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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS Payette County (T-LST-1079)
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USS Payette County (LST-1079) (1955)
USS LST-1079 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Kilo - Mike
NAKM
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 - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 March 1945 at Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, MA.
  • Launched, 27 April 1945
  • Commissioned, USS LST-1079, 22 May 1945, LT. William A. Putnam Jr. USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-1079 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 31 May 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Puget Sound
  • Recommissioned in October 1950
  • Named USS Payette County (LST-1079) 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned and assigned to MSTS, date unknown
  • Placed in service as USNS Payette County (T-LST-1079)
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1959
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 May 1961 to Zidell Exploration Inc., Astoria, OR.
    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

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Payette County 59k USS LST-1079 underway, date and location unknown. Lloyd King
    LST-737 1086k USS LST-1079 moored at Pearl Harbor, circa 16 to 23 January 1946.
    Also present are:
    USS Bennington (CV-20) moored across the channel at NAS Ford Island,
    USS Troilus (AKA-46) moored astern of,
    USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109),
    USS LST-1079 moored astern of
    USS LST-1070
    USS Terror (CM-5),
    USS LST-459 with LCT-1015 secured to her main deck, astern of
    USS LST-863
    Moored forward of USS LST-863> is an unidentified Minesweeper and two Rescue and Salvage ships
    The next pier has two unidentified ships, possibly AKs the Survey Ship
    USS Sumner (AGS-5), and two unidentified Minesweepers
    USS LST-737 moored astern of
    USS LST-45 moored astern of numerous Minesweepers and possibly
    USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85)
    US Navy photo BUAer photo # 496019 from "CINCPAC, Released 23 January 1946.
    David Buell
    Payette County 292k USS Payette County (LST-1079 underway in the Caribbean Sea enroute to Vieques Island in March 1954 for amphibious training.
    Photo by Harold J. Leeper ET3 USN USS Pima County (LST-1081)
    Tom Leeper for his father Harold J Leeper, ET3 USN USS Pima County
    Payette County 302k
    Payette County 294k USS Payette County (LST-1079 anchored off Vieques Island in March 1954 for amphibious training.
    Photo by Harold J. Leeper ET3 USN USS Pima County (LST-1081)
    Tom Leeper for his father Harold J Leeper, ET3 USN USS Pima County

    USS Payette County (LST-1079)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Putnam Jr., William A., USNR22 May 1945 - 16 October 1945
    02LT. Brayson, Albert A., USNR16 October 1945 - 27 March 1946
    03LTjg. Wolfe, Homer Don, USNR27 March 1946 - 15 May 1946
    04LTjg. Arment III, A. A., USN15 May 1946 - 31 May 1946
     Decommissioned31 May 1946 - October 1950
    05LT. Davis, L. A., January 1951 - 1952
    07LTjg. Boland, Louis James USNR (USNA 1948-A)1952
    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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 September 2016