USS Caroline County (LST-525)

USS Caroline County (LST-525) in 1967
History
Name: USS LST-525, later USS Caroline County
Namesake: Caroline County, Maryland, and Caroline County, Virginia
Builder: Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company, Jeffersonville, Indiana
Laid down: 18 October 1943
Launched: 20 December 1943
Commissioned: 14 February 1944
Decommissioned: 25 June 1946
Recommissioned: October 1950
Decommissioned: 15 September 1954
Renamed: USS Caroline County (LST-525), 1 July 1955
Recommissioned: mid-1965
Decommissioned: Early 1970
Struck: 15 September 1974
Honours and
awards:
Fate: Sold for scrapping
General characteristics
Class and type: LST-491-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,780 long tons (1,809 t) light
  • 3,640 long tons (3,698 t) full
Length: 328 ft (100 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • Unloaded :
  • 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward
  • 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Loaded :
  • 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward
  • 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
Propulsion: 2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 LCVPs
Troops: Approximately 130 officers and enlisted men
Complement: 8-10 officers, 89-100 enlisted men
Armament:

USS Caroline County (LST-525) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for counties in Maryland and Virginia, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

LST-525 was laid down on 18 October 1943 at Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 20 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Anna Mae Federspiel; and commissioned on 14 February 1944 with Ensign James R. Stevens in command.

Service history

During World War II, LST-525 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following operations: Convoy UGS-36 (April 1944) and the invasion of southern France (August and September 1944). Following the war, LST-525 was decommissioned on 25 June 1946.

USS Caroline County (LST-525)

She was recommissioned in October, 1950 and performed services for the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, until decommissioned on 15 September 1954. On 1 July 1955 she was named USS Caroline County (LST-525).

Again reactivated in mid-1965, Caroline County provided support and resupply for riverine forces in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Decommissioned in early 1970 at Orange, Texas she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 September 1974. Caroline County was sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) 1 August 1975.

Caroline County earned two battle stars for World War II service as LST-525 and four battle stars for Vietnam War service.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

See also


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