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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Don Mc Grogan

USS Iredell County (LST-839)
ex
USS LST-839 (1944 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Uniform - Xray
NHUX

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (21Feb58, 10Mar68, 18Mar70) - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (9) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (18) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Iredell County (LST-839) was sold to Indonesia and renamed KRI Teluk Bone (LST-511)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 25 September 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.

Launched, 12 November 1944

Commissioned USS LST-839, 6 December 1944, at New Orleans, LA., LT. Waldo F. McNeir in command

During World War II USS LST-839 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:

LST Flotilla Twenty-Three, CAPT. W.W. Weeden Jr. USN;

LST Group Sixty-Nine, CDR. H. F. Agnen USN (23);

LST Div One Hundred Thirty-Seven and participated in the following campaign:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 13 April 29 June1945

Following World War II, USS LST-839 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 6 to 23 September 1945

Decommissioned, 24 July 1946, at Vancouver, WA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Astoria, OR.

Named Iredell County (LST-839), 1 July 1955

Recommissioned, 18 June 1966, USS Iredell County (LST-839) at San Diego, CA.

During the Vietnam War USS Iredell County (LST-839) participated in following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 20 October to 6 December 1966 14 January to 28 February 1967 6 May to 31 May 1967	Tet/69 Counteroffensive 18 March to 15 April 1969 21 May to 8 June 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 9 June 1967 25 July to 6 September 1967 26 October to 28 November 1967 20 to 29 January 1968	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 to 18 June 1969 12 July to 2 August 1969 13 to 18 August 1969 10 September to 6 October 1969 20 to 26 October 1969
Tet Counteroffensive 30 January to 22 March 1968 29 March to 1 April 1968	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 3 December 1969 31 December 1969 to 21 March 1970 1 to 30 April 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 2 to 29 April 1968	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 1 to 2 May 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 5 December 1968 to 3 January 1969 13 January to 17 February 1969

Decommissioned in July 1970 and transferred (loaned) under terms of the Security Assistance Program, to Indonesia, renamed KRI Teluk Bone (LST-511)

Struck from the Naval Register, and sold outright to Indonesia in February 1979

Disposed of by Indonesian Navy, 26 January 2011

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS LST-839 earned one battle star for World War II service, and as USS Iredell County (LST-839) the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and 9 campaign stars for Vietnam War 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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
47k	USS LST-839 launching, 12 November 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA. US Navy photo from Varamar Arts Canvas Print	Tommy Trampp
61k	*USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** beached on the LST ramp at Danang, RVN in 1967.	Arthur Schmelke USS Iredell County Jan67 to Dec68
51k	*USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** beached on an LST ramp, date and location unknown.	Lawrence Loth
64k	*USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** at the LST dock Danang, 1968.	Submitted by Pete Harlem, Courtesy Dwight Gievers
45k	*USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** at the LST dock Danang, 1968.	Submitted by Pete Harlem, Courtesy Dwight Gievers
74k	*USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** on the Cua Viet ramp in 1968.	Bill Towart CS3 US Iredell County January 1967 - November 1968
39k	*USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** underway outbound to sea from San Diego Bay, date unknown. US Navy photo from Veramar Arts Canvas Prints	Tommy Trampp