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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Litchfield County (LST-901)
ex
 USS LST-901 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Papa - November
 NJPN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (24FEB68) - Navy Unit Commendation
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 - Korean Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (10)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 29 October 1944, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 9 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST 901, 11 January 1945, at Algiers, LA., Lt. C. A. Henson in command
  • During and following World War II USS LST-901 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and performed Occupation duty from 6 to 23 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 9 August 1946, at Vancouver, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Recommissioned, 30 November 1951
  • During the Korean War USS LST-901 participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    3 to 30 September 1952
    17 to 18 October 1952     		Third Korean Winter
    13 to 14 December 1952
    31 January 1to 23 February 1953
    13 to 28 March 1953

  • Named USS Litchfield County (LST-901), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 20 December 1955, at Long Beach, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 5 March 1966
  • During the Vietnam War USS Litchfield County (LST-901) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    19 to 20 July 1966
    3 August to 20 September 1966
    2 to 10 October 1966
    18 October to 8 November 1966
    19 January to 24 February 1967
    26 April to 3 May 1967
    16 to 23 May 1967     		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    15 May to 30 June 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    11 August to 21 September 1967
    31 December 1967 to 10 January 1968     		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    15 May to 30 June 1968
    Tet Counteroffensive
    12 February to 21 March 1968     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    5 to 15 July 1969

  • Decommissioned, 7 December 1969, at Guam, Marianas Islands
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1975
  • Sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), 1 January 1977
  • Commercial History
    Acquired by Aphrodite Shipping & Trading Corp. S.A., Panama and renamed MV Petrola 132.
    Arrived in tow at Aliaga, Turkey for demolition by Seltas A.S., 5 April 1996
  • Final Disposition, scrapped at Aliaga in 1996
  • USS Litchfield County earned two battle stars for Korean service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War 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-901
    Litchfield County 158k USS LST-901 underway off the coast of California, 1952. Harry Burton USS LST-901
    USS Litchfield County (LST-901)
    Floyd County 55k USS Litchfield County (LST-901) and USS Floyd County (LST-762) moored to the LST ramp at Danang, South Vietnam, 1968.
    US Navy photo from Naval Support Facility, Danang, Yearbook    		 Pete Harlem
    Litchfield County 850k USS Litchfield County (LST-901) underway off Guam, circa-1968 1969. Fred Eberwine USS Litchfield County

    For more photos and information about USS Litchfield County, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • LST-901 Re-Commissioning Crew Roster (30 November 1951)
  • The USS LST Ship Memorial
  • Mobile Riverine Force Association
  • LST Home Port
  • State LST Chapters
  • United States LST Association
  • Commanding Officers
    • 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 17 June 2011