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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Somervell County (LST-1129)
ex
 USS LST-1129 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Oscar - Charlie
 NBOC
  • Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


    Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
    Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
    Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
    • LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 29 November 1944, at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 22 February 1945
  • Commissioned USS LST-1129, 6 March 1945, LT.. John K. Marshall, USNR in command.
  • During World War II USS LST-1129 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Three, CAPT. C. A. Legg USN (24);
     LST Group Ninety-Nine, CDR. W. W. Johnson USN;
     LST Division One Hundred Ninety-Seven
  • Following World War II USS LST-1129 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following period:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    10 September 1945 to 20 February 194610 September 1945 to 20 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 31 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Named Somervell County (LST-1129), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
  • Final Disposition, 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 Contributed
    By
    LST-1129
    1016112901    		 609k USS LST-1129 likely underway in San Francisco Bay, circa 1946, with LCT(6)-1244 as deck cargo.
    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    USS LST-1129 / USS Somervell County (LST-1129)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Marshall, John Kendrick, USNR6 March 1945 - 20 December 1945
    02LTjg. Rietmann, Edward A.,USNR20 December 1945 - May 1946
    03LTjg. Winkler, Robert V.,USNRMay 1946 - 31 July 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
    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 6 December 2024