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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-715 De Kalb County

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Delta - Lima
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima operation) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (6) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 June 1944 at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 20 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-715, 15 August 1944
  • During World War II LST-715 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, February and March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June 1945

  • Following World War II LST-715 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 17 April 1946 at Manicaci Island, Republic of the Philippines
  • Transferred to the US Army, 28 June 1946
  • Commissioned USAT LST-715, 29 June 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 September 1947
  • Reacquired by the Navy, 25 July 1950
  • Reinstated on the Naval Register, 10 August 1950
  • Recommissioned LST-715, 30 August 1950
  • During the Korean War LST-715 participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    18 September to 2 November 1950     		UN Counter Offensive
    1 to 14 March 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    3 November 1950 to 14 January 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    11 January to 30 April 1952
    Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 May to 6 August 1952

  • Named USS De Kalb County (LST-715), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, (date unknown)
  • Assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) in December 1965 and placed in service as USNS De Kalb County (T-LST-715)
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1973
  • Custody transferred to MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay CA.
  • Final Disposition, disposed by the Maritime Administration, 30 April 1984, to Jon M. Associates, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA,, for scrapping
  • De Kalb County (LST-715) as LST-715 earned two battle stars for World War II service and six 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
    7 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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source/
    Contributed By
    De Kalb County 87k LST-715 laying off the beach at Iwo Jima, Green Beach, Volcano Islands. She is off the port bow of LST-399. In the background an LSM(R) is laying a barrage of rockets onto the slopes of Mount Suribachi, 19 February 1945. Photo by William E. Jayne USS LST-399
    De Kalb County 78k LST-715 at Iwo Jima, Green Beach, Volcano Islands, 25 February 1945
    US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 LST-715 De Kalb County Web Site
    LSM-140 63k LSM-140 and LST-715 beached at Iwo Jima, circa 9 February to 16 March 1945. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-242 121k Aerial view of the Iwo Jima beachhead, circa February 1945. Ships that can be identified include;
    LST-715,
    LST-790,
    LST-724,
    LST-224,
    LST-784 and
    LST-779.
    LSM's include;
    LSM-242,
    LSM-140,
    LSM-47, and
    LSM-43.
    LCTs include;
    LCT-892, and
    LCT-1029,
    The one lone LCI that is identifiable is LCI(L)-1077.
    USMC photo # 110582    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LST-611/715/845 164k Inchon Invasion, September 1950. Four LSTs unload men and equipment while "high and dry" at low tide on Inchon's Red Beach, 16 September 1950, the day after the initial landings there. LST-715 is on the right end of this group, which also includes; LST-611 and LST-845 along with one other. Another LST is beached on the tidal mud flats at the extreme right. Note bombardment damage to the building in center foreground, many trucks at work, Wolmi-Do island in the left background and the causeway connecting the island to Inchon. Ship in the far distance, just beyond the right end of Wolmi-Do, is Lyman K. Swenson (DD-729).
    US Navy photo # 80-G-420027 now in the collection of the US National Archives.     		US Naval Historical Center
    De Kalb County 177k Stern view of De Kalb County (LST-715) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 9 August 1951. Forward of De Kalb County is Miller (DD-535) and Lewis Hancock (DD-675) while Askari (ARL-30) is inboard of De Kalb County. De Kalb County was under repairs at Mare Island from 5 May to 9 August 1951.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 10068-8-51 8/8/51.    		 Darryl Baker
    De Kalb County 109k Bow on view of De Kalb County (LST-715) departing Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 9 August 1951.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 10071-8-51 8/8/51.    		 Darryl Baker
    De Kalb County 87k Aft quarter view of De Kalb County (LST-715) off Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 9 August 1951.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 10074-8-51 8/8/51.    		 Darryl Baker
    View the De Kalb County (LST-715)
    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 Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 2 February 2007