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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bledsoe County (LST-356)
ex
 USS LST-356 (1942 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Bravo - Alpha
 NZBA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2) (retroactive - Salerno and Normandy)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LST-356 was sold to Indonesia and named KRI Teluk Tomini (LST-508)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 September 1942, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 16 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-356, 22 December 1942, LT. George A. Jaquemont, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-356 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

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

  • Decommissioned, 2 July 1946
  • Laid up in reserve in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Named USS Bledsoe County (LST-356), 1 July 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1960
  • USS LST-356 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold, 8 March 1961, to the Mechanical Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA.
  • Resold, date unknown, to Indonesia, named KRI Teluk Tomini (LST-508)
  • Disposed of by Indonesian Navy, 26 January 2011
  • 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
    LST-307/356 11k USS LST-356 and USS LST-307 beached, date and location unknown. LST Home Port web site
    LST-356 11k USS LST-356 moored, date and location unknown LST Home Port web site
    LST-356 792k USS LST-356 unloading trucks across a pontoon causeway at Paestum, twenty miles south of Salerno, Italy, 9 September 1943.
    US Army Signal Corps photo # III-SC 181212, Box 181, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LST-356
    1016035605    		 293k USS LST-356 unloading trucks across a pontoon causeway at Paestum twenty miles south of Salerno, 9 September 1943.
    US National Archives Identifier 205578962 Local Identifier 26-G-09-24-43(3). US Coast Guard photo # 92443-3    		 David Upton
    LST-356
    1016035603    		 255k A member of the navy beachmaster unit signals USS LST-356 as she retracts from the beach at Paestum, twenty miles south of Salerno, after discharging her cargo, 9 September 1943
    US National Archives Identifier 205578956 Local Identifier 26-G-09-24-43(1). US Coast Guard photo # 92443-1    		 David Upton
    LST-356
    1016035606    		 32k USS LST-356 and USS LST-338 testing loading/unloading railroad cars, probably at Mayflower Park Southampton, England, date unknown. Dr Andy Russel BA PhD MCIFA
    Archaeology Unit Manager
    Southampton City Council
    Tommy Trampp
    LST-338
    1016033811    		 44k
    KRI Teluk Tomini (LST-508)
    Solano County
    1016112803    		 40k KRI Teluk Langsa (LST-501) (Ex-USS Solano County (LST-1128) and KRI Teluk Tomini (LST-508) (Ex-USS Bledsoe County (LST-356), under the guidance of the Military Sea Crossing Command (Kolinlamil), having ended their service, are tied up at their moorings, 2 May 2012.
    Indonesian Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS LST-356 / USS Bledsoe County (LST-356)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Jacquemont, George A., USNR22 December 1942 - 14 December 1943
    02LT. Blanco, Ralph, USN14 December 1943 - 20 November 1944
    03LT. Meehan, James William, USN20 November 1944 - 18 July 1945
    04LT. Kieft, Thomas R., USNR18 July 1945 - 2 October 1945
    05LT. Cress Jr., James W., USNR2 October 1945 - 2 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
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    Last Updated 22 September 2023