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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Mahnomen (LST-912)
ex
USS LST-912 (1944 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Pap - Quebec
NVPQ

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 8 January 1945) - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (2) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation
Fourth Row - Philippines Liberation Medal (2) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (4-KIA, 4-WIA - 8 January 1945)

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During World War II USS LST-912 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater;

LST Flotilla Eight, CAPT. E. Watts, USN;

LST Group Twenty-Three, CDR. T.C. Linthicum, USN;

LST Division Forty-Five and participated in the following campaigns:

Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Western New Guinea operations Morotai landings, 15 September 1944	Luzon operations Lingayen Gulf landing, 4 to 17 January 1945
Leyte operations Leyte landings, 5 to 18 November 1944	Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines Palawan Island landings, 28 February to 2 March and 6 to 7 March1945 Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945

Following World War II USS LST-912 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East and in Europe for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
(Asia) 23 September to 24 October 1945
(Asia) 18 November to 8 December 1945
(Asia) 18 December 1945 to 1 January 1946
(Europe) 23 September 1948 to 22 January 1949

Named USS Mahnomen County (LST-912), 1 July 1955

Decommissioned, 25 August 1955

Recommissioned, 27 March 1963

During the Vietnam War USS Mahnomen County (LST-912) participated in the following campaigns:

Vietnam War Campaigns

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Counteroffensive 27 May to 7 June 1966	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 3 July to 14 July 1966 26 to 29 September1966 11 to 21 October 1966 22 to 24 October 1966 15 to 25 November 1966 6 to 15 December 1966

USS Mahnomen County (LST-912) ran aground at Chu Lai, South Vietnam during a typhoon on 30 December 1966. After four weeks of unsuccessful attempts to re-float her she was stripped for salvageable materials

Final Disposition, demolished by personnel of the Navy Support Detachment, Chu Lai

Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1967

USS Mahnomen County (LST-912) earned four battle stars for World War II service and two campaign stars for Vietnam service

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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

(2-boat davits) 7 officers, 104 enlisted

(6-boat davits) 9 officers, 120 enlisted
Troop Accommodations

(2-boat davits) 16 officers, 147 enlisted

(6-boat davits) 14 officers, 131 enlisted
Boats 2 or 6 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

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	56k	USS LST-912 underway, date and place unknown.		LST 912 web site
	114k	USS LST-912 beached while discharging vehicles, date and place unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1947		LST 912 web site
	57k	USS Mahnomen County (LST-912) impaled on rocks off Chu Lai, South Vietnam. Salvage efforts being unsuccessful her cargo was removed, she was stripped of salvageable materials and demolished by personnel of the US Navy Support Detachment, Chu Lai, circa January 1967. US Naval Instituted photo. Photos of the hulk of ex-USS Mahnomen County (LST-912)		Robert Langill

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USS LST-912 / USS Mahnomen County (LST-912)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

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Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
The USS LST Ship Memorial
Naval Landing Ship Tank U.S.S. LST 912
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

Last Updated 22 March 2013