Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Hampshire County (LST-819)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Hotel - November
NHHN

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2 - 7 to 15 June 67, 23 May 70) - Presidential Unit Citation
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korea Service Medal (4) - Vietnam Service Medal (10) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Commendation (10)
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - United Nations Korea Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 12 September 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.

Launched, 21 October 1944

Commissioned USS LST-819, 14 November 1944, LT. George W. Ryerson, USNR, in command

During World War II USS LST-819 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaign**
Campaign and Dates
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, April through June 1945

Decommissioned in January 1946, at Astoria, OR.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria

Recommissioned, 8 September 1950, at Astoria

During the Korean War USS LST-819 participated in the following campaigns: campaign:

**Korean War Campaign**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
First UN Counter Offensive 3 February to 20 March 1951 9 to 15 April 1951	Second Korean Winter 9 March to 9 April 1952 17 to 28 April 1952
Communist China Spring Offensive 28 to 30 April 1951 7 to 17 May 1951	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 5 to 18 June 1952 21 June to 12 July 1952 13 August 1952 11 to 13 September 1952 24 September to 3 October 1952 17 October 1952

Decommissioned, 24 June 1955, at San Diego, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Named USS Hampshire County (LST-819), 1 July 1955

Recommissioned, 6 July 1966

During the Vietnam War USS Hampshire County (LST-819) participated in the following campaigns: campaign:

**Korean War Campaign**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 8 November to 2 December 1966 4 January to 17 January 1967 20 February to 23 February 1967 6 April to 11 May 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 12 to 22 February 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 30 June to 21 July 1967 13 to 14 August 1967 6 November 1967 to 17 January 1968	Tet 69/Counteroffensive 23 February to 10 May 1969
Tet Counteroffensive 19 March to 1 April 1968	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 14 to 18 July 1969 27 July to 2 August 1969 14 to 25 August 1969 12 to 24 October 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 2 to 26 April 1968 28 to 30 June 1968	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 3 to 9 November 1969 20 to 25 November 1969 23 to 30 April 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 to 19 July 1968	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1 May to 18 June 1970

Decommissioned, 19 December 1970

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1975

Sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for scrapping, 1 December 1975

Commercial History

Sold to Max Rouse & Sons, Beverly Hills, CA.

Taken in hand by Lake Union Drydock Co., Seattle, WA. and converted for commercial use

Sold to Landing System Technology Pte. Ltd., Singapore (Lauritz Kloster, Norway) and renamed LST 2 in 1976

Arrived at Piraeus having been acquired by Maritime & Commercial Co. Argonaftis S.A., Panama (Greek flag) and renamed

Petrola 142, 30 June 1978

Placed in service, 31 July 1980

Arrived at Piraeus for lay up, 24 February 1983

Name amended to Petrola

Sold to Seltas A. S. for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey

Final Disposition, arrived at Aliaga for demolition, 22 December 1995

Hampshire County received one battle star for World War II service, four battle stars for Korean War service, and ten campaign stars, Presidential Unit Citation, and Navy Unit Commendation for Vietnam War service

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
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)
Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
Complement

7 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
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS LST-819
	66k	USS LST-819 and USS LST-598 beached, date and location unknown.	Larry Roszkowiak, RM3 USS Hampshire County 1968-69
	32k	USS LST-819 beached, while loading/unloading equipment and vehicles, date and location unknown.	Larry Roszkowiak, RM3 USS Hampshire County 1968-69
	57k	USS LST-819 underway, date and location unknown.	Larry Roszkowiak, RM3 USS Hampshire County 1968-69
USS Hampshire County (LST-819)
	93k	*USS Hampshire County* (LST-819** moored on the ramp at Cua Viet, South Vietnam, 1969.	Larry Roszkowiak, RM3 USS Hampshire County 1968-69
	91k	*USS Hampshire County* (LST-819** night loading while moored on a ramp in South Vietnam, 1969.	Larry Roszkowiak, RM3 USS Hampshire County 1968-69
	20k	*USS Hampshire County* (LST-819)** underway, date and place unknown.	LST Home Port Web Site

View the USS Hampshire County (LST-819)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Mobile Riverine Force Association
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

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 22 February 2008