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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Bulloch County (LST-509)
ex
USS LST-509 (1944 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Xray - Zulu
NDXZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (5) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (7) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Bulloch County (LST-509) was transferred to South Vietnam and renamed RVNS Qui Nhon (HQ-504)

LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 7 October 1943 at Jeffersonville, IN., by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.

Launched, 23 November 1943

Commissioned USS LST-509, 20 January 1944, LT. James B. Malcom, USNR, in command

During World War II USS LST-509 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

Decommissioned in 1947 for lay up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.

Recommissioned, 20 October 1950, LT. W. A. McNamee USNR in command

Named USS Bulloch County (LST-509), 1 July 1955

During Vietnam War USS Bulloch County (LST-509) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam War Campaign
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 15 March to 24 April 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 2 April to 13 May 1968 21 to 24 May 1968 4 to 25 June 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 9 June to 28 July 1967 15 September to 7 November 1967 3 to 19 December 1967	Tet 69/Counteroffensive 30 March to 27 April 1969 13 to 22 May 1969
Tet Counteroffensive 27 February to 1 April 1968

Decommissioned, 8 April 1970

USS LST-509 earned one battle star for World War II service and as USS Bulloch County (LST-509) the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and five campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Leased to the Republic of Vietnam under the Security Assistance Program, renamed RVNS Qui Nhon (HQ-504)

Acquired by the Peoples Republic of Vietnam, date unknown, redesignated HQ-505

Final Disposition, heavily damage, and beached on Collin Reef and sunk 14 March 1988, during the skirmish between Vietnamese and Chinese forces at Johnson South Reef in the South China Sea

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
USS LST-509
	116k	USS LST-509 and *LCT-623* unloading on Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy, June 1944.	W.R. Santschi
	65k	USS LST-509 beached, probably at Normandy, circa 1944.	W.R. Santschi
	95k	USS LST-509 moored at Key West during Navy Day, 27 October 1945. Photo by QM1 W. Fling.	W.R. Santschi
	77k	USS LST-509 at anchor off Naval Station Little Creek, VA., November 1945. Photo by QM1 W. Fling.	W.R. Santschi
	64k	USS LST-509 moored pierside, Naval Station Little Creek, VA., November 1945. US Navy photo	W.R. Santschi
	88k	USS LST-509 moored pierside, Naval Station Little Creek, VA., November 1945. US Navy photo	W.R. Santschi
	344k	USS LST-509 crew photo, Naval Station Little Creek, VA., November 1945. US Navy photo	W.R. Santschi
	139k	USS LST-509 officers photo, Port Everglades, FL., November 1945. Front Row, Left to Right: LTjg. W. MacDonald (XO), LTjg L. Montgomery, (CO), LTjg M Muyskens (First LT), LTjg R. MacKay (Boat Officer). Back Row, Left to Right: ENS W. Santschi (Comm), LTjg D. Rosenborough (Temporary), LTjg. W. Brown (Gunnery), LTjg. W. Gross (Stores), LTjg J. Crum (Temporary), LTjg R. Garretson (Engineering). US Navy photo	W.R. Santschi
	73k	USS LST-509 beached at Mill Creek, Solomons, MD., June 1946	Photos by Ens. W.R. Santschi
	83k		Photos by Ens. W.R. Santschi
1016050922	277k	USS LST-509 entering drydock #2 at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C. in January 1947 for preservation and decommissioning.	Brian Miller
1016050923	257k		Brian Miller
1016050919	661k	USS LST-509 in drydock #2 at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C. in January 1947 for preservation and decommissioning.	Brian Miller
1016050920	663k		Brian Miller
1016050921	159k	USS LST-509 main deck before deck loading of *LCT(6)-664* at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston S.C. USS LST-510 is tied up portside of LST-509.	Brian Miller
	56k	USS LST-509 entering NAB Little Creek, Norfolk, VA., in the spring of 1951.	Lloyd King
	98k	USS LST-509 with *LCU-767* loaded on deck for transit to Greenland in 1951 to take part in operation "Blue Jay," the construction of Thule Air Base in Greenland.	Chuck Garrett EN2 USS LST-509
	133k	USS LST-509 during amphibious exercises at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, circa 1951-54.	Chuck Garrett EN2 USS LST-509
	136k		Chuck Garrett EN2 USS LST-509
	280k	*USS Bulloch County* (LST-509)** underway, date and location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command Catalog # L45-38.04	Mike Smolinski
RVNS Qui Nhon (HQ-504)
	22k	Ex-*USS Bulloch County* (LST-509) in South Vietnamese service as RVNS Qui Hhon (HQ-504)** in drydock at the Vietnamese Naval Shipyard in Saigon, 1970.	Photo by Steve Loomis, SN, US Naval Advisory Group Vietnam
	30k	*RVNS Qui Hhon* (HQ-504) and RVNS Nha Trang (HQ-505) (ex-USS Jerome County (LST-848)** moored bow to bow, date, event and location unknown.	Tommy Trampp

USS Bulloch County (LST-509)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Malcom, James B., USNR	20 January 1944 - 20 September 1945
02	LT. Montgomery, Leland S., USNR	20 September 1945 - May 1946
03	LT. Allen, Robert C., USNR	May 1946 - 1947
	Decommissioned	1947 - 20 October 1950
04	LT. McNamee, William A., USNR	20 October 1950 - 6 June 1952
05	LT. Hunt, Thomas L., USNR	6 June 1952 - ?
06	LTjg. Sankovich, Robert N., USNR	no dates
07	LT. Rooney, George Matthew. USN	1954 - December 1955
08	LT. Blanks, Alva Leroy, USN	no dates
	Decommissioned	~1956 - 31 August 1966
09	LT. Markworth, John Allan, USN	31 August 1966 - 28 February 1968
10	LT. McGoldrick, Henry Joseph, USN	28 February 1968 - 1 August 1969
11	LT. Davis Jr., Thomas Cahill, USN	1 August 1969 - 8 April 1970


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
USS Bulloch County LST 509
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

Last Updated 15 March 2024

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bulloch County (LST-509)ex USS LST-509 (1944 - 1955)

USS Bulloch County (LST-509)
ex
USS LST-509 (1944 - 1955)