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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Barnstable County (LST-1197)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Charlie - Uniform
NUCU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (4) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Iran & Liberia)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Grenada, Lebanon, Somalia(2) - Humanitarian Services Medal (Beirut)



USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) was sold to Spain and renamed Hernán Cortés (L 41)
LST-1179 Newport Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 19 December 1970, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA.
  • Launched, 2 October 1971
  • Commissioned USS Barnstable County (LST-1197), 27 May 1972, CDR. Warren R. Ellsworth in command
  • Decommissioned, 29 June 1994
  • Sold, 22 August 1994, to Spain
  • Renamed Hernán Cortés (L 41), and commissioned by the Spanish Navy, 26 August 1994
  • Struck from the US Naval Register, 23 July 2002
  • Decommissioned by the Spanish Navy, 13 November 2009. Hernán Cortés (L-41) was the 4th Spanish warship named after the conqueror. Her 10th and last Spanish CO was Capitán de Fragata (Commander) Alejandro Herrero Pita, who took command of the ship on 10 May 2008.

    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,190 t.(lt), 8,550 t.(fl)
    Length 522' 3" (ovl)
    Beam 69' 9 1/2" (max)
    Draft max forward (fl) 13' 6", max aft (fl) 16' 3" 15'
    Speed 27 kts. max.
    Complement
    14 Officers
    15 CPO
    226 Other Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    18 Officers
    21 SNCO
    268 Other Enlisted
    Boats
    three 36' LCVPs
    one 36' LCPL
    Aircraft
    flight deck one spot
    Armament
    As Built
    two twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Upgraded
    two 25mm chain guns
    six .50 cal machine guns
    one 20mm Phalanx (CIWS)
    Propulsion
    six 16 cylinder ALCO 16-251E main propulsion Diesel engines
    two shafts, three engines per shaft, shaft horsepower 15,000
    two controllable reversible pitch propellers, twin rudders
    three ALCO 251-C, 8 cylinder generator sets, 750KW
    one 800 hp variable thrust bowthruster

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Barnstable County (LST-1197)
    Barnstable County
    1016119726
    303k Barnstable County (LST-1197) Builders Plate A. Freudig
    Barnstable County 119k Barnstable County (LST-1197) launching, 2 October 1971, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA. Tommy Trampp
    Barnstable County
    USN 1152418
    24k The recently completed Barnstable County (LST-1197) moored at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA., 1 May 1972.
    US National Archives photo #'s USN 1152418 and USN 1152417, US Navy photos now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Robert Hurst
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Barnstable County
    USN 1152417
    292k
    Barnstable County 113k Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway, date an location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Tommy Trampp
    Barnstable County 56k Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway, date an location unknown Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Barnstable County
    1016119736
    162k Barnstable County (LST-1197) in the Suez Canal in 1974 while serving as flagship of U.S. Task Force 65 from 8 June to 8 October. TF 65 was responsible for the mine clearing operations in the Suez Canal (Operation Nimbus Star/Nimbus Moon).
    U.S. Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1976, p. 2.
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County 262k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) arriving at an anchorage in the Kythira Strait, Eastern Mediterranean Sea, 25 June 1976. Photo from the Soviet DDG Krasny Krim. Eugene Ivkin
    Barnstable County 35k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197), at Barcelona, Spain, 15 February 1979. Photo by Fabio Peña
    Barnstable County 108k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) at Augusta Bay, Sicily, circa 30 January 1976. © Richard Leonhardt
    Barnstable County
    1016119737
    133k USS Saipan (LHA-2) (background) towing USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) through the waters off the Virginia Capes during a towing exercise, circa 1981.
    U.S. Navy photo by PH3 Dan Buckson from "All Hands" magazine, December 1981, p. 30.
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County 53k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) at Nordbynes, Norway, as troops and vehicles disembark during the NATO exercise Cold Winter (Coldex-Flotex`81), 1 March 1981. Photo by JO1 Gary Miller USN
    Department of Defense photo # DNSN8201126
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Barnstable County 1038k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) with LCU-1664 alongside, 1 October 1981, after landing on the beach during Exercise Crisex '81.
    U.S. National Archive Photo # NN33300514 2005-06-30. ID: DF-ST-83-04489 a US Marine Corps photo by SSgt. Jose Lopez, Jr. USMC
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County
    1016119734
    134k Port quarter view of USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway, 1 November 1981. The ship is one of about 30 participating in OPERATION SOLID SHIELD, taking place off the coast of North Carolina.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Identifier 6352742, U.S. Navy photo, by PH2 Robert K. Hamilton, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives.
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County 64k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) at Barcelona, Spain, 27 December 1981. This photo shows close-up details of the derrick arms, bow doors and superstructure, with a passage to permit vehicles to shift between the forward (tank) and aft (helicopter) decks. Just visible inboard of Barnstable County is the bow of USS Raleigh (LPD-1). Photo by Fabio Peña
    Barnstable County 83k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) at Barcelona, Spain, 2 January 1982. View of the stern ramp which permitted unloading amphibious vehicles into the water while the ship was underway, "mated" to a landing craft, a causeway, or beached. The anchor helped to retract the ship off the beach. USS Raleigh (LPD 1) is alongside outboard. Photo by Fabio Peña
    Barnstable County
    1016119730
    206k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway off Norfolk, VA. date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Barnstable County
    1016119731
    329k
    Barnstable County
    1016119732
    509k
    Barnstable County
    1016119733
    332k Bow view of USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway, 1 June 1987, location unknown.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Identifier 6420466, a U.S. Navy photo now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives.
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County 107k Starboard bow view of USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway in the Atlantic Ocean, 6 June 1989.
    Defense Imagery photo # DN-SC-90-11767 ATLANTIC OCEAN (6 June 1989), a US Navy photo by CW04 Thomas now in the collections of Defense Imagery.com.
    Robert M. Cieri
    Barnstable County 109k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) passes along the Strait of Magellan during Unitas XXXII, a combined exercise involving the naval forces of the United States and nine South American nations, 1 September 1991.
    DVIC photo # DN-ST-92-04006 by PH2 John Bivera, USN, from the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center
    Bill Gonyo
    Barnstable County 30k A Marine looks out from the hatch of an AAVP-7A1 amphibious assault personnel vehicle as it returns to USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) during the ships 1991 West African Training Cruise, 1 November 1991. Photo by PH1(SW) Michael D.P. Flynn USN
    Department of Defense # DNST9205911
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Barnstable County 96k Marines assigned to USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) stand in formation on a pier in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, during the ship's 1991 West African Training Cruise, 19 November 1991.
    DVIC photo # DN-ST-92-05901 by PH1 Michael D. P. Flynn, USN, from the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center
    Bill Gonyo
    Barnstable County 21k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197), under way, mid-Atlantic Ocean 1993. A. Freudig
    Barnstable County
    1016119727
    21k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) underway in mid-Atlantic Ocean 1993, trailing USS Wasp (LHD-1) and USS El Paso (LKA-117) A. Freudig
    Barnstable County
    1016119728
    257k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) looking from the main deck down to the well deck, circa 1993. A. Freudig
    Barnstable County
    1016119729
    217k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) Bravo Company 1/2 berthing area. A. Freudig
    Barnstable County 75k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) conducting amphibious operations, date an location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Barnstable County 125k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) moored pierside at Key West, FL. Photo by Ray Blazevic.
    Image from Flickr courtesy of Florida Keys Public Libraries photo # MM00040116x.
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County 108k USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) ship's plaque. Peter Miro

