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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Comstock (LSD-19)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Alpha - Lima
NJAL

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth - Korean Service Medal (10) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (4-Quemoy-Matsu, 9-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (5)
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

USS Comstock (LSD-19) was transferred to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and renamed ROCS Chung Cheng (LSD-191)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Launched, 28 April 1945, at Newport New Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.

Commissioned USS Comstock (LSD-19), 2 July 1945, Lieutenant Commander J. C. Rochester, USNR, in command

During the Korean War USS Comstock participated in the following campaigns:

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
North Korean Aggression 10 to 12 September 1950 18 September to 27 October 1950	UN Summer-Fall Offensive 22 to 23 October 1951 1 to 27 November 1951
Communist China Aggression 3 December 1950 to 24 January 1951	Second Korean Winter 28 November 1951 11 to 28 December 1951
Inchon Landing 13 to 17 September 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 17 July 1952 25 July to 13 August 1952 25 August to 8 September 1952 20 September to 17 October 1952
First UN Counter Offensive 25 January to 10 April 1951 21 April 1951	Third Korean Winter 12 to 18 April 1953
Communist China Spring Offensive 22 April to 12 May 1951 15 to 20 May 1951	Korean Summer-Fall 1953 3 to10 and 15 to 20 May 1953 18 to 20 July 1953

During the Vietnam War USS Comstock participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 30 August to 1 September 1965 6 to 7 September 1965	Tet counteroffensive 1 February to 10 March 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensives - Phase II 27 August 1966 8 September to 14 November 1966 4 and 10 to 17 December 1966 8 to 16 January 1967	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 18 to 29 June 1969 7 July to 13 August 1969 11 to 13 and 18 to 20-September 1969 29 September to 5 October 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensives - Phase II 26 November 1967 to 3 January 1968

Decommissioned in early 1970s

Struck from the Naval Register, 30 June 1976

Title transfer to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Sold for scrapping, 17 October 1984 by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), towed to Taiwan for scrapping

Instead of being scrapped the Taiwanese Navy replaced ex-USS White Marsh (LSD-8) with ex-USS Comstock (LSD-19) and renamed ex-Comstock as ROCS Cheng Chung (LSD-191) the same name and hull number the ex-White Marsh carried

Current Disposition, still active in the Taiwanese Navy in 2004 and will remain on active duty until replaced by an Anchorage class LSD

USS Comstock earned ten battle stars for Korean War service and five campaign stars for Vietnam War service

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
Landing Craft

Officers 6

Enlisted 30
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 Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines

two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi

single Newport New Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators

twin propellers, 7,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Comstock (LSD-19)
	157k	Sasebo, Japan. US Navy ships take on supplies while moored in Sasebo harbor, circa December 1950. Photographed from *USS Princeton* (CV 37), which arrived in the area on her first Korean War deployment in early December. Among the ships in the background are USS Mount Katmai (AE 16), in left center, and USS Comstock (LSD 19), at right. Planes on Princeton's deck are AD "Skyraiders"*. US National Archives photo # 80-G-423620*, a US Navy photo now in the collection of the US National Archives	US Naval Historical Center
	692k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19)** underway in the Chinampo area of Korea, 20 May 1951. USN Navy photo released by Commander, Naval Forces Far East.	David Buell
	64k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19)** at San Diego, 1956	Dale C Haskin
	109k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19)** in bound San Francisco Bay, June 1957, enroute to a shipyard at Alameda for an extended overhaul. Photo by Allied Photographers.	Robert M. Cieri
	114k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19)** underway in San Francisco, circa 1958, after completion of overhaul at shipyard in Alameda. Note her 5" gun mount and 20mm gun mounts have been removed.	John A. Gocke USS Comstock
	40k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19) underway, circa November 1961, enroute WESTPAC, between Hawaii and Okinawa. Comstock's WESTPAC tour ran from October 1961 to April 1962. Other ships in the formation would have included; USS Lenawee (APA-195), USS Thomaston (LSD-28)** an LPH and possibly an AKA.	Photo - USS Gunston Hall web site Caption - Les Bates USS Gunston Hall
	113k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19) at anchor off Chu Lai, South Vietnam, June 1965, with her stern gate down. She has not yet flooded her ballast tanks to bring the well deck under water. Alongside is LCU-1481. Note the superdeck fitted over the well deck for the carriage of additional vehicles. In the background is USS Thomaston (LSD-28)**, with her stern gate still raised. Photo and text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
	86k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19), with USS Fort Marion (LSD-22) and USS Cree (ATF-84)** moored at Naval Station San Diego, circa 6 June to 7 December 1969.	© Richard Leonhardt
	1077k	*USS Comstock* (LSD-19)** underway, date and location unknown.	Charles Lamm
ROCS Chung Cheng (LSD-191)
	76k	Ex- Comstock (LSD-19) in the Republic of China service as ROCSChung Cheng (LSD-191), port side 29 July 2004 at Kaohsiung Naval Base.	Yu-Lun Miao
	117k	Starboard broadside view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	137k	Starboard bow view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	138k	Port bow view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	118k	Bow on view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	133k	Starboard bow view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	156k	Starboard side midships forward view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	96k	Starboard side midships view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	95k	Starboard side midships aft view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	138k	Starboard side stern view of *ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191)** at anchor in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan, 2006.	Perry Huang
	388k	Ex-*ROCS Chung Cheng* (LSD-191) moored pierside at Tsoying, Taiwan, 18 September 2012, two months after being decommissioned by the Taiwan Navy in July 2012. Chung Cheng was 68 years old. She served in the US Navy for 35 years, being decommissioned in 1970 and laid up in reserve for 14 years thereafter. On 17 Oct. 1984 the ship was sold to Taiwan for scrap. However, after being towed to Taiwan the decision was made to commission the vessel as ROCS Chung Cheng (LSD-191)**. She operated out of Southern Taiwan for another 28 years. The simple propulsion plants allowed this to happen without access to any drawings or technical manuals. The two machinery spaces were each equipped with a Babcock and Wilcox 250 psi saturated steam boiler. Each HP/LP impulse - reaction turbine engine delivered a modest 3500 SHP. The final demise was due to hull leakage flooding. Settling at the aft end caused a permanent hull deflection at the stern. This resulted in severe shaft misalignment and the end of a remarkable career for the ship.	Photo by Frank R. Liese

USS Comstock (LSD-19)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Rochester, J. C.	2 July 1945 - ?
02	CDR. Morris, James Harris	1964 - ?
03	LCDR. Stewart, Charles C.	no dates
04	CAPT. Goyette, Emmanuel Thomas	1950 - ?
05	CDR. Wasaluski, Alex	1951 - ?
06	CDR. Kable, Donald Mark	April 1958 - 22 September 1959
07	CAPT. Sandvigen, Ralph E.	22 September 1959 - June 1961
08	CDR. Meheus, John H.	June 1961 - 28 May 1963
09	CDR. Kempf, Lawrence Albert (Larry)	28 May 1963 - 2 November 1964


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 26 October 2012