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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Monroe County (LST-1038)
ex
 USS LST-1038 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Alpha - Bravo
 NAAB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 29 October 1944, at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched, 6 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS LST-1038, 5 February 1945, LT. Julius Wolf USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-1038 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Two, CAPT. D.J. Sweeny;
     LST Group Ninety-Six, CDR. J.M. Dod USNR;
     LST Division One Hundred Ninety-One and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 15 May to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-1038 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    20 September to 3 October 1945
    15 October to 4 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 25 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Renamed USS Monroe County (LST-1038), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
  • USS LST-1038 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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
    LST-1038
    1016103802    		 307k LST-1038 launching, 6 January 1945, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA.
    US National Archives photo # USN 407638, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Smolinski
    LST-1038 131k USS LST-1038 beached, date and location unknown. John De Noma
    LST-1038
    1016103803    		 235k LST-1038 at anchor in San Francisco Bay, circa 1945-46
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 82160 courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975.    		 Mike Smolinski
    USS LST-1038 / USS Monroe County (LST-1038)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Wolf, Julius, USNR5 February 1945 - 24 October 1945
    02LT. Sherman, Thomas W., USNR24 October 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. McKelway, William P., USNRMarch 1946 - 25 July 1946
    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
    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 7 February 2020