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USS Addison County (LST-31)
ex
 USS LST-31 (1943 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Papa - Juliet
 NFPJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Acton Ribbon (retroactive -19 November 1943 -see attached Letter of Commendation) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 2 February 1943, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 5 June 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-31, 21 July 1943, LT. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-31 was assigned in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Three;
    LST Group Eight, CDR. A. M. Hurst; and
    LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. J. R. Clark, USN;
    LST Group Fourteen, LCDR. K. L. DeForest, USNR;
    LST Division Twenty-Seven and participated in the following campaigns

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation, 20 November to 5 December 1943 Tinian capture and occupation, 24 July to 10 August 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 19 February to 2 March 1944
    		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 to 22 May 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June to 10 August 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS LST-31 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    13 to 25 October 1945
    26 November 1945 to 8 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 8 January 1946, and turned over to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q005
  • Returned to US Naval custody in 1948
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Named Addison County (LST-31), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 11 August 1955
  • USS Addison County earned five battle stars for World War II service as USS LST-31
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t.
    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
    Calvert
    100303219    		 500k USS LST-31 tied up alongside USS Calvert (APA-32) off the Makin Island beachhead to facilitate offloading material from Calvert to LST-31 for transfer to the beachhead, 21 November 1943.
    An LCVP carrying Japanese soldiers and Korean laborers captured during the battle for Makin Island are huddled in the bow of the landing craft as they are being transported to USS Leonard Wood (APA-12) {No prisoners are recorded as being delivered to USS Calvert (APA-32) on this day; Leonard Wood (APA-12) records Japanese POW deliveries on 21 and 23 November while at anchor off the beachhead.    		 David Upton
    LST-31 53k USS LST-31 off-loading over the beach at Englhi Island, Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Island, circa February-March 1944. Helen L. Schneidau from the collection of Lt. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR Commanding Officer USS LST-31
    LST-31 49k USS LST-31 off-loading date and location unknown. Helen L. Schneidau from the collection of Lt. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR Commanding Officer USS LST-31
    LST-31 64k USS LST-31 officers, 1944. Left to right, John Donald Schneidau, Jr, Commanding Officer, Walter Humkey, Executive Officer, and John Kern, First Lieutenant Helen L. Schneidau from the collection of Lt. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR Commanding Officer USS LST-31
    LST-31 74k USS LST-31 officers and crew, 1944. Helen L. Schneidau from the collection of Lt. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR Commanding Officer USS LST-31
    LST-31 218k USS LST-31 moored at a pontoon causeway at Tinian Town Harbor on Tinian Island, 8 August 1944, after the island had been secured. Her war diary for the first half of the month states that she was engaged in transporting material and personnel in between Saipan and Tinian.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-284344, a US Navy photo now in the custody of the National Archives at College Park, MD.    		 Tracy White
    LST-31 18k USS LST-31 off-loading over the beach at Okinawa, July 1945. LST Home Port Web Site
    LST-31 135k Letter of Commendation to officers and crew of Commander LST Group 8 USS LST-31, dated 23 November 1943 Helen L. Schneidau from the collection of Lt. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR Commanding Officer USS LST-31
    USS Addison County (LST-31)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Schneidau Jr., John Donald, USNR21 July 1943 - 5 March 1944
    02LT. Owen, Paul M., USNR5 March 1944 - 12 September 1944
    03LTjg. Gurley, Ralph, USNR12 September 1944 - 3 April 1945
    04LT. Pigott, Calvin A., USNR3 April 1945 - 2 December 1945
    05LT. Anderson, Arnold E., USNR2 December 1945 - 8 January 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
    SCAJAP - Shipping Control Authority, Japan
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    This page created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 7 May 2021