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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Branch County (LST-482)
ex
 USS LST(H)-482 (1945 - 1955)
 USS LST-482 (1942 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Tango - Lima
 NGTL
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 14 September 1942, at Kaiser, Inc., Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 17 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-482, 20 March 1943, LT. R. L. Eddy, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-482 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Three, CDR. A. A. Ageton USN;
     LST Group Seven, LCDR. E. B. Garrigures;
     LST Division Thirteen and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation, 21 November to 8 December 1943 Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 28 July 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October 1944
    Hollandia operation, 21 to 26 April 1944 Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 15 January 1945

  • Redesignated Tank Landing Ship (Hospital) LST(H)-482, 15 September 1945
  • Following World War II LST(H)-482 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from, 20 November 27 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 23 February 1946 and transferred to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority (SCAJAP), redesignated Q072
  • Returned to the US Navy for, lay up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Redesignated LST-482, 11 March 1952
  • Named Branch County (LST-482), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 11 August 1955
  • USS LST-482 earned six battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sunk as a target, March 1956
    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 Source
    USS LST-482
    Skipjack 82k USS Skipjack (SS-184), off Mare Island Navy Yard, CA., 22 March 1943. In Berth 12 is USS LST-482. She was at Mare Island only from the 20th to the 24th of March 1943. It seems that LST's would leave Kaiser at Richmond and come to Mare Island for some type of certification. Note also the barrage balloons in the background.
    US Navy photo # NH 99196 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Darryl Baker
    LST-482
    1016048202    		 280k USS LST-482 lowers her ramp during landing operation on Makin Island, in the Gilbert Island Group, 29 November 1943.
    US Army Air Corps photo # 63238 A.C. now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Jason Post
    SCAJAP Q072
    LST-482 429k Ex-USS LST(H)-482 in service as SCAJAP LST-Q072 approaching the pier at Brown Beach, Okinawa with repatriated Okinawans, circa August to December 1946. Donn Cuson
    USS LST-482 / USS LST(H)-482 / USS Branch County (LST-482)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Eddy, R. L., USNR20 March 1943 - February 1944
    02LT. Wharton, G. T., USNRFebruary 1944 - December 1944
    03LTjg. Williams, James N., USNRDecember 1944 - 24 May 1945
    04LT. Jones, Harvey L., USNR24 May 1945 - 17 December 1945
    05LTjg. Galvin III, J. T., USNR17 December 1945 - 23 February 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
    History of LST Flotilla Seven
    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 by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 25 June 2021