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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Whiskey - Delta
 NVWD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic)
LST-1171 De Soto County Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 July 1955, at Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 5 September 1956
  • Commissioned USS Suffolk County (LST-1173), 15 August 1957, LCDR. James E. Brown in command
  • Decommissioned, 25 August 1972
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk, VA.
  • Disposed of by Transfer to the Maritime Administration, 15 April 1992, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for $500 to Transforma Marine, Brownsville, TX. for scrapping, 31 March 1999. Removed from the Reserve Fleet, 23 November 1999 and scrapped
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,560 t.(lt) 7,823 t (fl)
    Length 445'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 16' 8"
    Speed 17.5 kts.
    Complement 10 Officers, 174 Enlisted
    Troop Capacity 575
    Boats four LCVP landing craft
    Cargo Capacity 28 medium tanks or vehicles to 75 tons on 288" long tank deck
    Liquid Cargo Capacity 100,000 gal. (US) diesel or jet fuel, plus 7,000 gal. petrol for embarked vehicles
    Armament 3 twin 3"/50 gun mounts
    Propulsion 6 Nordburg diesel engines, 2 shafts, controllable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Suffolk County 70k Suffolk County (LST-1173) underway, circa 1958, place unknown. Note causeways attached to both port and starboard sides. Donald J. Holland, SKC, USN, Ret. USS Suffolk County, December 1957 to June 1959
    York County 116k USS Suffolk County (LST-1173) moored alongside USS York County (LST-1175) probably at Port Everglades, FL., in 1958.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Way
    Suffolk County 47k USS Suffolk County (LST-1173) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from Varamar Arts Canvas.    		 Tommy Trampp
    Suffolk County 27k USS Suffolk County (LST-1173) beached, date and location unknown.  
    Suffolk County 79k USS Suffolk County (LST-1173) underway in the Caribbean, between 1965 and 1966. Note the causeways attached to both the port and starboard sides.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Guam (LPH-9) 1965-66 Cruise Book.    		 Robert Hurst
    Suffolk County
    1016117305    		 525k USS Suffolk County (LST-1173) with the Second Fleet in the Caribbean, offloads tanks and vehicles, 9 December 1966, while US Marines storm ashore on the island of Vieques during LANTFLEX 66, a major Atlantic Fleet exercise.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command catalog # L45-271.05.02    		 Mike Smolinski
    USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Brown, James Edwin, USN (USNA 1944)15 August 1957 - 15 January 1959
    02LCDR. Jowen, Ernest Eugene, USN (USNA 1946)15 January 1959 - 1960
    03CDR. Piatek, John Adolph, USN1960 - July 1962
    04CDR. Mertz III, Charles, USN (USNA 1948-B)July 1962 - April 1964
    05LCDR. Guion, Joseph Edward, USNApril 1964 - October 1965
    06LCDR. Felkins, Charles, USNOctober 1965 - 1967
    07LCDR. Brackin, John David, USN1967- November 1968
    08LCDR. Theriault, Willard, USNNovember 1968 - ?
    09LCDR. Clarey, Stephen Scott, USN :RADMAugust 1971 - 25 August 1972
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Amphibious Squadron (12 CARIB 1-69 February - June 1969) Dependent's Guide
    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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 April 2022