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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Hillsdale County (LST-835)
ex
 USS LST-835 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Romeo - Victor
 NHRV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Hillsdale County (LST-835) was sold to Japan and renamed JNS Shimokita (LST-4002) and later resold to the Republic of the Philippines, renamed BRP Cavite (LT-509)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 6 September 1944, by American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 25 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-835, 20 November 1944, LT. William H. McHenry, USNR, in command.
  • During World War II LST-835 was assigned to the Asiatic-Theater:
    LST Flotilla Twenty-Three, CAPT. W.W. Weeden Jr. USN;
     LST Group Sixty-Seven, CDR V. A. King USN;
     LST Division One Hundred Thirty-Four and participated in following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 May to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LST-835 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 29 October to 9 November 1945
  • Decommissioned in June 1946, at Astoria, OR.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Named, Hillsdale County (LST-835), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register in October 1959
  • Sold to Japan in April 1961, renamed JNS Shimokita (LST-4002)
  • Resold to the Republic of the Philippines, date unknown, renamed BRP Cavite (LT-509)
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1989
  • USS LST-835 earned one battle star for World War II service
    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 Contributed
    By
    USS LST-835
    Hillsdale County 38k USS LST-835 crew photo, South Pacific, 1944 LST Home Port web site
    Hillsdale County 363k USS LST-835 underway in San Francisco Bay returning home from the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, 6 January 1946. Note the "Welcome Home well done" sign.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 79567    		 Allen Bond to honor his father P.A. Bond. Jr., QM2/c USS LST-835 and
    Mike Smolinski
    BRP Cavite (LT-509)
    LST-835 86k Hulk of ex-Hillsdale County (LST-835), ex-BRP Cavite (LT-509) at a breakers yard, location unknown in 1989. Alongside to port is the hulk of ex-BRP Tiboli (YQ-58) (ex-US Army LT-1976). Edison Sy
    Hillsdale County (LST-835) / USS LST-835
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. McHenry, William Harrison, USNR20 November 1944 - 6 November 1945
    02LTjg. Carter, Richard Hugh, USNR6 November 1945 - 9 January 1946
    03LTjg. Thomas, William R., USNR9 January 1946 - June 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 Homeport
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 24 January 2020