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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122)
ex
USS LST-1122 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Lima - Hotel
NBLH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (5) - Vietnam Service Medal (1)
Fourth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)


LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 October 1944, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 24 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS LST-1122, at New Orleans, LA., 14 February 1945, LT. Leslie L. Hutchinson, USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-1122 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Two; CAPT. CAPT. D. J. Sweeny;
    LST Group Ninety-Six; CDR. J. M. Dod USNR;
    LST Division One Hundred Ninety-Two
  • Following World War II USS LST-1122 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    15 September to 28 October 1945
    10 November to 2 December1945

  • Decommissioned, 15 June 1949, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 3 November 1950
  • During the Korean War USS LST-1122 participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    16 March to 11 April 1951
    Third Korean Winter
    12 to 30 April 1953
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    12 to 29 May 1951
    Korean Summer-Fall 1953
    1 to 13 May 1953
    25 to 26 June 1953
    6 to 7 July 1953
    12 to 22 July and 27 July 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    9 to 10 September 1952
    24 September to 21 October 1952
     

  • Named USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122), 1 July 1955
  • During the Vietnam War USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) participated in the following campaign:

    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    28 January to 25 February 1967

  • Decommissioned, 26 September 1969, at Bremerton, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton Group
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1972
  • USS San Joaquin County earned five battle stars for the Korean War and one campaign star for the Vietnam War
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 September 1974, by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS)
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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 Source
    USS LST-1122
    San Joaquin County 15k USS LST-1122 at anchor, date and location unknown. LST-1122 Home Port web site
    LST-827/1122 10k USS LST-1122 beached to starboard of USS LST-827 in Korea, circa 1951. LST Home Port web site
    USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122)
    San Joaquin County 131k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122)'s starboard propeller being removed/changed by divers from USS Ajax (AR-6) date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    San Joaquin County 134k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) moored pierside at Naval Station Guam in 1968. Photo by Larry Roszkowiak
    Wandank 450k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) moored pierside astern of USS Wandank (ATA-204) at Naval Supply Depot Guam, circa 1967-68. Photo by Eli Blanco RM3, USS Wandank 1967-1968
    San Joaquin County 123k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) moored Chichi Jima in 1968. Photo by Larry Roszkowiak
    San Joaquin County 56k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) moored pierside Naval Station Yokosuka, Japan in 1968. Photo by Larry Roszkowiak
    San Joaquin County
    1016112207
    270k Local children visiting USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) during a visit to Eastern Caroline Island in October 1968.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # UA 473.03.01
    Mike Smolinski
    San Joaquin County 93k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) underway, circa 1968, location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1969
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    San Joaquin County
    1016112208
    NH 82043
    585k USS San Joaquin County (LST-1122) underway circa 1969, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #'s NH 82943, NH 82944 and NH 82942
    Mike Smolinski
    San Joaquin County
    1016112209
    NH 82944
    755k
    San Joaquin County
    1016112210
    NH 82942
    714k


    For more photos and information about USS San Joaquin County see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • The USS LST Ship Memorial
  • Mobile Riverine Force Association
  • LST Home Port
  • State LST Chapters
  • United States LST Association

  • Commanding Officers
    01LT. Hutchinson, Leslie L., USNR14 February 1945 - August 1945
    02LT. Hood, Gail B., USNRAugust 1945 - 14 November 1945
    03LTjg. Grimm, Hilmar G., USNR14 November 1945 - March 1946
    04LTjg. Logan Jr., James Lester, USNMarch 1946 - ?
    05LT. Lawrence, Edward Mitchell, USNno date
     Decommissioned15 June 1949 - 3 November 1950
    06LT. Outten Jr., Harold Rawlings, USN1955 - 9 October 1957
    07LT. Wilda, Gerald Louis, USN9 October 1957 - 23 August 1958
    08LT. Branch, Alvin Deon, USN (USNA 1951)23 August 1958 - 30 September 1859
    09LCDR. Mann, Philip Leland, USN30 September 1959 - 7 March 1962
    10LCDR. Dievendorff, Frank, USN7 March 1962 - 15 September 1964
    11LCDR/CDR. Howe, Richard Bradford, USN15 September 1964 - 13 July 1966
    12LCDR. English Jr., Francis Willard, USN13 July 1966 - 23 August 1966
    13LT. Woody, Melvin Reuben, USN (acting)23 August 1966 - 3 September 1966
    14LCDR. English Jr., Francis Willard, USN3 September 1966 - 27 September 1967
    15LT/LCDR. Trainer, William Perry, USN27 September 1967 - 26 February 1969
    16LT. LaPlante, John Baptiste, USN (USNA 1962) :VADM26 February 1969 - 26 September 1969
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    Last Updated 1 March 2024