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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Harlan County (LST-1196)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Yankee - Hotel
NAYH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4)
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Lebanon & 1-Somalia)
Third Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)



USS Harlan County (LST-1196) was sold to Spain and renamed Pizarro (L-42)
LST-1179 Newport Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 November 1970, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA.
  • Launched, 27 July 1971
  • Commissioned USS Harlan County (LST-1196), 8 April 1972, CDR. Vernon C. Smith in command
  • Decommissioned, 14 April 1995
  • Transferred (loaned) to Spain, renamed Pizarro (L-42), and commissioned into the Spanish Navy, 14 April 1995
  • Sold outright to Spain, 27 April 2000
  • Struck from the US Naval Register, 23 July 2002
  • Decommissioned by the Spanish Navy, 14 December 2012.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 April 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
    USS Harlan County (LST-1196)
    Harlan County
    1016119618
    3058k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) and USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) in drydock #8 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA., 12 October 1977. Note Nahoke (YTM-536) at the foot of the drydock.
    Naval Photographic Center photo # LPH-2-166-10-77-C by PH3 Robert E. Alexander
    Steve Lichtman
    Harlan County
    1016119620
    223k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Harlan County
    1016119621
    156k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) off Virginia Beach, VA., inbound to NAB Little Creek, VA., date unknown
    ©Nobe Smith
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Harlan County
    1016119634
    324k U.S. Marines from the 34th Marine Amphibious Unit form assault waves as they head toward the beach in tracked landing vehicles during the NATO exercise "Display Determination '81" at Doganbey, Turkey, 19 September, 1981. USS Harlan County (LST-1196) is in the background.
    U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SN-82-07832 a U.S Navy photo by PH1 Douglas Tesner, USN
    Robert Hurst
    Harlan County 79k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) underway in the Virginia Capes Operating Area, 1 April 1987.
    Fleet Imaging Center Atlantic, NAS Oceana, VA. photo # N0769-SP-87-00225. Photo by PH2 Terry C. Clements, USN.
    USS LSM/ LSMR Association
    Harlan County 873k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) moored pierside at Marseille, France in 1987. Photos by Philippe Gonzales
    Harlan County 810k
    Harlan County 942k
    Harlan County 46k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) at Mahon, Menorca, Spain, 26 March 1988. Photo by Ignacio Lopez
    ex member Armada Espanola
    Harlan County
    1016119619
    203k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) underway at Palma de Mallorca, Spain during a routine port visit, circa 1980s. Photo by José Antonio Rodríguez Carreño
    Harlan County 64k Overhead view of USS Harlan County (LST-1196) underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Harlan County
    1016119635
    89k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) underway during maritime interdiction operations, 13 December 1991.
    U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SC-92-05990 a U.S Navy photo by PH2 Stover, USN.
    Robert Hurst
    .Harlan County 72k A truck drives over the extended bow ramp of USS Harlan County (LST-1196) at NAS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, 1 May 1993 during the joint service exercise 'Ocean Venture 93'.
    Defense Visual Information Center photo # DN-ST-93-05179, photo by IC2 Larry Gladhill USN
    Bill Gonyo
    Harlan County 306k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) under way during helo operations in May, 1993. Causeways are attached alongside aft for amphibious offloading operations.
    Defense Imagery photo ID: DN-ST-93-05130 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center
    Robert Hurst
    Harlan County 72k USS Harlan County (LST-1196) at anchor in the harbor at Villefranche, France, 13 August 1994. Photo by Carlo Martinelli

    Pizarro (L-42)

    Contributed by Francisco Javier Santos Vazquez, La Coruña

    International Radio Call Sign:
    Echo - Bravo - Alpha - Whiskey
    EBAW
    Harlan County 20k
    Namesake

    Francisco Pizarro González, Marquis [of los Atabillos] Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, 16 March 1476 or 1478. Died in Lima, 26 June 1541. Spanish explorer and conqueror of Peru. Governor of New Castile (Peru), with his government in La Ciudad de los Reyes (Lima).
    Fabio Peña
    Harlan County 54k Ex-USS Harlan County (LST-1196) seen here in Spanish service as Pizarro (L-42) at San Fernando, Cádiz (Spain), 6 April 1996 Photo by Daniel Farro
    Harlan County 1546k Pizarro (L-42) departing Toulon, France, 3 June 1998. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Harlan County 100k Pizarro (L-42) at Barcelona, Spain, 23 June 2002 Photo by Fabio Peña
    Harlan County 104k Pizarro (L-42) at Barcelona, Spain, 23 June 2002 Photo by Fabio Peña
    Harlan County 82k Pizarro (L-42) unloading personnel, vehicles and material at Beirut, Lebanon, September 28, 2006. The Spanish troops would join the strengthened UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. Permission granted to display this photo ©MoD Spain.
    Harlan County
    1016119632
    91k Pizarro (L-42) moored pierside in the port of Almeria, Spain, date unknown.
    Photo courtesy of Berta Zea
    Robert Hurst
    Harlan County
    1016119633
    126k Pizarro (L-42) at sea, date and location unknown
    Photo courtesy of Eugenio Castillo Pert
    Robert Hurst

    USS Harlan County (LST-1196)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Smith, Vernon Charles :RADM8 April 1972 - 8 January 1974
    02CDR. Miniter Jr., Howard Elmer8 January 1974 - 12 December 1975
    03CDR. Thomas, Ronald Ralph12 December 1975 - 2 December 1977
    04CDR. Johnson, Robert Cecil, USN (Photo as CAPT.)2 December 1977 - 22 February 1980
    05CAPT. Ricketts, David Lynn 22 February 1980 - 8 January 1982
    06CDR. Welch Jr., Glenn Ernest, USN (USNA 1965)8 January 1982 - 15 May 1984
    07CDR. Burck, Clarence William15 May 1984 - 20 August 1986
    08CDR. O'Neil Jr., John Edward20 August 1986 - 22 December 1988
    09CDR. Stewart, Richard Maxwell22 December 1988 - 26 April 1991
    10CDR. Newton, Danny Ray26 April 1991 - 21 May 1993
    11CDR. Butcher Jr., Marvin Edward21 May 1993 - 14 April 1995
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 23 June 2023