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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Epping Forest (MCS-7)
ex
USS Epping Forest (LSD-4) (1943 - 1962)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Yankee - Golf NXYG

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (5) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (6)
Fourth Row - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

Ashland Class Dock Landing Ship:

Originally authorized as (APM-4), a Mechanized Artillery Transport

Reclassified as Dock Landing Ship (LSD-4), 1 July 1941

Laid down 23 November 1942, at Moore Drydock Co. Oakland CA;

Launched, 2 April 1943

Commissioned USS Epping Forest (LSD-4), 11 October 1943, LCDR. L. Martin, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Epping Forest was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944	Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 26 July 1944
Hollandia operation, 21 to 26 April and 28 April to 2 May 1944	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 13 to 24 October, 31 October to 9 November and 13 to 21 November 1944
Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, Peleliu, 6 September to 14 October 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 30 June 1945

Decommissioned, 25 March 1947, at San Diego, CA.

Placed in Reserve at Long Beach CA.

Recommissioned, 1 December 1950

During the Korean War USS Epping Forest participated in the following campaigns;

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 18 July to 25 September 1951 9 November 1951	Third Korean Winter 1 to 6 and 12 to 19 December 1952 21 February to 1 March 1953 8 to 15 March 1953
Second Korean Winter 5 to 6 and 17 to 19 December 1951	Korea, Summer-Fall 1953 28 May to 7 June 1953 12 June to 14 July 1953
Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 29 October to 17 November 1952 27 to 30 November 1952

Redesignated Mine Countermeasures Support Ship (MCS-7) 30 November 1962

During the Vietnam War USS Epping Forest participated in the following campaigns;

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 29 November to 10 December 1961 11 to 23 January 1962 19 to 31 July 1964 10 to 15 October 1964 25 March to 4 May 1965 24 June to 3 July 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 4 to 11 June 1967
Vietnam Defense 4 to 19 July 1965 25 September to 22 October 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase IV 24 April to 24 May 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 2 to 14 March 1966 9 to 10 and 23 to 25-May 1966 7 to 9 June 1966	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 4 to 20 August 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 12 September to 6 October 1966 21 March to 14 April 1967

Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 31 October 1968

USS Epping Forrest earned six battle stars for World War II service, five battle stars for Korean War service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 October 1969

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
Length 457' 9" o.a.
Beam 72"

Draft

8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft)

15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)

Speed 17 kts (design speed)

Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots

Complement

Officers 17

Enlisted 237

Troop Accommodations

Officers 22

Enlisted 218

Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)

three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or

two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or

fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or

forty-seven DUKW or

forty-one LVT or

Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity

Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)

two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 11,720 Bbls

Diesel 160 Bbls

Gasoline 5,085 Gals

Propulsion

two Skinner Uniflow 5-cylinder reciprocating steam engines

two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 150Kw 120V D.C.
one Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.

twin propellers, 7,400shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Epping Forest (LSD-4)
10120420	184k	Namesake Epping Forest - Mary Ball the daughter of COL. Joseph Ball was born at Epping Forest, Lancaster County, VA. in 1707/08. She was the mother of George Washington. From the 1915 book Historic Virginia Houses and Churches by Robert A. Lancaster, Jr., circa 1900.	Tommy Trampp
	192k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)** crew photo, probably taken in the Los Angeles area soon after the ship was commissioned. Photo by Thompson Photo Studios, Los Angeles.	Teri Williams Easterling for her father Lomas Bryant Williams USS Epping Forest
10120418	184k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)** with and unidentified ship coming alongside, date and location unknown.	Kelly McCrystle for his grandfather Ernie Osburn USS LST-1081
10120419	227k
	30k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)**, date and location unknown.	USS Gunston Hall web site
	219k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)** in November 1953 at the start of her overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard when her helicopter deck was added. US Navy photo from the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	79k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)** under way, circa 1950s. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107620.	Robert Hurst
	56k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)** leaving San Diego, 1956. Note Coronado Ferry entering photo at far left.	Dale C Haskin
	92k	*USS Epping Forest* (LSD-4)** under way after her conversion for Mine Sweeper support, and before being designated Mine Countermeasures Support Ship (MCS-7), circa 1962, location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	65k	Epping Forest (LSD 4) "mothering" coastal minesweeper *USS Peacock* (MSC-198)** U.S. Navy photo from the July 1962 edition of All Hands magazine	Robert Hurst
USS Epping Forest (MCS-7)
	65k	*USS Epping Forest* (MCS-7)**, circa 1962, western Pacific. US Navy photo.	Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships
10120421	147k	*USS Epping Forest* (MCS-7)** at anchor with a landing craft in the water, circa the mid-1960s. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 66445	Robert Hurst

For more photos and information about USS Epping Forest, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
Western Caroline Islands Attack Landing Order
Beach White Peleliu - CTF 32 Operation Plan A501-44 Appendix 4 to Annex "D"
"Epping Forest History Supporting Mine Sweeping Boats" by Ed Sinclair

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Martin, Lester	11 October 1943 - April 1944	LSD-4
02	CDR. Kaltenbacher, Roy James, USNR	April 1944 - November 1945	LSD-4
03	CDR. Ovrom, Robert Johnston	November 1945 - 25 March 1947	LSD-4
	Decommissioned	25 March 1947 - 1 December 1950	LSD-4
04	CDR. Miller, Rodger Farrington	1 December 1950 - July 1951	LSD-4
05	CDR. Hack, John Adrian	July 1951 - April 1952	LSD-4
06	CDR. Fallon, Frederic Clayton	April 1952 - 1954	LSD-4
07	LCDR. Davis, Robert Allan, USN (USNA 1946)	1954 - 1954	LSD-4
08	CDR. Fallon, Frederic Clayton	1954 - February 1955	LSD-4
09	CDR. Mehlhop, Donald L.	February 1955 - 1956	LSD-4
10	CDR. Ferron, Alan William	1956 - 1958	LSD-4
11	CAPT. Long Jr., Andrew Willison	1958 - July 1960	LSD-4
12	CDR. Bush Jr., George Bernard	July 1960 - 26 March 1962	LSD-4
13	CDR. Schaedler, George Alden	26 March 1962 - 22 May 1964	MSC-7
14	CDR. Dutra, John Eugene	22 May 1964 - 16 July 1966	MSC-7
15	CDR. Clark, William Ernest, USN (USNA 1948-A)	16 July 1966 - 19 January 1968	MSC-7
16	CDR. Dyer, George Wesley (Jerry), USN (USNA 1949)	19 January 1968 - 31 October 1968	MSC-7