on 15 October 1944; launched on 25 November, sponsored by Mrs. J. B. Mawhinney; and commissioned on 29 December.
After shakedown offFlorida, she loaded cargo atNew Orleans and departed on 4 February 1945. Sailing via theCanal Zone,LST-898 arrivedMajuro on 12 March, then proceeded toSaipan to prepare for theOkinawa invasion. Departing Saipan on 12 April she arrived Chimu Wan,Okinawa, and discharged cargo on this strategic base which lay at the gateway to Japan. Returning to Saipan on 6 April,LST-898 shuttled troops and equipment among theMarianas,Philippines, and Okinawa during the remaining months of the War.
Following theAllied victory in the Pacific, she operated in theFar East, transporting occupation forces and equipment until late November. From December 1945 to February 1946, the landing ship aided in the dismantling ofArmy bases in thePhilippines. She remained in the Philippines and decommissioned there on 9 May 1946.
On 25 May she was transferred to the Army for cargo operations.LST-898 returned to Navy control on 1 June 1950 and for the next three months performed cargo operations forMilitary Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) in Japan andKorea. TheCommunist threat toSouth Korea called for a buildup of naval forces to speed the flow of men and supplies into the conflict.
LST-898 recommissioned on 28 August 1950, loaded troops and vehicles atKobe, Japan, for theInchon invasion, then sailed 10 September for the west coast of Korea. The veteran landing ship participated in the well-executed invasion at Inchon on 15 September. The success of the operation prompted GeneralDouglas MacArthur to remark that "The Navy and Marines have never shone more brightly than this morning." After discharging troops and cargo, she provided emergency medical care for wounded Marines, then supported assault forces by shelling enemy positions ashore.LST-898 supported operations at Inchon until mid-October; afterChinese troops entered the conflict, she redeployed U.S. Marines in northern Korea. From October to 29 December, she evacuated Marines and Korean civilians fromHŭngnam andWonsan toPusan. From January to late April 1951LST-898 continued supply runs between Japanese and Korean ports. DepartingYokosuka on 24 April she arrivedSan Diego on 21 May for overhaul and training exercises. She returned Yokosuka on 3 April 1952 for her second tour in the fight against Communism in the embattled Korean peninsula. Throughout the next six months, she ferried troops and supplies between Japan and Korea, returning San Diego on 16 November.
During mid-1953,LST-898 carried supplies to Navy installations atPoint Barrow, Alaska, remaining in theArctic until early September. For the next two years the veteran landing ship alternated operations in the westernPacific with amphibious exercises off the west coast.
On 15 July 1955LST-898 was namedUSSLincoln County (LST-898). From 1955 to 1960, she sailed for three tours with the7th Fleet, made one cruise to the frigidArctic to supply "DEW Line" installations, and participated in amphibious exercises off the west coast andHawaii.
After serving the Navy during two wars besides sailing on many tours with the 7th Fleet to prevent incidents from enlarging into new conflicts,Lincoln County decommissioned on 24 March 1961. On 31 August 1962 she was turned over to the government ofThailand under the terms of the Military Assistance Program for service in theRoyal Thai Navy asChang (LST-2) (Thai:เรือหลวงช้าง). This ship's hull number was subsequently changed to712 HTMSChang.
On 22 November 2012, HTMS Chang (Hull No. 712) was scuttled near Koh Chang Island in Trat Province, Thailand, to make an artificial reef for scuba diving.[1]
LST-898 received onebattle star for World War II service and six forKorean War service.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
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