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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Jerome County (LST-848)
ex
 USS LST-848 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Mike - Bravo
 NIMB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Presidential Unit Citation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (4) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (4) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Jerome County (LST-848) was transferred to South Vietnam, renamed RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505) custody assumed by the Philippines after fall of South Vietnamese government, renamed BRP Agusan Del Sur (LT-54)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 6 November 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 21 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-848, 20 January 1945, at New Orleans, LA., LT. Robert P. Bentley, USNR,in command
  • During World War II USS LST-848 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Two, CAPT. D. J. Sweeny;
     LST Group Ninety-Four, CDR. E. Roughton USN;
     LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Seven
  • Following World War II USS LST-848 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 8 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 10 August 1946, at Vancouver, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Named USS Jerome County (LST-848), 1 July 1955
  • Recommissioned, 7 December 1959, LT. Kenneth H. Ruecker, in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Jerome County (LST-848) served continuously in country and in contiguous waters, with the exception of overhaul periods, from late 1965 to early 1968 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
    1 to 12 September 1965
    25 September to 7 October 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    20 December 1967 to 29 January 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    7 to 9 April 1966
    27 April to 2 June 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    30 January to 20 February 1968
    6 to 23 March 1968
    28 March to 29 April 1968

  • Decommissioned, 1 April 1970
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Jerome County earned the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, one battle star for World War II service and four campaign stars for the Vietnam War
  • Transferred to South Vietnam in April 1970, renamed RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505)
  • Custody assumed by the Philippines in 1975, renamed BRP Agusan Del Sur (LT-54)
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by the Philippines government in 1992
    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-848
    LST-848 64k USS LST-848 moored pierside, date and location unknown. LST Home Port web site
    LST-848 359k USS LST-848 entering San Francisco Bay, circa February 1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 79571    		 Mike Smolinski
    USS Jerome County (LST-848)
    Jerome County 291k USS Jerome County (LST-848) makes a tight turn to starboard while underway off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, 20 June 1963.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 98368, by PH1 L. Wall, Utility Squadron One (VC-1).     		Mike Smolinski
    Jerome County 148k USS Jerome County (LST-848) underway off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, 20 June 1963.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 98369, by PH3 Winfield S. Frazeur.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Jerome County 138k USS Jerome County (LST-848) moored at US Naval Support Activity, Da Nang, South Vietnam, circa 1965-66.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1967    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Jerome County 274k USS Jerome County (LST-848) off San Diego, California, circa the 1960s. USS Wexford County (LST-1168) is in the background.
    Photograph received from USS Polk County (LST-1084), 1969.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 68717.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Jerome County 257k From left to right USS Wexford County (LST-1168), USS Jerome County (LST-848), USS Polk County (LST-1084) and two unidentified LSTs conducting landing practice off San Diego, circa the 1960s.
    Photograph received from USS Polk County (LST-1084), 1969.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 68713.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Jerome County 69k USS Jerome County (LST-848) underway off the coast of South Vietnam, 1966. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville
    Westchester County 259k USS Jerome County (LST-848), USS Summit County (LST-1146) and , USS St. Clair County (LST-1096) beached at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, circa 1966. Photo by Rich Krebs USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
    Westchester County 259k USS Jerome County (LST-848), USS Summit County (LST-1146), USS St. Clair County (LST-1096) beached at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, circa 1966. Rich Krebs USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
    Jerome County 257k USS Jerome County (LST-848) operating off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, 15 June 1968.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 98370, by PH2 Timothy F. O'Sullivan, of Utility Squadron One (VC-1).    		 Mike Smolinski
    RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505)
    Bulloch County 30k RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505) and RVNS Qui Hhon (HQ-504) (ex-USS Bulloch County (LST-509) moored bow to bow, date, event and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    BRP Agusan Del Sur (LT-54)
    Jerome County 110k Ex-USS Jerome County (LST-848) in the Republic of the Philippines naval service as BRP Agusan Del Sur (LT-54) at anchor, 27 June 1986 when she was being offered for sale. Edison Sy
    USS Jerome County (LST-848)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    History of USS Jerome County (LST-848) - Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Bentley, Robert P., USNR20 January 1945 - 17 November 1845
    02LTjg. Kommers, William J., USNR17 November 1945 - 15 February 1946
    03LTjg. Hackett, George S., USNR15 February 1946 - 14 May 1946
    04LTjg. Smith, Luther S., USNR14 May 1946 - 10 june 1946
    05LTjg. Meyer, Theodore R., USNR10 June 1946 - 10 August 1946
    06LT. West, Earle Leroy, USN (O-in-C) Caretaker1957
     Decommissioned10 August 1946 - 7 December 1959
    07LT. Ruecker, Kenneth Henry7 December 1959 - 20 February 1960
    08LT/LCDR. Bradford, Gerald Reese, USN 20 February 1960 - 7 July 1962
    09LT. Almand, Willie Gene, USN 7 July 1962 - 13 July 1964
    10LT/LCDR. Fischer Jr., Theodore Arthur, USN (USNA 1956)July 1964 - 15 July 1966
    11LT/LCDR. Bailey, Fred Wilkin, USN15 July 1966 - 31 July 1968
    12LT/LCDR. Shewchuck, Jon Dennis, USN31 July 1968 - 8 April 1970
    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
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    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 1 March 2024