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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS King County (AG-157)
ex
 USS King County (LST-857) (1955 - 1957)
 USS LST-857 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - November - Lima
 NINL
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 Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (7) - United Nations Korean Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
542-Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 19 September 1944, at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 6 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-857, 29 December 1944, LT. Roy C. Parlier in command
  • During World War II USS LST-857 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-857 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid- December 1945
  • During the Korean War USS LST-857 participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    18 September to 6 October 1950     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 17 May 1952
    3 to 5 June 1952
    26 June to 1 July 1952
    27 August to 2 September 1952
    11 to 17 September 1952
    8 to 15 November 1952
    23 to 30 November 1952
    Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950     		Third Korean Winter
    9 to 15 December 1952
    28 to 30 April 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    4 to 10 November 1951     		Korean Summer-Fall 1953
    1 and 12 to 14 May 1953
    29 May to 4 June 1953
    15 to 25 June 1953
    12 to 14 July 1953
    Second Korean Winter
    30 November to 9 December 1951
    19 December 1951 to 6 January 1952
    28 February to 6 March 1952
    2 to 6 and 17 to 30 April 1952     		.

  • Named USS King County (LST-857), 1 July 1955
  • Converted in 1957 to an experimental guided missile test ship and reclassified (AG-157), 17 May 1958
  • Decommissioned, 8 July 1960
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Final Disposition, sold, 25 April 1961, to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR., for scrapping
  • USS LST-857 received one battle star for World War II service and seven battle stars for Korean 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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LST-857
    King County 72k USS LST-857 moored pierside at Pearl Harbor, T.H., circa 1945-47. Evan Prost for Jack Rudloff USS LST-857
    King County 40k USS LST-857 moored pierside, date and location unknown. Boyd Campbell USS LST-857 1951-53
    King County 56k USS LST-857 moored at Sasebo, Japan while loading incendiary bombs for the Air Force in Korea, circa 1952-53. Boyd Campbell USS LST-857 1951-53
    USS King County (LST-857)
    King County 104k The Regulus II missile launcher for Project Lehi leaves the structural shop at Mare Island, 25 March 1957, on its way for installation abroad USS King County (LST-857).
    Mare Island Navy Shipyard photo # 33684-3-57    		 Darryl Baker
    King County 97k The Regulus II missile launcher abroad YD-33 prior to installation aboard USS King County (LST-857), 4 April 1957.
    Mare Island Navy Shipyard photo # 33840-4-57    		 Darryl Baker
    King County 182k The Regulus II missile launcher being installed abroad USS King County (LST-857), 5 April 1957. YD-33 is doing the lifting.
    Mare Island Navy Shipyard photo # 33809-4-57    		 Darryl Baker
    USS King County (AG-157)
    King County 56k USS King County (AG-157) with a Regulus II missile being readied for launch, circa 1958. The structure behind the missile is a non-submarine blast shield to protect the ship's superstructure. US Navy photo from "The American Submarine" by Norman Pulmar. Robert Hurst
    View the USS King County (LST-857 / AG-157)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 12 May 2008