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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Kane County (LST-853)
ex
 USS LST-853 (1944 - 1955)


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


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS Kane County (LST-853) was transferred to the Republic of Korea and renamed ROKS Suyeong (LST-813) (LST-677)
542-Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 August 1944, at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 17 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-853, 11 December 1944, LT. Charles B. Salsbury, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-853 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 Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 May to 29 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-853 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    6 to 20 September 1945
    7 November to 8 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 24 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Named USS Kane County (LST-853), 1 July 1955
  • Reactivated and transferred, under terms of the Military Assistance Program, to the Republic of Korea, 22 December 1958, renamed ROKS Suyeong (LST-813)
  • Redesignated LST-677, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Decommissioned by the South Korean Navy, 29 December 2005
  • Current Disposition, on display at Donghangpo, South Korea as a tourist attraction
  • USS LST-853 earned one battle star for World War II service
    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-853 / USS Kane County (LST-853)
    LST-853 50k USS LST-853 prior to launch, 17 November 1944, Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL. Larry Riling
    LST-853 65k USS LST-853 after launching, 17 November 1944, Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL. Larry Riling
    LST-853 156k USS LST-853 with LCT-646 secured to her main deck. LST-853 loaded LCT-646 at Seattle, WA., 10 March 1945 and launched the LCT at Okinawa on 11 May 1945.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NM 84669 courtesy D. M. McPherson, 1976.    		 USNHHC
    LST-853 64k USS LST-853 beached with bow doors open, date and location unknown. Larry Riling
    LST-853 38k Looking forward on the main deck LST-853, date and location unknown. Larry Riling
    ROKS Suyeong (LST-813) (LST-677)
    LST-853 45k Ex-USS Kane County (LST-853) in Republic of Korea service as ROKS Suyeong (LST-813) underway, circa 1967, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    LST-853 67k ROKS Suyeong (LST-813) underway, date and location unknown. Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    LST-853 78k ROKS Suyeong (LST-813) at rest, circa 1962, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    LST-853 265k ROKS Suyeong (LST-677) lowers her bow ramp at Tak San Ri Beach, near Pohang, South Korea, 29 October 2000.
    Department of Defense Media. Photo @ SD-03-13098    		 Mike Green
    LST-853 100k ROKS Suyeong (LST-677) crew at General Quarters, circa 1958-60, location unknown.
    Photo by YoonG-Ki Kim, Keystone Press Agency Inc.    		 Tommy Trampp

    For more photos and information about USS Kane County (LST-853), see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • Photo Collections
  • Ship's History 1944-1945
  • The Personal Naval Service of RM2 Joseph R Riling USN, USS LST-853
  • The USS LST Ship Memorial
  • LST Home Port
  • State LST Chapters
  • United States LST Association
    • Commanding Officers
    01LT. Salsbury, Charles B., USNR11 December 1944 - 29 October 1945
    02LTjg. Coster Jr., Gerard Holsman, USNR29 October 1945 - January 1946
    03LTjg. Duro, George D., USNRJanuary 1946 - June 1946
    04LTjg. Eirich, Norman C., USNJune 1946 - 24 July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 3 November 2017