USS Chelan County (LST-542)
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| Career |  |
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|---|---|---|
| Laid down: | 29 November 1943 | |
| Launched: | 28 January 1944 | |
| Commissioned: | 29 February 1944 | |
| Decommissioned: | 1956 | |
| Fate: | Unknown | |
| Struck: | 1 November 1959 | |
| General characteristics | ||
| Displacement: | 1,625 tons (light), 4,080 tons (full) |
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| Length: | 328 ft 0 in | |
| Beam: | 50 ft 0 in | |
| Draft: | Bow 2'-4", stern 7'-6" (unloaded) bow 8'-2", stern 14'-1" (unloaded) |
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| Propulsion: | Two General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders | |
| Speed: | 12 knots | |
| Depth: | 8' fwd; 14'4" aft (full load) | |
| Complement: | 7 officers, 104 enlisted men | |
| Troop capacity: | 16 officers, 147 enlisted men | |
| Boats: | Four LCVPs | |
| Armament: | Two twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors, four single 40MM gun mounts, twelve single 20MM gun mounts | |
The USS Chelan County (LST–542) was one of 612 LST-542-class tank landing ships (LSTs) built for the United States Navy during World War II. The lead ship in her class, she was named for Chelan County, 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. During World War II, LST-542 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Following the war, LST-542 saw service as a part of the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. She was named USS Chelan County (LST-542) on 1 July 1955. The ship was decommissioned in 1956 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1959.
LST-542 earned one battle star for World War II service.
[edit] References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- Chelan County. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- LST-542 Chelan County. Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
[edit] See also
Categories: Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships | Amphibious warfare vessels of the United States | LST-1 class tank landing ships | Tank landing ships | United States Navy amphibious assault ships | World War II amphibious warfare ships of the United States | Chelan County, Washington
