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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Iron County (LST-840)
ex
 USS LST-840 (1943 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Whiskey - Delta
 NHWD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (3-stars) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Iron County (LST-840) was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed ROCS Chung Fu (LST-223)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 September 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 16 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-840, 11 December 1944, LT. David McC. Bon, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-840 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 Division One Hundred Thirty-Seven 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-840 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 18 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 1 June 1946, at Vancouver, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group at Astoria, OR.
  • Recommissioned, 3 November 1950, LT. Merle A. Coe in command
  • During the Korean War USS LST-840 participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    12 to 20 June 1951     		Korea, Summer-Fall 1953
    23 May to 27 July 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    4 to 15 October 1951     		 

  • Named USS Iron County (LST-840), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 1 July 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Republic of China, renamed ROCS Chung Fu (LST-223)
  • Struck from the Republic of China Navy, 8 November 1997
  • USS LST-840 earned one battle star for World War II service and three battle stars for Korean 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. (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
    7 officers, 104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers, 147 enlisted
    Boats 4 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-840
    Iron County 265k LST-840 under way in San Francisco Bay, CA., circa late 1945, with two F6F Hellcats loaded on her deck.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 79569    		 Mike Smolinski
    Iron County 45k LST-840 off Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA., 4 April 1952 LST Home Port web site
    ROCS Chung Fu (LST-223)
    LST-840 44k Ex-Iron County (LST-840) in Republic of China Naval service as , ROCS Chung Fu (LST-223) at the Republic of China Naval Base Tzoying, 1997. Larry Lin ROCS Chung Shun (LST-208)
    USS Iron County (LST-840)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Bon, David McC., USNR11 December 1944 - 17 October 1945
    02LT. Gray, Nelson Alexander, USNR17 October - 15 January 1946
    03LTjg. Mayo II, Henry T., USN (USNA 1945)15 January 1946 - 1 June 1946
     Decommissioned1 June 1946 - 3 November 1950
    04LT. Coe, Merle A., USNR3 November 1950 - ?
    05LT. Ulrich, John Allan, USNR1954 - 4 February 1956
    06LT/LCDR. Odem Jr., James Edgar, USN4 February 1956 - 23 December 1957
    07LTjg. Abernethy, Jr., Paul Lee USN (USNA 1955)23 December 1957 - 1 July 1958
    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 Homeport
    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 1 March 2024