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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Bernalillo County (LST-306)
ex
 USS LST-306 (1942 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Oscar - Quebec
 NJOQ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 24 July 1942, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 10 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-306, 11 December 1942, LT. Joseph B. Bartram, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-306 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943  

  • Decommissioned, 13 June 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Recommissioned in Reserve, 7 March 1951
  • Named Bernalillo County (LST-306), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 20 October 1956
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 February 1959
  • USS LST-306 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 22 October 1959, to Ships, Inc., Miami, FL, fate unknown
    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 Source
    LST-306 141k USS LST-306 underway probably in the Hudson River off the New Jersey Palisades, circa January 1943. Greg Melahn
    LST-306 117k USS LST-306 off Falmouth, U.K., during gunfire exercises prior to the Invasion of Normandy. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 165k USS LST-306 underway heading for the invasion beaches during the Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 71k USS LST-306 beached probably at Utah Beach, Normandy in June 1944. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 260k USS LST-306 off-loading vehicles at Utah Beach, Normandy, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 204k USS LST-306 beached at Utah Beach, Normandy, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 152k USS LST-306 beached at Utah Beach, Normandy, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 113k German Prisoners-of-War being transported back to England aboard USS LST-306, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 153k USS LST-306 off-loading German Prisoners-of-War from France in an English port, date and location unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 121k USS LST-306 beached in the harbor at Le Havre, France, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 132k USS LST-306 off loading railroad rolling stock at Cherbourg, France, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 140k USS LST-306 off loading railroad rolling stock at Cherbourg, France, date unknown. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 148k USS LST-306 Commanding Officer, LT B. J. Bartram. boarding from one of the ships LCVPs, date and location unknown. Note Vernon Edwards is the sailor standing on the stern of the LCVP. Photo from the Vernon Edwards D-Day Invasion collection. Kenneth J. Wood
    LST-306 59k USS LST-306 underway, date and location unknown. John W. Moore SSG USA Ret.
    for his father Clyde E. Moore SN USS LST-306
    LST-306 295k USS LST-306 underway during a 1950s amphibious exercise, location unknown. Note helicopter on deck.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 84847, courtesy of William H. Davis, 1976.    		 Mike Smolinski
    USS LST-306 / USS Bernalillo County (LST-306)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Bartram, Joseph B., USNR11 December 1942 - 30 November 1943
    02LT. Kimball, Richard H., USNR30 November 1943 - 12 July 1945
    03LT. McCuen, Huber M., USNR12 July 1945 - 20 September 1945
    04LTjg. Gregerson, Donald R., USNR20 September 1945 - 11 March 1946
    05LTjg. Siders, James S., USNR11 March 1946 - 13 June 1946
     Decommissioned13 June 1946 - 7 March 1951
    06LCDR. Focht, James R., USNR7 March 1951 - 20 November 1951
    07LT. Gray, J. W., USNR20 November 1951 - 29 January 1953
    08LT. Scaboo, G. N., USNR29 January 1953 - ?
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 17 January 2020