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USS Lake County (LST-880)
ex
 USNS LST-880 (T-LST-880) (1950 - 1951)
USS LST-880 (1945 - 1950)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Xray - Kilo
 NIXK
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
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp or Europe) - National Defense Service Medal
542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 6 November 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 16 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-880, 9 January 1945, LT. James T. Connolly USNR in command.
  • During World War II USS LST-880 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (23);
     LST Group Ninety-Three CDR. E. R. Sperry USN (23);
     LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Five
  • Following World War II USS LST-880 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East and in Europe for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    (Asia) 20 September to 1 November 1945
    (Asia) 15 November to 8 December 1945
    (Europe) 6 June to 10 November 1952
    (Europe) 9 to 15 October 1953

  • Decommissioned, 1 October 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Towed to Norfolk, VA., in 1947
  • Placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) in late 1950 as USNS LST-880 (T-LST-880)
  • Recommission, 20 August 1951, LT. Carl S. Cross USNR in command
  • Named USS Lake County (LST-880), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 25 November 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, disposed of as a target. date 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
    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

    US Navy photo.
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LST-880
    1016088005    		 54k Christening bottle used by Maid-of-honor Dorothy T. Quigley for the christening and launching ceremony of LST-880, 16 December, 1944 at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN. Shipyard. The bottle consists of a metal cage wrapped by ribbons/fabric with the shattered remains of the actual bottle housed inside.
    Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co. photo from USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. LST Shipyard Collection    		 Tommy Trampp
    LST-880
    1016088006    		 47k The interior paper cover from a Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN. Shipyard scrapbook produced for Dorothy T. Quigley and family, to honor her service as the Maid of Honor for the launching of LST-880, 16 December, 1944.
    Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co.photo from USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. LST Shipyard Collection    		 Tommy Trampp
    LST-880 163k USS LST-880 outbound to sea with LCT(6)-1216 loaded on the main deck, date and location unknown. Jim Kurrasch
    Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
    LST-880 249k USS LST-880 inbound to Valletta Malta, 18 June 1952. Between 21 May and 5 June 1952 she steamed from Norfolk to Port Lyautey, French Morocco to begin logistics operations in the western Mediterranean for the 6th Fleet. During the next six months she carried supplies to ports in North Africa and steamed from Portugal to Italy while supporting peacekeeping and readiness operations in the Mediterranean.
    ©Anthony and Joseph Pava, Valletta, Malta    		 Brian Miller
    LST-880 159k USS LST-880 at anchor in a Mediterranean port, 2 July 1952.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 84875    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LST-880 38k USS Lake County (LST-880) under way in the Bahamas, 10 February 1958. Lake County provided support for Seabee units ashore in the Bahamas setting up satellite tracking sites. Ernest Relyea AM2 HU2
    USS LST-880 / USS Lake County (LST-880)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Connolly, James T, USNR 9 January 1945 - December 1945
    02LT. Smith Daniel F., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Perry, Aubrey H., USNR March 1946 - June 1946
    04LT. Tanis, Herbert Leo, USN June 1946 - 1 October 1946
     Decommissioned1 October 1946 - 20 August 1951
    05LT. Cross, Carl Stanley, USNR20 August 1951 - ?
    06LT. Doak, Samuel Lawall, USN (USNA 1950)1955 - 22 April 1957
    07LT/LCDR. Doak, Samuel Lawall, USN22 April 1957 - 25 November 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 Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    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
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    Last Updated 1 March 2024