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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Strafford County (LST-1142)
ex
 USS LST-1142 (1945 - 1955)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)Medal
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 25 January 1945 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 23 April 1945
  • Commissioned USS LST-1142, 12 May 1945, LT. Edward A. Toivonen USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LST-1142 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS LST-1142 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    23 September 1945 to 8 February 194623 September 1945 to 8 February 1946

  • Decommissioned, 1 December 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Named Strafford County (LST-1142), 1 July 1955;
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1958
  • Sold in 1963 to Foss Launch & Tug Co., Seattle, WA., converted to a barge, and renamed Foss 202
  • 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-1142 666k USS LST-1142 and LCT-1387 beached at Buckner Bay, Okinawa after Typhoon Louise had passed in October 1945 Donn Cuson
    USS LST-1142 / USS Strafford County (LST-1142)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Toivonen, Edward A., USNR12 May 1945 - 8 November 1945
    02LTjg. Giertz, William E., USNR8 November 1945 - June 1946
    03LTjg. Collins, Robert Martin, USNJune 1946 - 1 December 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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 10 March 2017