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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Holmes County (LST-836)
ex
 USS LST-836 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Sierra - Delta
 NHSD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (30 Oct 65) - Navy Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (11) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5) - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Holmes County (LST-836) was transferred to Singapore and renamed RSN Endurance (L-201)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 September 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 29 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-836, 25 November 1944, LT. Elmo J. Sullivan, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-836 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-Five and participated in the following campaign;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 18 to 29 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-836 was assigned to Occupation duty in the Far East from 2 September to 15 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 25 July 1946, at Vancouver, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Recommissioned, 3 November 1950, at Bremerton, WA.
  • During the Korean War USS LST-836 participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    23 June 1951     		Korea, Summer-Fall 1953
    2 to 25 June 1953
    21 to 22 July 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    14 July to 6 August 1951     		 

  • Named USS Holmes County (LST-836), 1 July 1955
  • During the Vietnam War USS Holmes County (LST-836) served continuously in country and in contiguous waters, with the exception of overhaul periods, from late 1965 to mid 1971 participating in the following campaigns. (Dates listed do not include underway transit times within the contiguous waters along the Vietnam coast as defined by the US Navy and so specified by the Vietnam Service Medal.)

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    21 November to 24 December 1965     		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    23 to 24 February 1969
    31 May to 8 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    25 December to 20 January 1966
    11 to 18 February 1966
    4 to 31 March 1966     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 June to 19 July 1969
    12 August to 1 September 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    17 to 21 April 1967     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    10 to 25 December 1969
    25 February to 4 March 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    21 June to 18 August 1967     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    8 to 14 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    21 October to 1 November 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    26 September to 26 November 1970
    26 January to 12 March 1971
    31 March to 10 May 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 to 30 November 1968
    20 to 24 December 1968
    22 January to 22 February 1969     		 

  • Decommissioned, 1 July 1971, and transferred to Singapore and renamed RSN Endurance (L-201)
  • Sold outright the Singapore, 5 December 1975
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Holmes County (LST-836) earned one battle star for World War II service and three battle stars for Korean War service and eleven campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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 Contributed
    By
    USS LST-836
    Holmes County 426k USS LST-836 commissioning day crew photo, 25 November 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
    US Navy photo    		 Tony Tetley for his father LTjg. William A. Tetley USS LST-836 (second from the right, front row)
    Holmes County 32k USS Holmes County (LST-836) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo, now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret
    Holmes County 49k USS LST-836 mascot "Rusty", circa 1944-46. Amy Wyrahyhora
    USS Holmes County (LST-836)
    Holmes County 20k USS Holmes County (LST-836) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Naval Institute photo    		 Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret
    Holmes County 149k USS Holmes County (LST-836) dry docked at Naval Station San Diego, CA. in 1962. Also in the photo are the Submarine Rescue Ship USS Chanticleer (ASR-7) and LST USS Floyd County (LST-762). Tommy Trampp
    Holmes County 263k USS Holmes County (LST-836) underway off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, 20 June 1963.
    US National Archives photo # USN 1072065, by PHC Lonnel Wall, US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Holmes County 106k USS Holmes County (LST-836) under way at San Diego, 20 July 1964.
    US Navy photo from DANFS    		 Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret
    Holmes County 94k USS Holmes County (LST-836) underway, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    USS Holmes County (LST-836)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01ENS/LTjg. Sullivan, Elmo J., USNR25 November 1944 - February 1946
    02LTjg. Curtis, Robert Harry, USN (USNA 1945)February 1946 - 25 July 1946
     Decommissioned25 July 1946 - 3 November 1950
    03LCDR. Leigh, William C., USNR3 November 1950
    04LCDR. Bain Jr., Edwin Curry, USN (USNA 1945)1954 - 17 January 1956
    05LT/LCDR. Bres, Jr., Harold Adams, USN17 January 1956 - 6 July 1957
    06LT/LCDR. Coe, Arthur Seymour, USN6 July 1957 - 9 August 1958
    07LT. Orvis, Peter Hill, USN9 August 1958 - 28 March 1960
    08LT. Walling, Eugene Kirtley, USN28 March 1960 - 6 May 1961
    09LT/LCDR. Dubino, Andrew Daniel, USN (USNA 1953)6 May 1961 - 27 April 1963
    10LT. Beasley, Charles Jahns, USN (USNA 1957)27 April 1963 - 8 May 1964
    11LT. Davis, Thomas Alfred Edward, USN (USNA 1955)8 May 1964 - 21 November 1966
    12LT. Schmer Jr., Conrad John, USN21 November 1966 - 3 November 1968
    13LT. Weegar, Carl Allen, USN3 November 1968 - 22 March 1969
    14LCDR. Pearson, Dale Quimby, USN22 March 1969 - 12 August 1970
    15LT. King Jr., George Leonard, USN (USNA 1963)12 August 1970 - 1 July 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    For more photos and information about USS Holmes County see;
  • The USS LST Ship Memorial
  • Mobile Riverine Force Association
  • LST Home Port
  • State LST Chapters
  • United States LST Association
  • Mobile Riverine Force Association - History of USS Holmes County (LST-836)
  • The Truman Year My Life in the U. S. Navy, 1948 - 1953
  • The Saga of the U.S.S. LST 836, by LT.jg S.W. Rider Jr., USNR
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 1 March 2024