USS Summit County (LST-1146)

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Career (US)

Name:	USS Summit County (LST-1146)
Laid down:	10 February 1945
Launched:	11 May 1945
Commissioned:	30 May 1945
Decommissioned:	1969
Reinstated:	21 December 1965
Fate:	Sold to Ecuador, 14 February 1977
Struck:	1 November 1976
Honours and awards:	one battle star, Korean War; three battle stars, Vietnam War
Career (Ecuador)
Name:	Hualcopo (T-55, T-61, TR-61)
Acquired:	14 February 1977
General characteristics
Class and type:	LST-542-class LST
Displacement:	1,490 tons (light); 4,080 tons (full load of 2,100 tons)
Length:	328 ft (100 m)
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	8 ft (2.4 m) forward; 14 ft 4 in (4.4 m) aft (full load)
Propulsion:	Two diesel engines, two shafts
Speed:	10.8 knots (20 km/h) (max); 9 knots (17 km/h) (econ)
Complement:	7 officers, 204 enlisted
Armament:	8 × 40 mm guns; 12 × 20 mm guns

USS Summit County (LST-1146) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Unlike many of her class, which received only numbers and were disposed of after World War II, she survived long enough to be named. On 1 July 1955, all LSTs still in commission were named for US counties or parishes; LST-1146 was given the name Summit County, after counties in Colorado, Ohio and Utah.

LST-1146 was laid down on 10 February 1945 at Seneca, Illinois, by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 11 May 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Margaret L. Hecht, Jr.; and commissioned on 30 May 1945, Lt. Warren A. Gushing, Jr., in command.

1 Service
2 Hualcopo
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Service

Following World War II, LST-1146 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-November 1945. After occupation duty, LST-1146 operated off the west coast of the United States for the next five years, principally occupied with resupply missions for Alaskan ports. During the Korean War, her resupply efforts were shifted to Korean ports. On 1 July 1955, she was redesignated Summit County (LST-1146) after counties in Colorado, Ohio, and Utah. From 1965 into 1969, Summit County saw extensive service in the Vietnam theater. She was transferred to the United States Maritime Administration in December 1969 and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, California. Summit County was sold to Ecuador on 14 February 1977.

LST-1146 earned one battle star for the Korean War and three battle stars for the Vietnam War..

[edit] Hualcopo

On February 14, 1977, Summit County was sold to Ecuador under the terms of the Security Assistance Program where she served as Hualcopo (T-55, later T-61 and then TR-61). She remained in service in 1999.