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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Summit County (LST-1146)
ex
 USS LST-1146 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Hotel - Juliet
 NKHJ
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
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (1) - Vietnam Service Medal (3) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5)
Forth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

USS Summit County (LST-1146) was transferred to Ecuador and renamed Hualcopo (T-55)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 10 February 1945, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 11 May 1945
  • Commissioned, USS LST-1146, 30 May 1945, LT. Warren A. Cushing, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-1146 was assigned to th Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS LST-1146 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 27 October to 20 November 1945
  • During the Korean War USS LST-1146 participated in the following campaign:

    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Second Korean Winter
    28 and 29 December 1951 and 20 to 26 March 1952

  • Named USS Summit County (LST-1146), 1 July 1955
  • During the Vietnam War USS Summit County (LST-1146) participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    24 January to 21 March 1966
    26 March to 30 June 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    14 November to 19 December 1967
    14 January to 7 March 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 to 24 July 1966     		 

  • Decommissioned, 31 October 1969, at San Diego, CA.
  • Transferred to MARAD in December 1969 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976
  • USS Summit County (LST-1146) earned one battle star for Korean War service and as three campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Sold under terms of the Security Assistance Program, to Ecuador, 14 February 1977, renamed Hualcopo (T-55), subsequently renumbered (T-61) and again to (TR-61)
  • Present Disposition, although she suffered an on-board fire in 1998, as of May 1999, she was still on active duty as a coastal transport
    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-1146
    LST-1146 112k USS LST-1146 and USS Burton Island (AG-88) underway in Arctic waters during "Exercise Barex-48 in early 1948.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1948.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    LST-1146 46k A Marine guides a tank out of USS LST-1146's tank deck onto the beach at Inchon, Korea. Photo dated 1 April 1952, Photo by Sgt. Angelo R. Caramico USMC
    USMC photo # HMSN 980684     		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    LST-1146 54k USS LST-1146 underway in Arctic waters during a 280 mile endurance test.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, April 1955.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    LST-1146 51k USS LST-1146 beached at Barter Island, Alaska, date unknown. Dan Guinn, USS LST-1110.org, courtesy the H.A. Taylor Collection
    LST-1146 534k USS LST-1146 beached, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.    		 Scott Nelson for his grandfather Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.
    LST-1146 495k USS LST-1146 moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.    		 Scott Nelson for his grandfather Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.
    LST-1146 452k USS LST-1146 beached, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.    		 Scott Nelson for his grandfather Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.
    USS Summit County (LST-1146)
    LST-1146
    1016114610    		 452k Starboard bow view of USS Summit County (LST-1146) underway, December 1959, location unknown.
    US National Archives photo # USN 1045195, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Smolinski
    LST-1146 265k USS Summit County (LST-1146), USS Henry County (LST-824), USS Polk County (LST-1084) and two additional LSTs, conducting landing practice off San Diego, CA., circa 1960s.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 68716    		 Mike Smolinski
    LST-1146 268k Bows on view of USS Summit County (LST-1146) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # L45-271-05.01    		 Mike Green
    LST-1146
    1016114611     		100k USS Summit County (LST-1146) departing Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI. enroute to Vietnam, circa 1965-1968.
    Photo from flickr.com by Eric    		 John Spivey
    Westchester County 259k USS Jerome County (LST-848), USS Summit County (LST-1146) and , USS St. Clair County (LST-1096) beached at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, circa 1966. Photo by Rich Krebs USS USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
    Westchester County 184k USS Jerome County (LST-848), USS Summit County (LST-1146) and USS St. Clair County (LST-1096) beached at Chu Lai, South Vietnam, circa 1966. Photo by Rich Krebs USS USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
    USS Summit County (LST-1146)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Cushing, Warren Alfred, USNR30 May 1945 - 17 November 1945
    02LT. Smith, Lawrence Henry, USNR17 November 1945 - March 1946
    03LT. Furr, Floyd McDaniel, USNMarch 1946 - ?
    04LT. Martin, J. C., USNR1949
    05LT. Hunt, Harry Emmett, USN1957 - 1958
    06LT. Roepke, John Roy, USN (USNA 1953)July 1959 - July 1961
    07LT. Smith, James Howard, USNJuly 1961 - August 1963
    08LT. Brisbois, Marshall, Bartlett, USNAugust 1963 - 9 August 1965
    09LT. Judis, Billy Frank, USN9 August 1965 - November 1967
    10LT. Blackmon, Thomas Lester, USNNovember 1967 - 31 October 1969
    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
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    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 7 March 2025