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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Armstrong County (LST-57)
ex
 USS LST-57 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Uniform - Charlie
 NFUC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - (Normandy 1944) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 24 October 1943, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 4 December 1943
  • Placed in reduced commission, 10 January 1944
  • Fully commissioned USS LST-57, 15 January 1944, after fitting out at New Orleans, LA., LT. Chester E. Briggs, Jr., USN, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-57 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • Following World War II USS LST-57 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    16 October to 9 November 1945
    26 December 1945 to 24 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 24 January 1946
  • Turned over to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) for operation, redesignated Q028
  • Returned to US Navy custody in November 1950
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Tacoma, WA., 9 November 1950
  • Named Armstrong County, 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 11 August 1955
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target in 1956
  • USS LST-57 earned one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    light 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    sea-going 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    landing 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    limiting 11' 2"
    maximum navigation 14' 1"
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    13 officers
    104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers
    147 enlisted
    Boats 2 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-57
    1016005701    		 279k USS LST-57 underway on either the Ohio or Mississippi River enroute Pensacola for fitting out, circa 10 January 1944.
    TimeLife_Image_116340161, by Wallace Kirkland, Life Magazine.    		 David Upton
    USS LST-57 / Armstrong County (LST-57)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Briggs, Jr., Chester Eugene, USN15 January 1944 - 24 January 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 July 2021