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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
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LST-603 Coconino County


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Bravo - Kilo
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)- European-African- Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (6)- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Coconino County (LST-603) was transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy, renamed Vung Tau (HQ-503)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 5 November 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Works, Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 14 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-603, 5 April 1944, at New Orleans, LA.
  • During World War II, LST-603 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the:
  • Following World War II LST-603 performed duties with the Amphibious Force, US Atlantic Fleet, including one deployment to the Mediterranean in 1950
  • Decommissioned, 12 May 1955
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Renamed USS Coconino County (LST-603), 1 July 1955
  • Recommissioned, 8 June 1966 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard
  • Decommissioned, (date unknown)
  • Transferred to South Vietnam, 4 April 1969, Renamed Vung Tau (HQ-503)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown)
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • Coconino County received one battle star for World War II service as LST-603, and six battle stars and two awards of the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Vietnam 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
    9 officers, 120 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    14 officers, 131 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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-601/602/603 77k LST 601 (foreground), LST-602 (center) and LST-603 (background), at Naval Amphibious Base, Norfolk, VA., 10 May 1944 The Library of Virginia
    US Army Signal Corps
    Photograph Collection
    LST-603 108k LST-603 underway in convoy in May 1944 from Norfolk, VA. to Oran, Algeria, with LCT-1019 loaded on her main deck. Photo by Harold S. Deal, PhM1c, USN, USS Liddle (DE-206)
    Submitted by Jeffery D. Deal to honor his grandfather Harold S. Deal
    LST-603 49k LST-603, underway in May 1944 bound for Oran with LCT-1019 loaded on her main deck.
    US Navy photo    		 Russ Padden
    LST-74 85k LST-603, LST-74 and LST-141 load soldiers of the US 3rd Infantry Division at Bagnoli harbor, in the Formio area of Italy, 31st July, 1944, during an embarkation exercise prior to Operation 'Dragoon' the Invasion of Southern France. Robert Hurst
    LST-603 64k LST-603 at anchor in the Bay of Naples. Note: Mt. Vesuvius in the background, 10 August 1944. Robert Rutter, photo by his grandfather CAPT. Anthony Kohout Jr. ex CO USS LST-77
    LST-603 112k LST-603 beached, and unloading equipment, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1947 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    LST-603 19k Coconino County (LST-603), circa 1967, prior to being mined in South Vietnamese waters. Scott Burrow
    USS Coconino County
    LST 603 Association
    LST-603 66k Coconino County (LST-603) at Cua Viet, Vietnam, 29 Aug 1968. Photo by Walter F. Loetell Jr. ETR-2, Sumner County (LST-1148), 1966--68
    LST-603 50k ex Coconino County (LST-603), seen here as South Vietnam Navy Vung Tau (HQ-503) .
    View the Coconino County (LST-603)
    DANFS (updated) history located on the Coconino County (LST-603) Web Site.
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Coconino County - LST 603
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 16 September 2005