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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Wolfgang Hechler

USS Alameda County (AVB-1)
ex
USS Alameda County (LST-32) (1955 - 1957)
USS LST-32 (1943 - 1955)


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


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal



USS Alameda County (AVB-1) was transferred to Italy, renamed NMM Anteo (A5306)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 February, 1943 at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 22 May 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-32, 3 July 1943, LT. Gardner P. Mulloy, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-32 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following actions/campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Convoy UGS-36, 1 April 1944 Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 21 September 1944

  • Decommissioned in July 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Recommissioned, 7 March 1951, LT. John W. Leonard in command
  • Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force
  • Reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet Naval Air Force in April 1953
  • September 1953, LST-32 began operating out of Naples, Italy, serving as an advanced base support ship with Air Logistics Support Division 2.
  • Named USS Alameda County (LST-32), 1 July 1955
  • USS Alameda County (LST-32) was assigned to Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    18 September 1953 to 31 January 1955
    1 February to 28 March 1955

  • Reclassified Advance Aviation Base Ship, (AVB-1), 28 September 1957
  • Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 June 1962, at Naples Italy
  • USS Alameda County earned two battle stars for World War II service as LST-32
  • Sold to Italy, 20 November 1962, renamed NMM Anteo (A5306)
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    LST Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    light 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    sea-going 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    landing 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    limiting 11' 2"
    maximum navigation 14' 1"
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    13 officers
    104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers
    147 enlisted
    Boats 2 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    AVB Specifications Modifications:
    Boats 2 LCMs, 1 LCVP, 1LCPL, 1 "bowser boat" (aircraft rearmament boat)
    Armament seven 40mm gun mounts, (1-bow, 2-forward port, 2-forward starboard, 2 aft) Removed circa 1959-60

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source/Contributed
    By
    USS LST-32 / USS Alameda County (LST-32)
    LST-32
    1016003215
    133k LST-32 launching at the Dravo Corporation Pittsburgh, PA., 22 May 1943.
    U.S. Office of War Information, Overseas Picture Division, Washington Division. This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID fsa.8e01507
    Robert Hurst
    LST-32 95k USS LST-32, crew swim call, date and location unknown Contributed by Kevin Harris LST 173 Webmaster
    for Ken Frank in honor of his Father the late Edward F. Frank Jr. USS LST-32
    LST-32 100k USS LST-32, moored, date and location unknown Contributed by Kevin Harris LST 173 Webmaster
    for Ken Frank in honor of his Father the late Edward F. Frank Jr. USS LST-32
    LST-32 36k USS LST-32, launching an LCT, date and location unknown .
    LST-32 15k USS LST-32 underway in heavy seas, date and location unknown. Dave Martin
    LST-32
    1016003209
    188k USS LST-32 entering Valletta Harbor, Malta, circa 1954, while serving as Air Force, Atlantic, Flagship. Photo courtesy A & J Pavia. Brian Miller
    LST-32 152k A LCM beached on La Pineda beach, near Tarragona, Spain during, with USS LST-32 in the bachground during the accident-riddled exercise ADVEX 1-55 (January 1955). The uniformed, armed men on the beach, foreground are members of the Guardia Civil Antonio Moreno
    Megara
    09350612
    460k On 29 January 1955, USS Megara (ARVA-6) broached on the beaches of La Pineda, off the Mediterranean Coast of Spain during an exercise with Spain known as ADVEX 1-55. Over the next three days, several ships came to her aid. Among them were USS LST-32, the Spanish destroyer Almirante Antequera, and USS San Marcos (LPD-25). Pictured here are the salvage efforts of those ships that pulled Megara free on 1 Feb 1955. Brian Miller
    Megara
    09350613
    169k
    Megara
    09350614
    202k
    LST-32 67k USS Alameda County (LST-32) looking forward from the bridge area while moored at Naples, Italy in 1956. Photo by Harold Boston
    LST-32 69k USS Alameda County (LST-32) looking forward from the bridge area while moored at Taranto, Italy in 1956. Photo by Harold Boston
    Alameda
    1016003216
    46k USS Alameda (LST-32) anchored off Piraeus, Greece, 1957.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Everglades (AD-24) 1957 cruise book
    Robert Hurst
    LST-32 146k USS Alameda County (LST-32) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.
    Stan Svec
    USS Alameda County (AVB-1)
    LST-32 93k USS Alameda County (AVB-1) entering the Grand Harbor at Valletta, Malta in 1960. Contributed by Mike (Boats) Payer, submitted by Chet Morris
    LST-32 260k USS Alameda County (AVB-1) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.
    Stan Svec
    NMM Anteo (A5306)
    LST-32 36k Ex-USS Alameda County (AVB-1) in Italian service as NMM Anteo (A5306) at anchor, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    LST-32 119k NMM Anteo (A5306) underway, circa 1963, location unknown.
    Photo Giorgio Arra.
    Robert Hurst
    LST-32 90k NMM Anteo (A5306) at anchor, circa 1970, location unknown.
    Italian Navy photo.
    Robert Hurst
    LST-32
    1016003217
    312k NMM Anteo (A5306) underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst

    USS LST-32 / USS Alameda County (LST-32 / AVB-1)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Mulloy, Gardner P., USNR3 July 1943 - February 1945LST-32
    02LTjg. Carter, George William, USNFebruary 1945 - September 1945LST-32
    03LT. Oblod, John H., USNRSeptember 1945 - February 1946LST-32
    04LTjg. Jorgensen, Christe B., USNRFebruary 1946 - 1 August 1946LST-32
     Decommissioned1 August 1946 - 7 March 1951 
    05LT. Leonard, John Wafer, USN7 March 1951 - December 1953AVB-1
    06CDR. Crane, E.L., USNDecember 1953 - March 1955AVB-1
    07CDR. Gullett, John Hungerford, USNMarch 1955 - October 1956AVB-1
    08CDR. Sinclair, Andrew Magee, USNOctober 1956 - 7 March 1958AVB-1
    09CDR. Gordon, Harold Leon, USN7 March 1958 - 24 July 1959AVB-1
    10CDR. Hansen Jr., Frederic Theodore, USN (USNA 1943)24 July 1959 - 7 September 1960AVB-1
    11CDR. Baker, Quentin F., USN7 September 1960 - 26 September 1961AVB-1
    12CDR. Fox, John Calvin, USN26 September 1961 - 15 December 1962AVB-1
    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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    Last Updated 15 March 2024