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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-602 Clearwater County


USS Clearwater County (LST-602) was sold to the Republic of Mexico and renamed Manzanillo (IA 02)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (2) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 23 October 1943, at the Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 9 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-602, 31 March 1944, Ens. John H. Mehus, USNR, in command
  • During World War II LST-602 was assigned to the European theater and participated in the:
  • Decommissioned in 1946
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • LST-602 was recommissioned in 1950 and was assigned to the Korean Theater from 26 November 1951 to 25 July 1952 and from 19 July 1953 to 26 February 1954 and participated in the:
  • Named USS Clearwater County (LST 602), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned (date unknown)
  • Temporary custody assigned to th US Air Force from September 1957 to September 1969
  • Transferred to temporary custody of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) (date unknown)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1972
  • Sold to Mexico, 30 May 1972, renamed Manzanillo (IA 02)
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • LST-602 earned one battle star for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean 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
    (2-boat davits) 7 officers, 104 enlisted
    (6-boat davits) 9 officers, 120 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    (2-boat davits) 16 officers, 147 enlisted
    (6-boat davits) 14 officers, 131 enlisted
    Boats 2 or 6 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
    Lend Lease built vessels were to be outfitted with armament after convoying across Atlantic and included
    1 - 12 Pounder anti-aircraft multi-barrel mount
    6 - 20MM mounts
    4 - Fast Aerial Mine (FAM) 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
    LST601/602/603 77k LST 601 (foreground), LST-602 (middle) and LST-603 (background), Naval Amphibious Base Norfolk VA., 10 May 1944 The Library of Virginia, US Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection
    LST602 80k LST 602 anniversary dinner menu cover, 31 March 1945. Robert Rutter, photo by his grandfather CAPT. Anthony Kohout Jr. ex CO USS LST-77
    LST602 177k LST 602 anniversary dinner menu, 31 March 1945. Robert Rutter, photo by his grandfather CAPT. Anthony Kohout Jr. ex CO USS LST-77
    View the LST-602
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Homeport
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 4 March 2005