USS Chelan County (LST-542)
LST-542 underway c. 1951 |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS LST-542, later USS Chelan County |
| Namesake: | Chelan County, Washington |
| Builder: | Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana |
| Laid down: | 29 November 1943 |
| Launched: | 28 January 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 29 February 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 1956 |
| Renamed: | USS Chelan County (LST-542), 1 July 1955 |
| Struck: | 1 November 1959 |
| Honours and awards: |
1 battle star (World War II) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | LST-542-class tank landing ship |
| Displacement: | 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full |
| Length: | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Beam: | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft: | Unloaded : 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Loaded : 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft |
| Propulsion: | 2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders |
| Speed: | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
4 LCVPs |
| Troops: | 16 officers, 147 enlisted men |
| Complement: | 7 officers, 104 enlisted men |
| Armament: | • 2 × twin 40 mm gun mounts w/Mk.51 directors • 4 × single 40 mm gun mounts • 12 × single 20 mm gun mounts |
USS LST–542 was the lead ship of her class of tank landing ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was later named USS Chelan County (LST-542) for the county in Washington, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. The LST-542-class was built with a water-distilling plant and heavier armament than the earlier LST-1 class, which slightly decreased their payload.
LST-542 was laid down on 29 November 1943 at Evansville, Indiana by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 28 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Robert C. Dean; and commissioned on 29 February 1944.
Read more about USS Chelan County (LST-542): Service History
Famous quotes containing the word county:
“Don’t you know there are 200 temperance women in this county who control 200 votes. Why does a woman work for temperance? Because she’s tired of liftin’ that besotted mate of hers off the floor every Saturday night and puttin’ him on the sofa so he won’t catch cold. Tonight we’re for temperance. Help yourself to them cloves and chew them, chew them hard. We’re goin’ to that festival tonight smelling like a hot mince pie.”
—Laurence Stallings (1894–1968)