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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Bristol County (LST-1198)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Quebec - Yankee
NQQY

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Bottom Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3) - National Defense Service Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal

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USS Bristol County (LST-1198) was sold to Morocco and renamed BDC Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah (BSL-407)

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Transferred, cash sale, 16 August 1994, to Morocco renamed BDC Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah (BSL-407)

Bristol County is the last 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.

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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

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
USS Bristol County (LST-1198)
	52k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) at Sydney Australia with the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge in the background, 1974.		Lester "Lee" Dronick QMCS (SW) USN Ret
1016119821	860k	US Marine tracked landing vehicles circle USS Bristol County (LST-1198) prior to a TEAM SPIRIT '84 amphibious landing. TEAM SPIRIT is a joint/combined operation designed to test and improve techniques to defend the Republic of Korean Peninsula and increase combat readiness of Republic of Korea and US armed forces. US National Archives Identifier: 6382531 a US Navy photo by PH1 Felimon Barbante		US National Archives
	70k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) at Broadway pier, San Diego, CA., 10 October 1984.		Photo by Scott Miller
	100k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) at Broadway pier, San Diego, CA., 10 October 1984.		Photo by Scott Miller
	70k	View of USS Bristol County (LST-1198)'s stern gate while moored at Broadway pier, San Diego, CA., 10 October 1984.		Photo by Scott Miller
1016119815	75k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) at anchor in the harbor at Hong Kong, 27 July 1986. Photo by Robbie Shaw Shipspotting.com		Yu Chu
	57k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) moored at Pier 10 Naval Station San Diego, summer 1987.		Photo by Scott Miller
1016119816	681k	Stern view of USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986 US National Archives Identifier: 6449819 a US Navy photo by PH3 Petty		US National Archives
1016119817	263k	Overhead view of USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986 US National Archives Identifier: 6449817 a US Navy photo by PH3 Petty		US National Archives
1016119814	313k	Starboard bow view of USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986 US National Archives Identifier: 6449814 a US Navy photo by PH3 Petty		US National Archives
1016119819	313k	Port beam view of USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986 US National Archives Identifier: 6449815 a US Navy photo by PH3 Petty		US National Archives
1016119820	295k	Starboard quarter view of USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986 US National Archives Identifier: 6449816 a US Navy photo by PH3 Petty		US National Archives
	1881k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986. Defense Imagery photo # DN-SC-90-01617 a US Navy photo by PH3 Petty.		Robert Hurst
1016119825 NARA 6449818	490k	Overhead views of USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off the coast of Southern California, 13 November 1986 US National Archives Identifier: 6449818 a US Navy photos by PH3 Petty now in the collections ofthe US National Archives and Records Administration		Robert Hurst
1016119826	281k
	57k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) moored at Pier 10 Naval Station San Diego, summer 1987.		Photo by Scott Miller
	85k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) under way, near San Diego, CA., date unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	115k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) at anchor, date and location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	111k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) under way, date and location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
1016119822	187k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber		Nicholas Tiberio
1016119823	329k	USS Bristol County (LST-1198) underway, date and location unknown.		Nicholas Tiberio
BDC Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah (BSL-407)
	54k	Ex-USS Bristol County (LST-1198) in the service of Morocco as BDC Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah (BSL-407), moored pierside at Casablanca, Morocco, date unknown.		Derick S. Hartshorn
1016119824	106k	BDC Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah (BSL-407), moored pierside, 11 August 2020, location unknown. Photo courtesy HombreDHojalata		Robert Hurst

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USS Bristol County (LST-1198)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Waggoner, Donald Lee, USN	5 August 1972 - 25 July 1973
02	CDR. O'Connell, Jerome Arthur, USN (USNA 1956)	25 July 1973 - 18 April 1975
03	CDR. Given, Philip Roberts, USN (USNA 1958)	18 April 1975 - 15 July 1977
04	CDR. McManis, Robert Bruce, USN	15 July 1977 - 21 April 1979
05	CDR. Brown, Carroll Dean, USN	21 April 1979 - 4 April 1981
06	CDR. Weegar, Carl Allen, USN	4 April 1981 - 11 June 1983
07	CDR. Fitzgibbons, Thomas Arthur, USN (USNA 1966)	11 June 1983 - 28 June 1986
08	CDR. Brewer III, David Lawrence, USN :VADM	28 June 1986 - 9 September 1988
09	CDR. Treeman, Michael Wade, USN (USNA 1972)	9 September 1988 - 14 September 1990
10	CDR. Alsbrooks, Ronald Lee, USN	14 September 1990 - 12 September 1992
11	CDR. Massey, Robert Clyde, USN	12 September 1992 - 9 July 1994

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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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

Last Updated 22 September 2023