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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Chittenden County (LST-561)
ex
 USS LST-561 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Uniform - Xray
 NEUX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Korean Service Medal (2) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship
  • Laid down, 24 February 1943, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 25 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-561, 15 May 1944
  • During World War II USS LST-561 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 southern France 15 August to 25 September 1944

  • Decommissioned, 30 April 1946
  • Recommissioned, 18 September 1950
  • During the Korean War USS LST-715 participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Second Korean Winter
    22 December 1951 to 30 January 1952
    16 to 30 April 1952     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 18 May 1952
    2 to 24 July 1952

  • Named Chittenden County (LST-561), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 2 June 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 27 June 1958
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target off Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii, 21 October 1958, by USS Sargo (SSN-583)
  • USS LST-561 earned one battle star for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean War service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
    Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    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)
    Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    7 officers, 104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers, 147 enlisted
    Boats 3 LCVP, 1 LCPL
    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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LSM-547 49k USS LSM-547, USS LSM-175 and USS LST-561 beached, probably in the San Diego Bay area, circa 1950-1955 Tommy Trampp
    Chittenden County 489k USS Chittenden County (LST-561) underway in the Arctic during the Summer-Fall of 1955 in support of the DEW line radar stations. David LaPell
    Chittenden County 84k Forward port quarter view of USS Chittenden County (LST-561) in the Mare Island channel, 9 April 1957. Chittenden County was under repair at Mare Island from 31 January to 9 April 1957.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 33859-4-57, 4/9/57.    		 Darryl Baker
    Chittenden County 94k Broadside view of USS Chittenden County (LST-561) in the Mare Island channel, 9 April 1957.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 33861-4-57, 4/9/57.    		 Darryl Baker
    Chittenden County 983k Six periscope images of ex-USS Chittenden County (LST-561) being sunk by a torpedo fired by USS Sargo (SSN-583), 21 October 1958, off Diamond Head, Hawaii. Darryl Baker
    Chittenden County 771k Mare Island Shipyard newspaper the "Grapevine", 15 May 1959 issue with photos of USS Sargo (SSN-583) sinking ex-USS Chittenden County (LST-561), 21 October 1958, off Diamond Head, Hawaii. Darryl Baker
    USS Chittenden County (LST-561)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    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 24 August 2012