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

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Tuscaloosa (LST-1187)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Mike - Zulu NBMZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation(2)
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean)- National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Op. Frequent Wind)
Third Row - *Vietnam Service Medal (4 or 5) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Frequent Wind)

LST-1179 Newport Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 23 November 1968, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA.

Launched, 6 September 1969

Commissioned USS Tuscaloosa (LST-1187), 24 October 1970, CDR. Harry W. Kinsley, Jr., in command

Tuscaloosa is the ninth ship of the twenty ship Newport tank landing ship class, which replaced the traditional bow door design LST. Two derrick arms support a thirty-ton, 112-foot bow ramp for the unloading of tanks and other vehicles ashore, additionally, amphibious vehicles can be launched from the tank deck via the ship's stern gate and the ship's flight deck can accommodate most Navy helicopter types.

During the Vietnam War USS Tuscaloosa (LST-1187) served continuously in country and in contiguous waters, with the exception of overhaul periods, from mid 1971 to mid 1972 participating in the following campaigns. (Dates listed do not include underway transit times within the contiguous waters along the Vietnam coast as defined by the US Navy and so specified by the Vietnam Service Medal.)

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 5 to 9 June 1971	Vietnam Ceasefire 9 April to 3 May 1972 18 to 27 May 1972 2 to 10 June 1972
Consolidation I 25 to 27 October 1971	*Vietnam Evacuation (Operation Frequent Wind) 29 to 30 April 1975
Consolidation II 6 to 19 February 1972

Decommissioned, 18 February 1994

Laid at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) Pearl Harbor, HI., in maintenance category "B" status

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 2008

USS Tuscaloosa earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation and four campaign stars for Vietnam War service and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Operation Frequent Wind or 5 campaign stars for the Vietnam Service Medal if the Armed Forces Medal is exchanged for the 18th Vietnam campaign, Operation Frequent Wind

Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 23 July 2014, off Hawaii during exercise RIMPAC 2014

Specifications:
Displacement 5,190 t.(lt), 8,550 t.(fl)
Length 522' 3" (ovl)
Beam 69' 9 1/2" (max)
Draft max forward (fl) 13' 6", max aft (fl) 16' 3" 15'
Speed 27 kts. max.

Complement

14 Officers

15 CPO

226 Other Enlisted

Troop Accommodations

18 Officers

21 SNCO

268 Other Enlisted

Boats

three 36' LCVPs

one 36' LCPL

Aircraft

flight deck one spot

Armament

As Built

two twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

Upgraded

two 25mm chain guns

six .50 cal machine guns

one 20mm Phalanx (CIWS)

