USS Cassia County (LST-527)

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Career
LST-527 (center) and LST-542 (right) off St Aubin's Bay, Jersey during "Operation Nestegg" with German POWs lining up on the sands ready to embark back to England, circa May 1945. LST-521 is just out of the picture to the left.
Laid down:	23 October 1943
Launched:	3 January 1944
Commissioned:	17 February 1944
Decommissioned:	21 December 1956
Fate:	Sunk as a target
Struck:	1 October 1958
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,780 tons (light), 3,640 tons (full)
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)
Propulsion:	Two General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed:	12 knots
Depth:	8' fwd; 14'-4" aft (full load)
Complement:	8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted men
Troop capacity:	Approximately 140 officers and enlisted men
Boats:	Two LCVPs
Armament:	One single 3"/50 gun mount., eight 40mm guns, twelve 20mm guns

The USS Cassia County (LST-527) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Cassia County, Idaho she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

LST-527 was laid down on 23 October 1943 at Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 3 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Bliss A. Fox; and commissioned on 17 February 1944 with Lieutenant W. R. Hammock in command. During World War II, LST-527 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy in June, 1944. On 28 February 1945 she was decommissioned and, as a result of hostilities in Korea, recommissioned on 21 September 1950. She served in the Korean War and took part in the following campaigns: Second Korean Winter (January and February, 1952) and Korea, Summer 1953 (May and June, 1953). Following her Korean service, she returned to the United States. She was named USS Cassia County (LST-527) on 1 July 1955. On 21 December 1956 the ship was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 October 1958. She was sunk as a target on 3 March 1959.

LST-527 earned one battle star for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean service.

[edit] References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

LST-527. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.
LST-527 Cassia County. Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.