USS La Moure County (LST-883)

The USS "La Moure County" (LST-883) was an sclass|LST-542|tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after La Moure County, North Dakota, she was the first of two U.S. Naval vessels to bear the name.

"La Moure County" received one battle star for World War II service and seven battle stars for Korean War service.

Laid down

Originally laid down as LST-883 by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company of Evansville, Indiana on 16 November 1944; launched 30 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. L. D. McBride; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana 23 January 1945 with Lieutenant Winfield H. Cook in command. After shakedown off the Florida coast, LST-883 departed New Orleans for the west coast 28 February and arrived San Pedro, California 26 March. Steaming via Seattle, Washington the landing ship reached the Hawaiian Islands 1 May and trained there until sailing for the western Pacific the 24th.

After initial training

She carried Seabees via the Marshalls and the Marianas to battle-torn Okinawa where she arrived 26 June. After discharging men and equipment, she embarked veterans of the 6th Marine Division and sailed 10 July. Steaming via Guam, she reached Pearl Harbor 5 August. During the rest of August she joined in amphibious training operations in the Hawaiian Islands. Following the surrender of Japan, she departed Pearl Harbor 3 September with occupation forces for Japan. She debarked troops at Sasebo, Kyūshū 25 September before sailing for the Philippines the 28th. She arrived Lingayen Gulf 5 October, and between 26 October and 4 November transported Army engineers to Nagoya, Honshū. From Japan she arrived Saipan 14 November and operated in the Marianas during the remainder of the year. LST-883 steamed to San Pedro Bay, Leyte between 15 and 20 January 1946. During the next 3 months she made cargo and passenger runs to Mindoro, Mindanao, Luzon, and Samar.

She decommissioned at Samar 20 April 1946, was placed in custody status, and was transferred to the United States Army 26 August for use in Japan.

Recommissioned for Korean War

Reacquired by the Navy 1 July 1950, LST-883 recommissioned at Yokosuka, Japan 26 August with Lieutenant Charles M. Miller in command. In response to President Truman's order to repel Communist aggression in Korea, she embarked Marines and Army troops, loaded combat stores, and departed Kobe, Japan 10 September. She sailed for Inchon, South Korea as part of an amphibious attack force. Assigned to TG 90.3 LST-883 arrived off the Inchon seawalls 15 September, at the start of the Battle of Inchon. Later that afternoon, she closed the beaches and, despite heavy mortar and machinegun fire, debarked troops on "Red Beach." As American naval and ground forces carried out the vital Inchon invasion, which spearheaded an Allied offensive northward, LST-883 discharged emergency supplies and dueled with enemy guns. She remained off Inchon until sailing for the eastern coast of Korea 15 October. For daring bravery and heroic performance of duty off Red Beach, the aggressive and intrepid LSTs of TE 90.32, including LST-883, received the Navy Unit Commendation. Arriving Wonsan 25 October, LST-883 made coastal troop and cargo runs from Wonsan to Hungnam until returning to Yokosuka 22 November. After Chinese Communist armies moved southward into North Korea later that month, she departed Japan 9 December for the massive amphibious evacuation of Hungnam. Between 15 and 27 December she completed two runs out of Hungnam to carry men and equipment to Pusan; thence, she returned to Japan New Year's Eve. She continued operations between Yokosuka and Pusan until 31 March 1951 when she sailed for the United States.

After arriving San Diego 29 April, LST-883 underwent overhaul at Bremerton, Washington from 16 May to 22 July. During August and September she operated along the west coast, and on 2 October she departed San Francisco for the Far East, arriving Yokosuka 5 November. After operating along the Japanese coast, she arrived Inchon 28 December with a cargo of military vehicles. Between 28 December and 18 July 1952 she made numerous troop and cargo runs along the western coast of Korea, and between Korea and Japan. In addition, she joined in amphibious training exercises off Japan and Okinawa.

Departing Yokosuka 25 July, she arrived San Diego 22 August, and during the next 10 months operated off the California coast. Carrying men of the 3rd Marine Division, LST-883 again deployed to Korean waters 15 June 1953. Steaming via Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, she reached Pusan 27 July as the uncertain armistice which halted hostilities in this stalemated conflict was signed at Panmunjom. During August and September she carried troops and supplies from Korea to Japan and transported enemy prisoners from U.N. POW camps to Inchon. After returning to Yokosuka 24 September, she made coastal runs to Kobe and Kure and supported amphibious operations off Okinawa during the next 5 months. Between 26 February 1954 and 27 March, she sailed from Japan to California via Pearl Harbor. She operated along the California coast out of San Diego during the remainder of 1954. Departing San Diego 17 February 1955, LST-883 arrived Japan 17 March to begin a 6-month deployment in the Far East. Renamed USS "La Moure County" (LST-833) 1 July, she operated with peacekeeping forces between Japan and Korea until sailing for the west coast 20 September. Following her return to San Diego 19 October, she resumed coastal operations and amphibious training duty off southern California. She served out of San Diego during the next 2 years and in 1956 completed two amphibious training cruises to Hawaii.

"La Moure County" departed San Diego 9 January 1958 on her third deployment to the Far East since the Korean conflict. She arrived Okinawa 12 February for duty with the 7th Fleet. Over the next 4 months she steamed to the Philippines, Korea, and Japan. Departing the western Pacific 25 June, she operated along the west coast until deploying to the Far East 29 January 1959. Based at Yokosuka, she cruised the Japanese coast and participated in amphibious exercises off Okinawa and South Korea. She then sailed from Yokosuka for the United States 19 May and arrived at Long Beach 14 June. '

"La Moure County" decommissioned there 7 December 1959; her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1 January 1960; and she was sold for scrapping to Zidell Explorations Corporation of Portland, Oregon, 30 November 1960.

References

*
* cite web|title=LST-883 "La Moure County"|work=Amphibious Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160883.htm|accessdate=July 31|accessyear=2007

ee also

* USS "La Moure County" (LST-1194)
* List of United States Navy LSTs