USS Caroline County

USS Caroline County (LST-525) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for counties in Maryland and Virginia, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS Caroline County (LST-525) in 1967
History
United States
Name	USS LST-525, later USS Caroline County
Namesake	Caroline County, Maryland, and Caroline County, Virginia
Builder	Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company, Jeffersonville, Indiana
Laid down	18 October 1943
Launched	20 December 1943
Commissioned	14 February 1944
Decommissioned	25 June 1946
Recommissioned	October 1950
Decommissioned	15 September 1954
Renamed	USS Caroline County (LST-525), 1 July 1955
Recommissioned	mid-1965
Decommissioned	Early 1970
Stricken	15 September 1974
Honours and awards	2 battle stars (World War II) 4 battle stars (Vietnam)
Fate	Sold for scrapping 1975
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-491-class tank landing ship
Displacement	1,780 long tons (1,809 t) light 3,640 long tons (3,698 t) full
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Unloaded : 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Loaded : 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
Propulsion	2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 LCVPs
Troops	Approximately 130 officers and enlisted men
Complement	8–10 officers, 89–100 enlisted men
Armament	1 × single 3-inch/50-caliber gun mount 8 × 40 mm guns 12 × 20 mm guns

LST-525 was laid down on 18 October 1943 at Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 20 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Anna Mae Federspiel; and commissioned on 14 February 1944.

Service history

During World War II, LST-525 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following operations: Convoy UGS-36 (April 1944) and the invasion of southern France (August and September 1944). Following the war, LST-525 was decommissioned on 25 June 1946.

USS Caroline County (LST-525)

She was recommissioned in October, 1950 and performed services for the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, until decommissioned on 15 September 1954. On 1 July 1955 she was named USS Caroline County (LST-525).

Again reactivated in mid-1965, Caroline County provided support and resupply for riverine forces in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Decommissioned in early 1970 at Orange, Texas she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 September 1974. Caroline County was sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) 1 August 1975.

Caroline County earned two battle stars for World War II service as LST-525 and four battle stars for Vietnam War service.

References

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

• "LST-525". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved 8 May 2007.
• "LST-525 Caroline County". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved 8 May 2007.

See also

• List of United States Navy LSTs
• Caroline County, Maryland
• Caroline County, Virginia