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USS Hillsborough County (LST-827)
ex
 USS LST-827 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Mike - Juliet
 NHMJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is top to bottom, from left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 13 October 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 22 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-827, 12 December 1944, LT. Russell L. Olander, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-827 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-Three, CAPT. W.W. Weeden Jr. USN;
     LST Group Sixty-Eight, CDR. G. H. Dana USN (20);
     LST Division One Hundred Thirty-Eight and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 20 May to 10 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-827 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 9 to 25 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 7 June 1949
  • Recommissioned, 3 November 1950, LT. S. G. Ruskey in command
  • During the Korean War USS LST-827 participated in the following campaign:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    19 March to 21 April 1951     		Third Korean Winter
    5 to 10 July 1952
    19 to 24 July 1952
    5 to 23 August 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    22 April 13 May 1951     		 
  • Named USS Hillsborough County (LST-827), 1 July 1955
  • Placed in commission in reserve, 1 November 1957
  • Decommissioned, 28 January 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1958
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target in the Gulf of California, 15 August 1958
  • USS LST-827 earned one battle star for World War II service and three battle stars for the Korean War
    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 Source
    LCT-1402 209k USS LST-827 unloading LCT-1402 at Leyte in March 1945. LCT-1402 was loaded aboard LST-827 at New Orleans with a PT Boat in her well. Before LCT-1402 could be unloaded a cargo ship was secured alongside LST-827 and using her cargo booms lifted the PT Boat from the well of LCT-1402. This having been accomplished the unloading of LCT-1402 could commence. The first photo in the series shows LCT-1402 resting on the main deck of LST-827 For the crew of LST-827, William "Bill" Starkey BM2/c USS LST-827
    LCT-1402 358k LCT-1402 being launched over the side of USS LST-827 at Leyte in March 1945. Note the she is in mid-air. A rare photo. For the crew of LST-827, William "Bill" Starkey BM2/c USS LST-827
    LCT-1402 352k LCT-1402 is alongside USS LST-827 after being launched at Leyte in March 1945. This photo shows the shipways built on the deck of LSTs to haul LCTs. After launching an LST the shipways were jettisoned and hauled to the beach. For the crew of LST-827, William "Bill" Starkey BM2/c USS LST-827
    LCT-1402 311k LCT-1402 is alongside USS LST-827 after being launched at Leyte in March 1945. For the crew of LST-827, William "Bill" Starkey BM2/c USS LST-827
    LST-827/1122 10k USS LST-827 and USS LST-1122 beached in Korea, 1951. LST Home Port
    LST-827 18k USS LST-827 underway returning to the US from Korea, 1951. LST Home Port
    USS Hillsborough County (LST-827)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Olander, Russell Leroy, USNR12 December 1944 - 15 July 1945
    02LTjg. Teets, Barnard E., USNR15 July 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Miller, G. P., USNMarch 1946 0 May 1946
    04LTjg. Ball, Woodson Otis, USNMay 1946 - 7 June 1949
     Decommissioned7 June 1949 - 3 November 1950
    05LT. Ruskey, S. G.3 November 1950 - 1952
    06LT. Wiedinger, George William1952
    07LCDR. Dallmann, Paul Hermannno dates
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 April 2017