Propulsion

six 16 cylinder ALCO 16-251E main propulsion diesel engines

two shafts, three engines per shaft, shaft horsepower 15,000

two controllable reversible pitch propellers, twin rudders

three ALCO 251-C, 8 cylinder generator sets, 750KW

one 800 hp variable thrust bowthruster

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	211k	Officials and their wives attend the launching ceremony of Tuscaloosa (LST 1187) at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp., San Diego, California, 6 September 1969.	US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # K-112487
NH 72981	278k	100% completed Tuscaloosa (LST 1187) moored at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp., San Diego, California, 11 September 1970. the merchant vessel in the background is the *M. E. Lombardi. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #'s NH 72981, NH 72982, NH 72983, NH 72984, and NH 72985*	US Naval History and Heritage Command
NH 72982	384k
NH 72983	322k
NH 72984	323k
NH 72985	372k
	137k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187)** underway off Coronado, CA., 15 December 1975.	US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # K-112487
	267k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187)** anchored off the Silver Strand, San Diego, CA., 15 December 1976. US Navy photo by PH3 H.J. Burgess, USN, now in the collections of U.S. DefenseImagery photo # VIRIN: DN-SC-85-06048	Robert Hurst
	19k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187)** undergoing shock tests of San Diego, CA. in January 1978.	Gerald Peterson
	23k
	18k
	280k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187) underway riding high, exposing her bow thruster. Photo taken by Dave Siegar from USS Schenectady (LST-1185)** in Philippine waters during their 1977 WestPac Cruise.	Derick S. Hartshorn
	89k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187) docked in the well of medium auxiliary floating drydock USS Competent (AFDM-6)** at Naval Base Subic Bay, Luzon Island, Philippine Islands, date unknown.	Ron Reeves
	113k		Ron Reeves
	150k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187)** conducting amphibious operations, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1981./font>	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	88k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187) underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from the PAO Package, Naval Station Treasure Island, CA. for the towing of the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) from US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA. to the Naval Sub Base at Groton, CT in 1985. Tuscaloosa** was the Pacific escort ship for the tow.	Darryl L. Baker
	97k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.
	102k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187) passing the Southwest Marine Inc shipyard on San Diego Bay, escorted by the commercial tugboat Mister Randy, 19 December 1986. In the background is the Spruance Class Destroyer USS John Young (DD 973) in dry dock at the Southwest Marine Inc shipyard at San Diego, California (CA). To the left of the John Young are USS Fife (DD-991) and USS Brooke (FFG-1)*. In the background are the Coronado Bridge and the city of San Diego. DVIC photo # DN-SC-05-10451* by PHC Kristofferson, USN, from the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center	Bill Gonyo
DOD photo # DNSC9001938	504k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187)** in the medium auxiliary floating dry dock Steadfast (AFDM-14), at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co, San Diego, CA., 1 April 1986. Note the other ships, drydocks and yard craft. including *USS Fort Fisher* (LSD-40), USS Mount Vernon (LSD-39), USS Schenectady (LST-1185)** and Arco (ARDM-5) Department of Defense photo # DNSC9001938 Department of Defense photo # DNSC9001937 Department of Defense photo # DNSC9001936 Department of Defense photo # DNSC9001935 by PH1 O'Connor.	Joe Radigan
DOD photo # DNSC9001937	551k
DOD photo # DNSC9001936	522k
DOD photo # DNSC9001935	516k
	21k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187)** at sea, date unknown	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	75k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187)** departing San Diego Bay while outbound to sea, date unknown. Varamar Arts Canvas print.	Tommy Trampp
1016118724	195k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	68k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Tommy Trampp
	104k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187) crew members board the ship for the last time prior to her decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station San Diego, CA., 18 February 1994. On the opposite side of the pier is the guided missile cruiser USS FOX (CG-33)*. DVIC photo # DN-ST-94-02354* by PH1 Robert S. Shanks, USN, from the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center	Bill Gonyo
	29k	*USS Tuscaloosa* (LST 1187) and USS Peoria (LST 1183)** moored at the Naval Inactive Ship's Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, HI. June 1999.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	119k	The decommissioned *USS Tuscaloosa* (LST-1187) is towed out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 12 July 2014, by USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52)** in preparation for a sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014. US Navy photo # 140712-N-GO855-085 by by MC1 Charles E. White.	Robert Hurst

For more photos and information about USS Tuscaloosa, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
The USS LST Ship Memorial
Mobile Riverine Force Association
Mobile Riverine Force Association, USS Tuscaloosa History
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Kinsley Jr. Harry W.	24 October 1970 - 3 May 1972
02	CDR. Mott, Louis Dale	3 May 1972 - 19 September 1973
03	CDR. MacKay, George William	19 September 1973 - 7 August 1975
04	CDR. Black, Rudolph Richard	7 August 1975 - 24 September 1977
05	CDR. Sands, Robert John.	24 September 1977 - 27 October 1979
06	CDR. Mitchell, William Justin, USN (USNA 1960)	27 October 1979 - 25 September 1981
07	CDR. White II, John Dwyer, USN (USNA 1962)	25 September 1981 - 22 October 1983
08	CDR. Montgomery, David James, USN	22 October 1983 - 13 January 1986
09	CDR. Barker, Michael Don	13 January 1986 - 16 May 1986
10	CDR. Schlichting Jr., Helmuth Carl	16 May 1986 - 19 August 1988
11	CDR. Gannon Jr., Harvey John	19 August 1988 - 21 August 1990
12	CDR. Silvers, Richard Allan	21 August 1990 - 13 August 1992
13	CDR. Hirsch, Thomas John, USN (USNA 1975)	13 August 1992 - 6 January 1994
14	LCDR. Fischer, Mark George	6 January 1994 - 18 February 1994


Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index

Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 14 July 2023