Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Chelan County (LST-542)
ex
USS LST-542 (1944 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Delta - Victor
NEDV

---

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal

---

During World War II, USS LST-542 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

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

Final Disposition, fate unknown

---

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		Contributed By
	80k	USS LST-542 beached on Omaha Beach, Normandy, 6 June 1944.		Jesse Iatonna LCT-218
	80k	USS LST-542 (right) and USS LST-527 (center) off St Aubin's Bay, Jersey, during Operation 'Nestegg' with German POWs lining up on the sands ready to embark back to England, circa May 1945. USS LST-521 is just out of the picture to the left.		Robert Hurst
	152k	USS LST-542 (left) and USS LST-391 (right) moored together, date and location unknown. US Navy photo		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	40k	USS LST-542 during Cadet-Midshipmen Exercise (CAMID), 19 August 1946. US Navy photo		US Naval Academy, Nimitz Library web site
	23k	USS LST-542 under way, circa 1951.		Bill Shukis, USN Ret.
	55k	USS LST-542 under way while conducting a highline transfer with USS Minos (ARL-14), circa 1951-54, Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Michael Eberhardt Sr. USS Minos (ARL-14)		Mike Eberhardt in honor of his father Michael R. Eberhardt Sr, DKSN, USNR-R USS Minos
	148k	USS LST-542 under way circa 1950s, location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 84858. Courtesy of William H. Davis, 1976.		US Naval History and Heritage Command

---

USS Chelan County (LST-542)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

---

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Raymond, J. H., USNR	29 February 1944 - March 1944
02	LCDR. Vautrot, Joseph Erroll, USN	March 1944 - August 1945
03	LT. Tully, John M., USNR	August 1945 - December 1945
04	LT. Davis, Victor Lynn, USN	December 1945 - ?
06	LT. Warfield, John Breckenridge	1951
07	LT. Riggs, Wallace Marshall, USN (USNA 1946)	1953 - 1955
08	LT. Henriques Jr., David Nunes	1955 - 1956

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

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 5 May 2017