USS Blanco County (LST-344)
Encyclopedia
USS Blanco County (LST-344) was an built for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II. Named for Blanco County, Texas
Blanco County, Texas
Blanco County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2010, the population is 10,497. Its county seat is Johnson City. Blanco is named for the Blanco River which traverses the county. The State of Texas formed Blanco County in 1858 from portions of Burnet,...
, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
LST-344 was laid down on 18 October 1942 by the Norfolk Navy Yard; launched on 15 December 1942; sponsored by Mrs. H. H. Ward; and commissioned on 14 January 1943 with, Lieutenant Maurice G. Jackson, USNR, in command.
Invasion of Italy, 1943–1944
The tank landing ship conducted shakedown and amphibious training in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
until early April. On 2 April, she sailed for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. There she loaded and took on passengers before sailing in convoy on the 28th for the Mediterranean.
LST-344 arrived in Arzeu, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 26 May and began preparations for the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. At the end of the first week in July, the ship staged through Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
as a unit of Task Force (TF) 81 (Dime Force) on her way to the southeastern coast of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. She and her colleagues arrived off Gela
Gela
Gela is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.Gela is an...
around 0100 on the morning of 10 July. LST-344, however, did not approach the beach at H-hour, 0245. Instead, she remained well offshore until mid-morning. During that time, several German Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
fighter bombers tried unsuccessfully to skip bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
her. After she linked up with the causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
at Gela, several shore batteries tried to pepper her but, like the aircraft, scored no direct hits. Those bombardments only spattered her with shell fragments wounding two soldiers but causing no major damage to the ship. The tank landing ship completed unloading at about 1230, retracted from beach and causeway, and headed seaward. She remained about two miles offshore until 12 July when she headed for Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
to begin a series of reinforcement shuttles between North Africa and Sicily. The ship made five additional beachings at Gela between 12 July and the first week in September.
On 7 September LST-344 sailed from Bizerte as a unit of TF 85, the Northern Attack Force for the assault at Salerno
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
and arrived off her destination on 9 September. She did not beach on the day of the initial assault, but rather remained well off shore parrying sporadic German air attacks. On the 10th, however, she moved onto Red Beach and completed unloading in 90 minutes. Immediately thereafter, she shaped a course back to Bizerte where she arrived on 12 September. Once again, she made five more reinforcement voyages from Bizerte to Salerno and Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
between mid-September and 19 October. After that, she made supply runs between Bizerte, Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, and Algerian ports.
Invasion of France, 1943–1945
On 22 November the ship departed Algeria on her way to Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. She arrived at Plymouth, England on 5 December. LST-344 began preparations for the Normandy Invasion. For the next six months, she conducted amphibious training at various locations throughout the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. The tank landing ship departed Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
during the late afternoon of 5 June 1944 in a convoy bound for Baie de la Seine
Baie de la Seine
The Baie de la Seine or Baie de Seine is a bay in northern France.-Geography:It is a wide, rectangular inlet of the English Channel, approximately 100 kilometres by 45 kilometres, bounded in the west by the Cotentin Peninsula, in the south by the Normandy coast and in the east by the estuary of...
, France. On D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, 6 June, she disembarked troops and unloaded vehicles and equipment at Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
. Late that night, she started back to Southampton to pick up additional men and equipment. The ship went to general quarters at 2320 to ward off an attack by Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
bombers, and reported having helped to splash one of the attackers. The tank landing ship returned to Southampton safely on 7 June. For the next 10 months, LST-344 shuttled back and forth across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, first to the invasion beaches and, later, to the various French Channel ports after they had been captured and reopened.
Return to the US, 1945–1946
She departed Le HavreLe Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
for the last time on 31 March 1945. The ship visited Southampton, Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, and Plymouth in England, as well as Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. On 5 May she departed the latter port and shaped a course for the United States. LST-344 entered port at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on 31 May. However, was underway again on 4 June on her way to New York and an overhaul at Sullivan's Shipyard in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. The tank landing ship returned to Norfolk on 28 August, a fortnight after Japan capitulated, and spent the next three weeks training in Chesapeake Bay. After another visit to New York between 20 and 27 September, the ship headed south to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for inactivation. LST-344 arrived in Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
on 30 September 1945 though she was not finally decommissioned and placed in reserve until 7 June 1946.
Mediterranean, 1951–1956
Late in 1951, the tank landing ship was moved to the Norfolk Naval ShipyardNorfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
to prepare for a return to active service. LST-344 was recommissioned at Norfolk on 5 January 1952 with Lieutenant John W. Wright, USNR, in command. After shakedown training in Chesapeake Bay, the ship stood out of Norfolk on 19 July with cargo bound for Port Lyautey in French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
. LST-344 returned to Norfolk from North Africa on 26 August. The four years following her return to active service saw a number of voyages to carry cargo to locations in the West Indies, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea. She also participated in several amphibious exercises during that period. Also during that time on 1 July 1955 the tank landing ship was named USS Blanco County (LST-344). On 28 February 1956 she was placed out of commission again and consigned to the reserve fleet at Green Cove Springs.
Vietnam War, 1965–1969
Late in 1965, Blanco County was moved to BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
to undergo another reactivation overhaul at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding & Drydock Company. Early in June, 1966 she went to Little Creek, Virginia where she was recommissioned on 9 June 1966 with Lieutenant Bernard E. Burgett in command. The tank landing ship spent several weeks in refresher training before departing Little Creek on 24 August on her way to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Steaming via Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, San Diego, Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the ship arrived in Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
in November. On the 26th, she reported for duty with TF 115 for service in Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy’s effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing by sea from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War...
, the interdiction of waterborne logistics to the insurgent forces in South Vietnam. She alternated service along the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
with periods spent in other locations in the western Pacific, notably in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, at Guam, in Japan, and at Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. On 10 October 1967 Blanco County began her first tour of duty as a supply ship to the small craft and monitors of the Mobile Riverine Force. That service lasted until December 1967 when she voyaged to Guam for an overhaul. The repairs lasted until 3 March 1968. On the 4th, the tank landing ship got underway for Japan. By 19 April she was back in Vietnam supplying American bases in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
. Blanco County continued to serve in Vietnam for over a year. She alternated tours of duty on "Operation Market Time" and base resupply missions with periods of upkeep at Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
and Guam as well as rest and relaxation visits to numerous Far Eastern ports.
Decommissioning and sale, 1969–1975
She returned to the United States during the summer of 1969 to begin preparations for inactivation. Decommissioned on 3 October 1969 the tank landing ship was berthed at Orange, TexasOrange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 15 September 1974; and she was sold to W. L. Weeks in July 1975, apparently for scrapping.
Blanco County earned three battle stars during World War II as LST-344, and the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
and five battle stars for service during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
as Blanco County (LST-344).