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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
ex
 USS Tallahatchie County (LST-1154) (1955 - 1962)
 USS LST-1154 (1949 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - India - Bravo
 NKIB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

National Defense Service Medal
LST-1153 Talbot County Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 August 1945, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 19 July 1946
  • Commissioned USS LST-1154, 24 May 1949, LCDR. Courtland Tristan Babcock in command
  • Renamed USS Tallahatchie County (LST-1154), 1 July 1955
  • Reclassified as Advance Aviation Base Ship (AVB-2), 3 February 1962
  • Decommissioned and Struck from the Naval Register 15 January 1970
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrap to Contieri Navali Santa Maria, Genoa, in July 1970
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,000 t; Length 328'
    Beam 54'
    Draft 14' 5"
    Speed 14 kts.
    LST Complement 272
    AVB Complement 190
    LST Troop Accommodations 197
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    two 450 psi Babcock and Wilcox boilers
    two geared turbines, forward engine room, Westinghouse, after engine room General Electric
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LST-1154
    Tallahatchie County 85k USS LST-1154 date and location unknown. LST Home Port Web Site
    Tallahatchie County 57k USS LST-1154 underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo form "All Hands" magazine November 1949    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Tallahatchie County 43k USS LST-1154 beached on an LST ramp, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo form "All Hands" magazine, April 1951    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    USS Tallahatchie County (LST-1154)
    Tallahatchie County 65k USS Tallahatchie County (LST-1154) at Soudha Bay Create, 1958 Photo by Fred Gefken
    Submitted by Ben Jones
    Tallahatchie County 106k USS Tallahatchie County (LST-1154) underway, circa 1962, location unknown.
    Photo from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1968-69."    		 Robert Hurst and David Buell
    USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    Tallahatchie County 41k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) underway, circa 1962, location unknown.
    Photo from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1968-69."    		 Robert Hurst
    Tallahatchie County 457k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) moored to a buoy in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, 14 February 1963. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Tallahatchie County 74k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) at Soudha Bay Create, 1966 Photo by Thomas Landon PH3
    Submitted by Ben Jones
    Traverse County 107k USS Traverse County (LST-1160) alongside USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2), Malta, 1968 Photo by © RD3 Jerry Search via Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret crew member 1968-70
    Tallahatchie County 100k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo # NH 68135 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 90k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 68136 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 69k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 68137 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 97k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 68138 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 71k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 68139 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 75k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 68140 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 94k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 68141 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 72k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 70307 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 63k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) with USS Scorpion (SSN-589) alongside, outside Claywall Harbor, Naples, Italy, April 1968, shortly before Scorpion departed on her last voyage. This is believed to be one of the last photographs taken of Scorpion.
    US Navy photo NH 70306 Courtesy Lt John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County, 1969.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 118k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) beached at Souda Bay, Crete, in November 1968.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 70306, courtesy LT. John R Holland, Engineering Officer, USS Tallahatchie County.1969.    		 Robert Hurst
    Tallahatchie County 78k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) leaves Pier 47 at Naples, Italy, en route to dry dock Bacino Number Two, 2 January 1969. USS Truckee (AO-147) is partially visible in the right background.
    US Navy photo # K-80753    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 81k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) in dry dock Bacino Number Two at Naples, Italy, 2 January 1969.
    US Navy photo # K-80754    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 96k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) in dry dock Bacino Number Two at Naples, Italy, 2 January 1969.
    US Navy photo # K-80755    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 102k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) transiting the Corinth Canal, Greece, 18 March 1969.
    US Navy photo # K-80756    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Tallahatchie County 258k USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.    		 Stan Svec
    Tallahatchie County 1332k Ex-USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2) at La Spezia, Italy, 26 July 1970, awaiting the scraper torch. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    USS Tallahatchie County (LST-1154)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. McBrier, James William24 May 1949 - May 1951LST-1154
    02LCDR. Sanders, Raymond LewisMay 1951 - April 1952LST-1154
    03LCDR. Wilson Jr., Benjamin JosephApril 1952 - 1953LST-1154
    04LT. Kemp, Robert Edward1953 - June 1953LST-1154
    05LCDR. Hutzel, Robert GronendykeJune 1953 - February 1955LST-1154
    06LT. Deen, Harvard FranklinFebruary 1955 - December 1956Tallahatchie County (LST-1154)
    07LCDR. Montague, Francis ThomasDecember 1956 - August 1958Tallahatchie County (LST-1154)
    08LCDR. Dressel, Robert CalvinAugust 1958 - 19 December 1959Tallahatchie County (LST-1154)
    09LCDR. Roberts, John19 December 1959 - 1960Tallahatchie County (LST-1154)
    10CDR. Babcock, Courtland Tristan3 February 1962 - 28 March 1964Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    11CDR. Kemp, Edmond Duane28 March 1964 - 29 March 1965Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    12CDR. Webb, Arthur James29 March 1965 - 1965Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    13CDR. Shute, John William1965 - June 1966Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    14CDR. Pickens, Jackson ReedJune 1966 - 1968Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    15CDR. Walker, Charles Melvin (Chuck)1968 - 1969Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    16CDR. Johnson, Ian Jarvis1969 - 15 January 1970Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Reunion Information
    Contact: Dave Callahan President
    Address: 34 Colonial Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14609
    Phone: (585) 482-6928
    E-mail: Dave Callahan
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    USS Tallahatchie County LST 1154
    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 Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index Back To The Advance Aviation Base Ship (AVB) Photo Index
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 19 April 2013