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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bradley County (LST-400)
ex
USS LST-400 (1943 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Bravo - Alpha
NDBA

USS Bradley County (LST-400) was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal


LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 September 1942, at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 23 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-400, 7 January 1943, LT C. J. Lyden, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-400 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Sicilian occupation, 9 July 1943
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944  

  • Named USS Bradley County (LST-400), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • USS Bradley County (LST-400) earned two battle stars for World War II service as USS LST-400
  • Transferred to the Republic of China as a grant in aid, September 1958, renamed ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217)
  • Struck from the U.S. Naval Register, 25 April 1960
  • Decommissioned by the Taiwanese navy, 29 December 2010
  • Final Disposition, sunk as target, 16 July 2018 off the coast of Orchid Island
    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
    7 officers, 104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers, 147 enlisted
    Boats 4 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

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS LST-400
    LST-400
    1016040016
    89k USS LST-400 at anchor in Seine Bay, 7 June 1944, during the invasion of Normandy.
    Frame from a short film called "Activity in Seine Bay, Near St. Marcoux; Landing Craft Move In While USS Nevada Bombards". Dept. of the Navy. National Archives ID 77048; Local ID 428-NPC-4308.
    David Upton
    LST-400 52k USS LST-400 at anchor, date and location unknown. Lloyd King
    LST-400 96k USS LST-400 underway, date and location unknown. Jim White USS LST-400
    Pima County 391k MRS. Margret R. Leeper standing in from of her husband Harold's ship USS LST-1081 and USS LST-400 moored at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA., January 1954. Photo by Harold J. Leeper. Tom Leeper for his father Harold J. Leeper ET3 USS LST-1081
    ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217)
    LST-400 3378k Ex-USS Bradley County (LST-400) in the Republic of China service as ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) evacuates high school students from their small coastal village on Quemoy to Taiwan, 10 October 1958.
    AP Wirephoto.
    Tommy Trampp
    LST-400 106k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217), 1979 crew photo Siang Tu
    LST-400 96k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) engineers at work, circa 1979 Siang Tu
    LST-400 289k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) engineers at work, circa 1979 Siang Tu
    LST-400 70k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) with a helicopter on her main deck while evacuating injured/wounded crew member, Taiwan Sea, circa 1981. @copySiang Tu
    LST-400 61k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) underway, date and location unknown. @copySiang Tu
    LST-400 88k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) "English Team" at Kaohsiung , circa 1981. Siang Tu
    LST-400 72k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) moored at Naval Base Zuoying, circa 1981. @copySiang Tu
    LST-400 78k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) crew members at Kaohsiung , circa 1982. Siang Tu
    LST-279 216k ROCS Chung Chie (LST-218) (ex-USS LST-279) and ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) moored pierside at Zuoying Naval Yard, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, date unknown.  
    LST-400 195k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) underway, date and location unknown.  
    LST-400 155k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) beached, at Taiwan, date unknown.  
    LST-400 142k ROCS Chung Chao (LST-217) moored pierside at Zuoying Naval Yard, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 29 December 2010 for decommissioning.  
    LST-400 180k

    USS Bradley County (LST-400)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Lyden, C. J.7 January 1943 - May 1945
    02LTjg. McMahon, L. J.May 1945 - February 1946
    03LTjg. Mann, Fletcher C., USNRFebruary 1946 - ?
    04LT. Hanson, Bernard Theodore1953
    05LT. Scruggs, William Franklin1953
    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 Homeport
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 26 August 2022