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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bowman County (LST-391)
ex
 USS LST-391 (1942 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Yankee - Uniform
 NPYU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal

USS Bowman County (LST-391) was transferred to Greece and renamed HS Rodos (L-157)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 14 July 1942 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 28 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST 391, 3 December 1942, LT. Philip E. Power USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-391 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    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, 30 April 1947
  • Named USS Bowman County (LST-391), 1 July 1955
  • Transferred to Greece, May 1960, renamed HS Rodos (L-157)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LST-391 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • 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-391
    LST-391 15k USS LST-391 underway, date and location unknown. LST Home Port
    LST-391 87k USS LST-391 unloading military vehicles of the 817th Engineer Aviation Battalion, as they roll off her ramp into the surf during landing operations at Salerno, Italy. Note US troops standing on the deck of the ship. In the foreground a USAAF-operated Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB lies nose-down in the surf, mistakenly shot down by American AA guns. According to the USAAF, the pilot suffered only 'a scratch on the back of his hand'. Photo ©Time & Life Pictures. Robert Hurst
    LST-542 152k USS LST-391 (right) and USS LST-542 (left) moored together, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    HS Rodos (L-157)
    LSM-102 76k Ex-USS LSM-102 in service Greek service as HN Toyrnas (L-162) beached, in 1972 during a Greek Army exercise, location unknown. On the left is ex-USS Bowman County (LST-391) in Greek naval service as HN Rodos (L-157). Tony Vrailas
    LST-391 180k HN Rodos (L-157) at Valletta, Malta, circa 1960s. Anchored in the harbor in the background is USS Mullinnix (DD-944)
    Chris Howell collection owned negative.    		 Chris Howell, SOUTHLAND SHIP STORES LIMITED, Port of BLUFF, NEW ZEALAND
    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-391
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Power, Philip E., USNR3 December 1942 - April 1943
    02LT. Ehrensall, Ira, USNRApril 1943 - May 1944
    03LTjg. Nauenburg, A. L., USNMay 1944 - May 1945
    04LT. Chase, James B., USNRMay 1945 - December 1945
    05LT. Volk, A. N., USNRDecember 1945 - February 1946
    06LTjg. Walker, George T., USNFebruary 1946 - August 1946
    07LT. Thornton, A. H., USNAugust 1946 - 30 April 1947
    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
    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 12 February 2016