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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, Shoulder tab by Al Grazevich

USS Cayuga County (LST-529)
ex
 USS LST-529 (1944 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Alpha - Bravo
 NEAB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe, Africa, Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (3) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Cayuga County (LST-529) was transferred to South Vietnam, renamed RVNS Thi Nai (HQ 502) and later acquired by the Philippines, renamed BPR Cotabato Del Sur (LT-87)
LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 8 November 1943, at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.
  • Launched, 17 January 1944
  • Commissioned, USS LST-529, 29 February 1944, LT. Gordon L. Moore, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-529 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaigns and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • Decommissioned, 7 June 1946
  • Recommissioned, 22 September 1950
  • During the Korean War USS LST-529 participated in the following campaigns;

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    U.N. Summer-Fall offensive, July and August 1951 Korean, Summer 1953, June and July 1963
    Second Korean Winter, December 1951 - March 1952  

  • Immediately following the Korean War USS LST-529 continued to serve in the Korean area until July 1954
  • Following her Korean service, USS LST-529 returned to the United States
  • Named USS Cayuga County (LST-529), 1 July 1955
  • Decommissioned, 1 July 1963, assigned as a logistic support ship for the Mariana and Bonin Islands
  • Transferred to the Republic of Vietnam, 17 December 1963, renamed Thi Nai (HQ-502)
  • Following the fall of Saigon on 29 April 1975, Thi Nai (HQ-502) escaped to the Philippines
  • Transferred to the Philippine Navy, 17 November 1975, renamed BPR Cotabato Del Sur (LT-87)
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 2003
  • USS Cayuga County earned one battle star for World War II service and three battle stars for Korean War service as USS LST-529
    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
    USS LST-529
    LST-529 76k USS LST-529 underway, date and location unknown. Photo source, CDR. Harold R. Tall, USN Ret. deceased
    CO USS LST-529 early 1950s Submitted by CDR. Louis D. Chirillo, USN Ret.
    LSM-547 124k USS LSM-547 and USS LST-529 with LCU-851 loaded on her main deck, circa 1952, location unknown. Don Garner
    LST-529 79k USS LST-529 aft twin 40mm AA gun mount, date and location unknown.
    This was Melvin Downing's GQ station.     		Jeff Card for his grandfather Melvin Downing MoMM 3c LCT-638
    LST-529 72k USS LST-529 aft twin 40mm AA gun mount, date and location unknown. Jeff Card for his grandfather Melvin Downing MoMM 3c LCT-638
    LST-529 127k USS LST-529 at anchor, looking forward, date and location unknown. Jeff Card for his grandfather Melvin Downing MoMM 3c LCT-638
    LST-529 150k USS LST-529 at anchor, looking forward, date and location unknown. Jeff Card for his grandfather Melvin Downing MoMM 3c LCT-638
    LST-529 130k Climbing the mast of USS LST-529, looking forward, date and location unknown. Jeff Card for his grandfather Melvin Downing MoMM 3c LCT-638
    USS Cayuga County (LST-529)
    LST-529 75k USS Cayuga County (LST-529) underway off Guam, Marianas Islands. Official US Navy photo distributed to the crew circa 1958 while assigned to the Marianas Trust Territory and homeported in Guam Don S Hoyt, HMC USN Ret. USS LST-529
    RVNS Thi Nai (HQ 502)
    LST-529 95k RVNS Thi Nai (HQ-502) ships' shield Tommy Trampp
    LST-529 113k RVNS Thi Nai (HQ-502) beached, location unknown in 1964.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" Magazine, May 1964.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    LST-529 90k
    LST-529 61k RVNS Thi Nai (HQ-502) moored, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp
    BPR Cotabato Del Sur (LT-87)
    LST-529 66k Ex-USS Cayuga County (LST-529) in Philippine Naval service as BPR Cotabato Del Sur (LT-87) while in dry dock at A.G.& P. Drydock in Bauan, Batangas, Philippines, 31 December 1989. Edison Sy
    USS LST-529 / Cayuga County (LST-529)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Moore, Gordon L., USNR29 February 1944 - 24 October 1945
    02LTjg. Machen Jr., Ernest W., USNR24 October 1945 - 1946
    03LTjg/LT. Steinmeyer, Lloyd Raymond, USNR1946 - 7 June 1946
     Decommissioned7 June 1946 - 22 September 1950
    04LT. Tall, Harold Roy, USN1954 - 30 June 1956
    05LT. McDermont1953
    06LT. Miller1954
    07LT. Smith, Paul Edwin (P.E.), USN (USNA 1949)30 June 1956 - 9 July 1958
    08LT. Beates, James Kenneth, USN9 July 1958 - 14 October 1960
    09LT/LCDR. Moore, Tomy Charles, USN14 October 1960 - 25 May 1965
    10LT. Alverado, Philip Daniel, USNR25 May 1965 - 1 July 1963
    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
    Brownwater Navy in Vietnam Web Book
    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
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    Last Updated 22 March 2024