LST | Blind Bat News

Cold War: Approximately 1947 (due to U.S. President Harry Truman’s Truman Doctrine) to 1991 (Operation Desert Storm, collapse of Soviet Union).

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California, 10SEP1970. Photo via U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command.

USS Tuscaloosa was a Newport-class Landing Ship Tank (LST), number 1187. Keel laid on 23NOV1968, launched in San Diego, California, on 06SEP1969, commissioned on 24OCT1970.

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California, 10SEP1970. Photo via U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

Tuscaloosa earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation for Operation New Life (aka Operation Frequent Winds/Fleet Wind/Helping Hand/Eagle Pull), when it escorted 26 South Vietnamese navy vessels to the Philippines in 1975.

Near Guam, November 1979, USN photo.

Aboard the floating dry dock Steadfast (AFDM-14), April 1986, USN photo.

Leaving San Diego for PacEx ’89, 18SEP1989. USN photo by Andrew Heuer.

During wargames in South Korea, March 1990. USN photo by Joe Lancaster.

This USN photo purports to show a Newport class LST taking part in Desert Shield/Storm, however, it is dated as April 1992. Desert Storm officially ended in January 1991!

The LST 1187 is credited as taking part in Desert Storm, yet no ‘On Station’ dates are listed.

USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Robert S. Shanks, 18FEB1994.

LST 1187 was decommissioned, in San Diego, California, on 18FEB1994.

USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Robert S. Shanks, 18FEB1994.

On death row, LST 1187 about to be towed to the killing field somewhere in the Pacific, near Hawaii, 12JUL2014. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Charles E. White.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force video, 14JUL2014, P-3C Orion launches AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile at LST-1187:

USN video, Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 14JUL2014, Sinking Exercise (SinkEx):

The USN reported that LST 1187 sank about 12:15, on 14JUL2014.

Cold War & Beyond: THE LONG LIFE & VIOLENT DEATH OF USS DENVER

Clicking/tapping on the pics make them bigger.

Landing Ship Tank (LST) 786 was born in 1944, in Pennsylvania, and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard to support actions against Imperial Japan, in the Pacific Ocean during World War Two.

This is just one of thousands of pages of LST-786’s War Dairy stored in the National Archives. LST-786 was part of the LST-542 class of landing ships.

LST-786 was decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1946, Columbia River Group, Oregon. In 1955, LST-786 was named USS Garrett County (Maryland).

Recommissioning acceptance trials, San Francisco, California. LST-786 was recommissioned in 1966, for action in Viet Nam. Garrett County was one of four World War Two LSTs recommissioned for action as riverine mother ships.

Now Patrol Craft Tender AGP-786 at Guam, on its way to Viet Nam. Garrett County arrived on-station in March 1967.

On the Co Chien River, Viet Nam, in June 1968. Serving as a Patrol Boat River(PBR)/Seawolf (USN Huey gunship) mother ship, officially known as a Game Warden ship.

AGP-786 on the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam, Autumn 1968

UH-1B Seawolf (Huey gunship) on the deck of AGP-786, Mekong Delta, 1969.

Despite that supposedly/officially LST-786 became AGP-786 for the Viet Nam conflict, this log book title page shows the USS Garrett County was still being referred to as LST-786 in April 1969.

In 1971, AGP-786 was given to the Republic of Viet Nam (South Viet Nam) and became Republic of Viet Nam Ship (RVNS) HQ-801 Can Tho.

In 1975, South Viet Nam was overrun by North Viet Nam. The crew of HQ-801 fled to Philippines, where the old ship became Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Kalinga Apayao LT-516.