Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Left patch contributed by Joe Radigan, Right patch by Mike Smolinski

USS Washtenaw County (MSS-2)
ex
 USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) (1955 - 1973)
 USS 1161 (1953 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Lima - Xray
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (14MAR68) - Presidential Unit Citation (2) - Navy Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (4) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (5-Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Laos, 9-Vietnam
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (15) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (15) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
LST-1156 Terrebonne Parish Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 29 November 1951, at Christy Shipbuilding Corp., Sturgeon Bay, WI.
  • Launched, 22 November 1952
  • Commissioned USS LST-1166, 29 October 1953, at Naval Station, New Orleans, LA., LCDR. Mack D. Ellis in command
  • Named USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166), 1 July 1955
  • During the Vietnam War USS Washtenaw County participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    7 to 14 July 1965
    14 to 18 August 1965
    3 to 12 September 1965
    12 to 22 November 1965
    24 November to 6 December 1965     		Tet 69/ Counteroffensive
    23 to 27 February 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    4 to 10 January 1966
    21 to 25 June 1966     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    2 to 23 September 1969
    17 to 22 October 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase II
    10 to 21 July 1966
    27 July to 3 August 1966
    11 to 15 August 1966
    4 tot 9 September 1966
    25 to 30 October 1966
    4 to 7 November 1966
    31 December 1966 to 21 January 1967
    4 to 20 April 1967     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    22 to 24 November 1969
    24 February to 1 March 1970
    Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase III
    9 to 11 and 23 to 18 July 1967
    3 to 14 and 25 to 31 October 1967
    12 November to 8 December 1967
    15 to 29 January 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    20 to 24 May 1970
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 29 March 1968     		Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase VII
    7 to 10 September 1970
    21 February to 10 April 1971
    Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase IV
    15 to 30 June 1968     		Consolidation I
    1 August 1971
    19 October to 30 November 1971
    Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase V
    24 October to 1 November 1968     		Consolidation II
    1 to 5 December 1971
    Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase VI
    2 November to 5 December 1968
    1 to 22 February 1969     		.

  • Converted to a Special Minesweeper Ship and redesignated USS Washtenaw (MSS-2), 9 February 1973
  • Decommissioned (date unknown)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 30 August 1973
  • Sold in 1973 to an unknown company, renamed MV Al Manhal 1
  • Resold in 1980 to Cooperative de Transportadores Centroamericanos R.L., Panama, converted to a ro-ro vessel (384 x 55 x17 x 2319 gross - 806 net) and renamed MV El Centroamericano
  • Arrived in tow at Portland, OR, in October 1980, with mechanical troubles. Still there on January 19, 1984, when engine room flooded
  • Sold to J.A. Leites & Associates, Inc., Portland, OR.
  • Current Disposition, undergoing restoration at Astoria, OR., by volunteers of the Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum/LST 1166 Partners, when completed she will be the center piece of their museum
  • USS Washtenaw County earned two Presidential Unit Citations, two Navy Unit Commendations, four Meritorious Unit Commendations, and 15 campaign stars for Vietnam service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,590 t (lt), 5,800 t.(fl)
    Length 384'
    Beam 55'
    Draft 17'
    Speed 14 kts.
    Complement ships company and staff officers 16, ships company enlisted 189
    Troop Accommodations 15 officers, 380 enlisted
    Boats three LCVP, one LCPL
    Armament
    three twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion four GM 16-278A diesel engines, 6000shp, two controllable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By / Source
    USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166)
    Washtenaw County 70k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) (foreground) and USS Washoe County (LST-1165) (background) beached at Pohang, South Korea during Operation "Seven Seas", circa late July-early August 1962. Photo by Dan Liker. Dennis A. Steenbergen EN3 USS Washoe County 1966-1968, Courtesy Dan Liker
    Washtenaw County 121k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) beached at Pohang, South Korea during Operation "Seven Seas", circa late July-early August 1962. Photo by PFC Dan Liker, A-Troop, 2nd Recon Squadron, 10th Cavalry, 7th Infantry Division
    Washtenaw County 43k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) and USS Westchester County (LST-1167) at Naha, Okinawa in 1962, preparing to load for duty in the Republic of the Philippines. Gary Ottmar
    Washtenaw County 57k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) at Subic Bay, 27 June 1966 © Richard Leonhardt
    Washtenaw County 255k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1968    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Washtenaw County 47k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1968    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Washtenaw County 60k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) in the Mekong Delta, circa 1968. Robert Coombs
    Brown Water LST Web Site
    Washtenaw County 19k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166), alongside USS Pitkin County (LST-1082) © Jim Stack
    Washoe County 179k From left to right; USS Washoe County (LST-1165), USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) and USS Windham County (LST-1170) moored at Naval Station Yokosuka, Japan, January 1970. Bob Morrison EN2 USS Washoe County
    Washtenaw County 52k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) off the coast of South Vietnam, circa 1971. Photo by James Godesky USS Washtenaw County
    Washtenaw County 36k USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166), date and location unknown. Robert Coombs
    Brown Water LST Web Site
    Washtenaw County 32k Damage to USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) as a result of collision with SS Kota Selatan, Hong Kong, 1970 Sources, South China Morning Post & Greg Pierceall
    Contributed by Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Washtenaw County 25k Damage to USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) as a result of collision with SS Kota Selatan, Hong Kong, 1970 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Washtenaw County 51k Damage to USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) as a result of collision with SS Kota Selatan, Hong Kong, 1970 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Washtenaw County 32k ex-USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) at Portland, Oregon, 1998 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Washtenaw County 72k Ex-USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166) undergoing restoration at Astoria, OR., 2005 Erik Martin, Webmaster, Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum
    USS Washtenaw County (MSS-2)
    Washtenaw County 60k USS Washtenaw County (MSS-2) underway in Haiphong harbor, North Vietnam in June 1973. By running the channel to Haiphong Washtenaw County verified that all US mines in the shipping channel to Haiphong had been cleared.
    US Navy photo # NH 103693 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Washtenaw County 60k USS Washtenaw County (MSS-2) underway in Haiphong harbor, North Vietnam in June 1973. By running the channel to Haiphong Washtenaw County verified that all US mines in the shipping channel to Haiphong had been cleared.
    US Navy photo # NH 711573 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    View the USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Brown Water LST
    Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Naval Minewarfare Association
    Association of Minemen
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Mine Warfare Ship Type Index Back To The Special Minesweeper Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship Photo (LST) Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 7 March 2008