    USS Barnstable County Additional Ships Patches
    Barnsable County
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    Barnsable County
    Contributed by Tommy Trampp

    Hernán Cortés (L-41)

    Contributed by Francisco Javier Santos Vazquez, La Coruña

    International Radio Call Sign:
    Echo - Bravo - Alpha - Victor
    EBAV
    Barnstable County 52k
    Namesake

    Hernán Cortés Monroy Pizarro Altamirano
    Born in Medellín, Badajoz, 1485. Died in Castilleja de la Cuesta, Sevilla, 2 December 1547. Spanish conqueror of the Aztec Empire (now the center of Mexico). First Marquis of Valle de Oaxaca, Governor and Captain General of New Spain.
    Fabio Peña
    Barnstable County 54k Ex-USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) in Spanish service as Hernán Cortés (L-41) moored pierside at San Fernando, Cádiz (Spain), 26 March 2000. Photo by Daniel Ferro
    Barnstable County 56k Hernán Cortés (L-41) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Nick Newas.
    Robert Hurst
    Barnstable County
    1016119735
    70k Hernán Cortés (L-41) underway, along with her sister Pizarro (L-42), ex-USS Harlan County (LST-1196), date and location unknown.
    Photo courtesy of Bruno Cleries. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
    Robert Hurst

    USS Barnstable County (LST-1197)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Ellsworth Jr., Warren Reginald, USN (USNA 1957)25 May 1972 - 18 January 1974
    02LCDR. Lang Jr., Joseph McCarty, USN Obituary18 January 1974 - 20 April 1976
    03CDR. Bell, Joe Latimer, USN20 April 1976 - 13 June 1978
    04CDR. Benson, George Martin, USN13 June 1978 - 4 July 1980
    05CDR. Dooley, Roy Louis, USNR4 July 1980 - 13 July 1982
    06 CAPT. Wagner, Tod William13 July 1982 - 25 July 1984
    07CDR. Franconeri, James Joseph25 July 1984 - 5 March 1985
    08CAPT. Hopson, Thomas Edward5 March 1985 - 8 May 1987
    09CAPT. Owen, Donald George8 May 1987 - 25 July 1989
    10CDR. Enderly, Richard Harold, USN (USNA 1971)25 July 1989 - 27 June 1991
    11CAPT. Hayes, Thomas Mather27 June 1991 - 11 May 1993
    12CDR. Naeger Jr., Henri William, USN (USNA 1974)11 May 1993 - 29 June 1994
    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

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    Last Updated 12 May 2024