USS Calhoun County (LST-519)

USS "LST-519" was an , cruisers, destroyers and fleet auxiliaries. "LST-519" was one of several LSTs that served as mother-ships to small boat crews who operated LCMs and LCVPs as liberty boats for the fleet anchored in the harbor.

Leaving Cuba in mid-February for Searsport, Maine, on the Penobscot Bay, "LST-519" had to put in at Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard to repair storm damage suffered in a gale off Cape Hatteras. She then proceeded to Searsport, for her next assignment.

At Searsport, a Liberty ship transloaded over 350 tons of obsolete 1,000- and 500-pound aerial bombs into a newly constructed temporary wooden bin on the main deck. Out past the continental shelf — about one hundred fifty miles offshore with a minimum depth of 1,000 fathoms — these bombs were dumped along with 5,280 bazooka anti-tank rounds. At least four such bomb-dumping missions were made before the "LST-519" was relieved by three other LSTs.

Davisville, Rhode Island, was the next port of call. A tank deck full of steel pontoon cubes were transported to Norfolk Navy Yard where they were promptly assembled into large pontoon barges as soon as they were unloaded.

On 15 July 1946, the "LST-519" was transferred to the Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier for duty as a disposal vessel of defective and obsolete munitions. To facilitate dumping of ordnance, toxic and nuclear waste at sea, special equipment and bins were installed. After this, "LST-519" operated off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, disposing of ammunition from Naval ammunition depots at Indianhead, MD; Hingham, MA; Yorktown, VA; Charleston, SC; Earl, NJ; Ft. Mifflin, PA; New Orleans, LA and Newport, RI.

In accordance with a Secretary of the Navy directive dated 12 May 1955, "LST-519" was renamed USS "Calhoun County" (LST-519) effective 1 July 1955. The 519 is the first ship with this name. The name honors a Calhoun County located in each of eleven states--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

On the morning of 20 June 1956, while dumping condemned ammunition from NAD Charleston, the "Calhoun County" experienced underwater explosions, caused by the detonation of several torpex-loaded torpedo warheads. Minor hull damage resulted, but there were no personnel casualties. Repairs were made at Savanah, GA.

From 24 August to 23 October 1956, "Calhoun County" underwent its regular shipyard overhaul at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Staten Island, NY. Major improvements effected during this period were the installation of a new radar and the renewal of most of the ammunition bin on the main deck. Following her overhaul, the "Calhoun County" reported to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for refresher training from 6 to 24 November 1956. She received an overall mark of GOOD on her battle problem.

"Calhoun County" was struck by the SS|Nellie on 27 June 1959 in the vicinity of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. As the result, the 40mm gun tub on the port side had to be removed and the degaussing system was placed out of commission. There were no personnel casualties. During April, 1960, "Calhoun County" operated with TG 7.3 on a scientific mission in the vicinity of Roosevelt Roads, PR. A shipyard overhaul was completed in September, 1960, after which she participated in underway training in the Norfolk, VA, area. In October, she was deployed to US Naval Station, Argentia, Newfoundland, for ammunition disposal. After four disposal trips, this command undertook an amphibious disembarking of an experimental team off the beach of LaPoille, Newfoundland. This was followed by a five day "good will" trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

November, 1960, through June, 1961, the "Calhoun County" was engaged in routine dumping operations from Boston to Charleston. She was decommissioned 1 November 1962 after eighteen-and-a-half years of Naval service. Only one other LST of the WWII class was in continuous commission longer than the LST 519. Her final duty was as a gunnery target for several warships. However, gunfire failed to sink her, so demolition charges were used to carry out the coup de grace.

References

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External links

* [http://www.hullnumber.com/commands1.php?ct=OG&st=LST&hn=519&n1=USS&n2=CALHOUN&n3=COUNTY&n4=&n5= LST-519 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]