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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Pima County (LST-1081)
ex
 USS LST-1081 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Lima - Papa
 NALP
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, 13 November 1944, at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 5 January 1945
  • Commissioned, USS LST-1081, 30 June 1945
  • During World War II USS LST-1081 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Recommissioned, 7 August 1950
  • Named USS Pima County (LST-1081), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 12 December 1956, at Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
  • Commercial Service
  • Sold for commercial in June 1960 to Atlantic Steam Navigation Co.
  • Named MV Baltic Ferry in 1972
  • Sold in 1977, renamed MV Sable Ferry
  • Sold, date unknown, to Mareantes Armadora SA, Panama, renamed MV Nickel Ferry
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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
    Lend Lease built vessels were to be outfitted with armament after convoying across Atlantic and included
    1 - 12 Pounder anti-aircraft multi-barrel mount
    6 - 20MM mounts
    4 - Fast Aerial Mine (FAM) 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/Source
    USS LST-1081
    Pima County 23k USS LST-1081 underway, date and location unknown. Bob Hess
    Pima County 110k USS LST-1081 underway, date and location unknown. Bob Hess
    Pima County 83k USS LST-1081 underway, date and location unknown. Bob Hess
    USS Pima County (LST-1081)
    Pima County 22k USS Pima County (LST-1081) underway, date and location unknown. Bob Hess
    Commercial Service
    Pima County 50k ex USS Pima County (LST-1081) in commercial service as the Atlantic Steam Navigation Co.'s MV Baltic Ferry Mersey & Irish Sea Shipping Web Site
    Pima County 44k ex USS Pima County (LST-1081) in commercial service as the Mareantes Armadora SA Co.'s MV Nickel Ferry, date and location unknown. Johan Alkema
    Pima County 76k MV Nickel Ferry beached in Costa Rica after making her run from El Salvador to Costa Rica, circa January-February 1978. Sandy Ahlstrom
    View the USS Pima County (LST-1081)
    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
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 11 April 2008