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 Litchfield County (LST-901)
ex
USS LST-901 (1945 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Papa - November
NJPN

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (24FEB68) - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (10)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 29 October 1944, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.

Launched, 9 December 1944

Commissioned USS LST 901, 11 January 1945, at Algiers, LA., Lt. C. A. Henson in command

During World War II USS LST-901 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Thirty-One, CAPT. H. S. Covington USN (23);
LST Group Ninety-Three CDR. E. R. Sperry USN (23);
LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Six

Following World War II USS LST-901 was assigned Occupation service in the Far East from 6 to 23 September 1945

Decommissioned, 9 August 1946, at Vancouver, WA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group

Recommissioned, 30 November 1951

During the Korean War USS LST-901 participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 3 to 30 September 1952 17 to 18 October 1952	Third Korean Winter 13 to 14 December 1952 31 January 1to 23 February 1953 13 to 28 March 1953

Named USS Litchfield County (LST-901), 1 July 1955

Decommissioned, 20 December 1955, at Long Beach, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet

Recommissioned, 5 March 1966

During the Vietnam War USS Litchfield County (LST-901) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 19 to 20 July 1966 3 August to 20 September 1966 2 to 10 October 1966 18 October to 8 November 1966 19 January to 24 February 1967 26 April to 3 May 1967 16 to 23 May 1967	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV 15 May to 30 June 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 11 August to 21 September 1967 31 December 1967 to 10 January 1968	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V 15 May to 30 June 1968
Tet Counteroffensive 12 February to 21 March 1968	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 5 to 15 July 1969

Decommissioned, 7 December 1969, at Guam, Marianas Islands

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1975

USS Litchfield County earned two battle stars for Korean War service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), 1 January 1977

Merchant History

Acquired by Aphrodite Shipping & Trading Corp. S.A., Panama and renamed MV Petrola 132.

Arrived in tow at Aliaga, Turkey for demolition by Seltas A.S., 5 April 1996

Final Disposition, scrapped at Aliaga in 1996

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

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS LST-901
1016090109	291k	USS LST-901 underway in San Francisco Bay, late 1945. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 79579	Mike Smolinski
	382k	USS LST-902, USS 901 an unidentified LST moored between them and a fleet tug (ATF) moored together off Wolmi Do [island] near Inchon South Korea, circa 1952-53. Note the self-propelled oil or water barge (YO/YW) alongside USS 901 and the Marine LVT approaching the nest of ships. BUMED photo # 16-0002-042 courtesy of the National Museum of Health and Medicine taken from USS Haven (not shown) probably by Zelma "Suzie" Coyle, Coyle Collection.	Michael Rhode BUMED
	158k	USS LST-901 underway off the coast of California, 1952.	Harry Burton USS LST-901
USS Litchfield County (LST-901)
1016090110	256k	Admiral David L. McDonald, Chief of Naval Operations, has breakfast in the crews mess aboard *USS Litchfield County* (LST-901)** during his visit and inspection tour of Vietnam, 30 October 1966. At the table with Admiral McDonald (right) are ENC Irl Green (Leading Petty Officer), Rear Admiral Thomas Weschler (center) and Lieutenant Charles Bryant (back to camera), commanding officer. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 69266	Mike Smolinski
1016090106 1(NH 69268)	139k	USS Litchfield County (LST-901) drydocked for overhaul in 1968, location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #s: NH 69268 NH 69281 NH 69267 NH 69303 NH69286 and NH 69282	Mike Smolinski
1016090111 (NH 69281)	266k
1016090107 (NH 69267)	224k
1016090116 (NH 69303)	239k
1016090113 (NH 69269)	239k
1016090114 (NH 69282)	350k
1016090108 (NH 69283)	242k	USS Litchfield County (LST-901) at sea, as seen from the bow of an unidentified LST, circa 1968. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #68283	Mike Smolinski
1016090105 (NH 69299)	267k	USS Litchfield County (LST-901) underway in 1968, location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #'s NH 69299 NH 69300 NH 69301 NH 69288 NH 69298 NH 69286 and NH69289	Mike Smolinski
1016090103 (NH 69300)	507k
1016090104 (NH 69301)	343k
1016090112 (NH 69288)	242k
1016090115 (NH 69298)	363k
1016090119 NH 69286	440k
1016090120 NH 69289	387k
1016090118 NH 69302	275k	Jeeps, destined for Vietnam, in the tank deck of *USS Litchfield County* (LST-901)** in 1968. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 69302	Mike Smolinski
1016090117 NH 69284	174k	*USS Litchfield County* (LST-901) (left) and USS Park County (LST-1077)** (right) unloading supplies in Vietnam, circa 1968. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 69284	Mike Smolinski
	55k	*USS Litchfield County* (LST-901) and USS Floyd County (LST-762)** moored to the LST ramp at Danang, South Vietnam, 1968. US Navy photo from Naval Support Facility, Danang, Yearbook	Pete Harlem
	850k	USS Litchfield County (LST-901) underway off Guam, circa-1968 1969.	Fred Eberwine USS Litchfield County

For more photos and information about USS Litchfield County, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
LST-901 Re-Commissioning Crew Roster (30 November 1951)
The USS LST Ship Memorial
Mobile Riverine Force Association
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Henson, Charles A., USNR	11 January 1945 - 24 December 1945
02	LTjg. Ventura, Frank A., USNR	24 December 1945 - 15 January 1946
03	LTjg. Sullivan, Patrick H., USNR	15 January 1946 - 24 March 1946
04	LT. Bender, Dale O., USNR	24 March 1946 - 9 August 1946
	Decommissioned	9 August 1946 - 30 November 1951
05	LT. Houlihan, James E.	30 November 1951 - 1952
06	LT. Ward, Marshall Douglas, USN	1952 - 1953
07	LT. Hinchcliff Jr., Lester Grant, USN (USNA 1946)	1953 - 1954
08	LT. Purcell, Raymond R.	1954 - 20 December 1955
	Decommissioned	20 December 1955 - 5 March 1966
09	LT. Bryant, Cordis Charles	5 March 1966 - 30 June 1968
10	LT. Waples, Robert Everett, USN (USNA 1963)	30 June 1968 - 9 November 1968
11	LT. Phillips, Roger VanDorn, LT (temporary)	9 November 1968 - 3 December 1968
12	LT. Phillips, Roger VanDorn	3 December 1968 - 6 June 1969
13	LT. Grace, Robert Francis	6 June 1969 - 3 September 1969
14	LT. Zunich, Ralph Edward (Ed)	3 September 1969 - 7 December 1969


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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 21 February 2020

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Litchfield County (LST-901)ex USS LST-901 (1945 - 1955)

USS Litchfield County (LST-901)
ex
USS LST-901 (1945 - 1955)