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USS Jefferson County (LST-845)
Encyclopedia
USS Jefferson County (LST-845) 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Named after counties in 25 states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS LST-845 was laid down by the American Bridge Company
American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a privately held civil engineering firm specializing in the construction and renovation of bridges and other large civil engineering projects, founded in 1900, and headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.-Products and industry positioning:The...
, Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
on 23 October 1944; launched on 7 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. B. F. Fairless; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on 1 January 1945 with Lieutenant C. E. Lowe in command.
World War II
After shakedown off the Florida coast, LST-845 departed New Orleans for the West Coast on 7 February. Steaming via the Panama CanalPanama 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...
, she loaded cargo at San Diego and San Francisco, then sailed on 15 March for the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. She touched at Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
on 24 March to unload cargo; reached 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...
the 26th; and returned to Maui on 4 April for amphibious training operations. While beached on 6 April, she broached in heavy surf and sustained heavy damage to her hull. Towed out to sea on 9 April, she underwent repairs at Pearl Harbor from 10 April to 27 July
before resuming amphibious training.
Carrying troops and cargo, LST-845 departed Pearl Harbor in convoy for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on 29 August. She arrived Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
on 22 September and supported occupation landings before sailing for 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...
three days later. Steaming via 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...
, she reached Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
on 7 October to embark more occupation troops for transportation to Japan. Between 12 and 19 October she sailed to Sasebo; and, during the next month, she supported occupation operations along the western coast of Kyushu Island. Departing Sasebo late in November, she steamed via the Marianas to Pearl Harbor where she arrived 20 January 1946.
Inter-war years
LST-845 operated out of Pearl Harbor until 29 April when she sailed for the Far EastFar 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,...
. Sailing via Okinawa, she arrived off Shanghai, China, on 30 May. During the next two months, she operated from Nanking to Hankow in the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, carrying men and military cargo and supporting Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
's Chinese Nationalist
Chinese nationalist
Chinese nationalist can refer to:* Chinese nationalism* Kuomintang - Chinese Nationalist Party in Taiwan....
troops during their struggle with the Chinese Communist forces
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
for control of the Chinese mainland
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. She departed Shanghai on 24 July; and, after steaming on cargo runs to the Philippines and Okinawa, she returned to Tsingtao, China, on 3 September, loaded with military cargo. Then, from 9 to 28 September, she sailed to Pearl Harbor. Departing 4 December for the West Coast, she touched at San Francisco the 15th and reached San Diego on 20 December.
During the next two years she took part in amphibious training operations out of San Diego. Between 10 January and 4 March 1949 she transported cargo to Juneau and Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
. Departing San Diego on 16 May, LST-845 made a cargo run to the mid-Pacific, carrying military supplies to bases in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. After returning to San Diego on 17 July, she operated off Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
during the next 12 months.
Korean War
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
by North Korean troops on 25 June 1950, LST-845 departed San Diego on 10 August and sailed to the Far East to bolster the American effort to repel this Communist aggression. Arriving Kobe, Japan, on 6 September, she embarked combat troops and departed on 10 September for amphibious landings at Inchon, Korea
Battle of Inchon
The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...
, which were designed to thwart the Communist advance through South Korea and spearhead an Allied offensive northward. Standing off Inchon, she boated troops for the assault; and, following the successful landings, she remained off Inchon during the next mouth to unload military cargo. She departed Inchon on 15 October and steamed to the eastern coast of Korea to carry cargo from Pusan to Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
and Hŭngnam
Hungnam
Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...
. Following the entrance of Communist China into the Korean War, LST-845 supported the evacuation of Hŭngnam
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Changjin Lake Campaign ,Official Chinese sources refer to this battle as the Second Phase Campaign Eastern Sector . The Western Sector is the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River. was a decisive battle in the Korean War...
and made three runs south to Pusan. On 24 December she helped evacuate the remaining military forces before sailing via Pusan to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where she arrived Yokosuka on 31 December. During the next few months LST-845 continued to carry cargo between Japan and ports in South Korea. She departed Yokosuka on 25 April 1951, sailed via Pearl Harbor, and reached San Diego on 23 May.
LST-845 took part in amphibious training operations for the better part of a year; and, after overhaul, she departed San Diego on 26 May 1952 to again support U.N. forces in Korea. Arriving Sasebo, Japan, on 10 July, she spent more than six months in Japanese and Korean waters bolstering the naval supply line to South Korea. She departed 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,...
on 4 February 1953, arrived San Diego on 5 March, and operated off Southern California during the remainder of 1953.
Post-war
Departing San Diego on 25 January 1954, LST-845 steamed on her third deployment with the 7th Fleet in the Far East. She reached Yokosuka on 25 February; and during the next five months cargo runs and amphibious exercises sent her from Japan to Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Inchon. On 14 August she departed Yokosuka for HaiphongHaiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
, North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, to provide support for "Operation Passage to Freedom
Operation Passage to Freedom
Operation Passage to Freedom was the term used by the United States Navy to describe its transportation in 1954–55 of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam...
." She reached Haiphong on 27 August and made four runs to Tourane, 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...
, during the several weeks. In addition to transporting military cargo, she carried civilian refugees seeking to escape from Communist domination in North Vietnam. After returning to Yokosuka on 20 October, LST-845 sailed for the United States on 7 November and arrived San Diego on 12 December.
While operating out of San Diego, LST-845 was renamed USS Jefferson County (LST-845) on 1 July 1955. She trained along the California coast until 13 August 1957 when she again departed for the western Pacific. She arrived Yokosuka on 13 September and resumed cargo runs and amphibious exercises which carried her along the Japanese coast to Okinawa, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and 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...
. Departing Dingalan Bay, Luzon
Dingalan, Aurora
Dingalan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 21,992 people in 4,115 households.Dingalan has several caves, of which the Lamao Caves are the best known...
on 1 March, she arrived San Diego on 1 April. Jefferson County sailed for the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
on 9 October; and, after arriving at Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
on 2 November, she operated during the next three months supporting the establishment of Air Force stations in the Marshalls. She returned to San Diego on 4 March 1959.
Following amphibious training out of San Diego, she departed for the Far East on 1 October 1959. She reached Yokosuka on 3 November and resumed training and readiness exercises along the coast of Japan. Sailing for the United States on 12 April 1960, she arrived San Diego on 5 May.
Decommissioning and sale
Jefferson County was decommissioned at San Diego on 28 November 1960 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel RegisterNaval 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 1 February 1961. She was sold for scrapping to Zidell Explorations, Inc. of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on 22 August 1961.