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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Boone County (LST-389)
ex
 USS LST-389 (1942 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Kilo - Mike
 NCKM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 9 September 1943, Salerno landings, Agripoli, Italy)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal

USS Boone County (LST-389) was transferred to Greece and name HS Lesbos (L-172)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 June 1942, at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 28 September 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST 389, 24 November 1942, LT. George C. Carpenter, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-389 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943  

  • Decommissioned, 12 March 1946, at Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Named USS Boone County (LST-389), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1959
  • USS Boone County earned three battle stars for World War II service as USS LST-389
  • Transferred to Greece in May 1960, renamed HS Lesbos (L-172)
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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-389
    LCT-413 278k USS LST-389, LCT(5)-413, and LCT-153 beached at Sicily, 1943
    US Atlantic Fleet Command photo # AGC-4-558    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-389 11k USS LST-389 beached in the harbor at Cherbourg, France after running over a sunken ship in the inner harbor. LST-389 was towed back to England for drydocking and repairs. MMoM Harold Entwistle USS LST-389
    LST-389 143k USS LST-389 at anchor, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    HS Lesbos (L-172)
    Boone County 57k Ex-Boone County (LST-389) in Greek service as HS Lesbos (L-172) underway, date and location unknown.
    Official Hellenic Navy photo    		 Tony Vrailas
    Boone County 91k HS Lesbos (L-172) underway in Valletta Harbor, Malta, 1966. Photo courtesy A. & J, Pavia, from "1966-67 Edition of Jane's Fighting Ships" Robert Hurst
    Boone County 301k HS Lesbos (L-172) moored pierside at Genoa, Italy, 28 February 1973. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Potter County 340k Greek amphibious ships moored at the Salamis Naval Base, Greece, 31 August 1979.
    From left to right:
    Ex-USS LSM-399 - HS Ipopliarkhos Roussen (L-164)
    Ex-USS LSM-45 - HS Ipopliarkhos Grigoropoulos (L-161)
    Ex-USS LSM-102 - HS Ipopliarchos Toyrnas (L-162)
    Ex-USS Potter County (LST-1086) - HS Ikaria (L-154)
    Ex-USS Page County (LST-1076) - HS Kriti (L-171)
    Ex-USS Boone County (LST-389) - HS Lesbos (L-172)
    Ex-USS Bowman County (LST-391) - HS Rodos (L-157)
    Ex-USS LST-325 - HS Syros (L-144)
    Defense Imagery Photo # VIRIN: DN-SC-82-00333 by PHC C. Pedrick USN.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS LST-389 / USS Boone County (LST-389)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Carpenter, George C., USNR24 November 1942 - February 1943
    02LT. Bock, Robert D., USNFebruary 1943 - February 1944
    03LT. Orr, William E., USNRFebruary 1944 - 8 August 1945
    04LT. Gibbs, Braman, USNR8 August 1945 - 12 March 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 14 September 2018