USS Lawrence County (LST-887)

The USS "Lawrence County (LST-887)"' was a sclass|LST-542|tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in eleven U.S. states, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Originally laid down as LST-887 by the Dravo Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 27 August 1944; launched 7 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. F. J. Conroy; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana 7 November 1944 with Lieutenant Loring O. Chandler, USCGR, in command. After shakedown out of St. Andrew's Bay, Florida LST-887 departed New Orleans 10 December and steamed to San Diego, where she arrived the 31st to unload bulk cargo. Thence she reached Seattle, Washington 13 January 1945; and, after embarking Army engineers and support equipment, she sailed in convoy for Pearl Harbor 10 February. There she embarked Seabees followIng her arrival 22 February, and on 4 March she joined a convoy bound for the western Pacific. After touching at Eniwetok and Saipan, LST-887 departed the Marianas 26 March for the invasion of Okinawa. Assigned to the Southern Defense Group of the Southern Attack Force, she closed beach Orange I on 2 April and began discharging troops and equipment. During the next 2 weeks she operated in Okinawan waters making a cargo shuttle run to Kerama Retto and back 9 April to 10 April and providing smoke cover for American ships during Japanese air attacks. Between 12 and 15 April LST-887 took part in repelling three enemy air strikes. While laying smoke 12 April, she splashed an enemy dive bomber. As the plane dove for the SS|Minot Victory, her 40mm and 20mm guns repeatedly hit the kamikaze which splashed close board the merchantman. Sailing in convoy 16 April, LST-887 reached Ulithi, Carolines, the 23rd. Between 10 May and 9 June she steamed via the Admiralties and the Russell Islands to Guadalcanal and transported troops and equipment via Eniwetok to Guam. Thence, after loading 4,400 drums of gasoline at Saipan, she returned to Okinawa 26 June and exchanged her cargo of fuel for one of tanks and amphibious vehicles. On the Fourth of July she sailed once again for the Marianas, arriving Guam 6 days later. During the closing days of the War in the Pacific and over the next 2 months LST-887 continued supply and ferry runs among and out of the Marianas. In addition to cruises between Guam and Saipan, she steamed to Peleliu, Palaus, and back between 27 August and 6 September. Thence, with occupation troops embarked, she cleared Saipan in convoy 17 September and steamed to Japan, arriving Nagasaki, Kyūshū, the 24th. Between 28 September and 25 October she steamed to the Philippines and carried additional troops to Mitsuhama, Shikoku. The LST returned to Manila Bay 6 November and during the next month transported troops and equipment from Mangarin Bay, Mindoro to Batangas, Luzon. LST-887 returned to Manila 9 December and, after embarking troops for passage to the United States, she sailed 14 December. Steaming via Guam and Pearl Harbor, she reached San Francisco 30 January 1946. She remained there until 2 April when she sailed for Astoria, Oregon. She arrived 5 April, moved to Portland, Oregon the 9th, and from 13 June to 22 July underwent inactivation at Vancouver, Washington. LST-887 decommissioned at Portland 23 July 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. LST-887 recommissioned at Bremerton, Washington 3 November 1950 with Lieutenant Walter T. Babcock in command. She sailed to San Diego between 29 November and 6 December and, following shakedown and training, she departed 21 March 1951 for the Far East. Steaming via Pearl Harbor, she reached Yokosuka, Japan 26 April and 4 days later began cargo and training runs along the Japanese coast. Early in September she joined the seaborne supply line in support of American forces fighting Communist aggression in South Korea. Between 4 September and 14 September she carried troops and cargo out of Sasebo to Kangnung, South Korea. After completing additional cargo operations among the islands of Kyūshū, Honshū, and Hokkaidō she again steamed to Korea 21 December. She reached Inchon the 28th, debarked her troops, and during the next 2 weeks operated along the western coast of Korea. She returned to Yokosuka 17 January 1952, thence from 10 February to 8 March steamed via Pearl Harbor to San Diego. LST-887 deployed to the Far East 25 August; and, upon arriving Yokosuka 8 October, she resumed cargo runs among the Japanese islands. She renewed her logistics duty from Japan to Korea 10 December when she departed Otaru, Hokkaidō to carry troops and equipment to Pusan. She returned to Yokosuka via Otaru 23 December. During the next 3 months additional shuttle runs out of Otaru and Yokosuka sent her to Inchon and along the Korean coast to Koje Do. After returning to Yokosuka 2 April 1953, she departed 18 April for the west coast and reached San Diego 16 May. After the cessation of hostilities 27 July 1953, LST-887 between 31 July and 25 August steamed to Japan. There she embarked returning troops at Nagoya and Yokosuka and sailed for the United States 3 September, via Hawaii, arriving San Diego 12 October. Following overhaul and training. LST-887 again deployed to the Far East 27 March 1954 and arrived Yokosuka 3 May via Pearl Harbor and Guam. During the next 3 months she steamed out of Yokosuka along the Japanese coast and to Korea and Okinawa in support of American training and readiness operations. Departing Japan 17 August, she steamed to Southeast Asia to support the "Operation Passage to Freedom" from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. Between 30 August and 20 September she made four voyages out of Haiphong to Nha Trang and Tourane carrying French troops and equipment. After departing Vietnam 26 September, she steamed via Yokosuka and Pearl Harbor to San Diego, where she arrived 7 November. Between 13 March 1955 and 14 May 1957 the ship made two more deployments to the Far East (while operating out of Yokosuka she was named USS "Lawrence County" (LST-887) 1 July 1955). Training and logistics duty in support of the mighty 7th Fleet sent her from Japan to Okinawa, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. In addition, she made periodic runs out of Yokosuka to Sasebo and Nagoya. Following the completion of her Far East deployment in 1957, "Lawrence County" continued cargo and training voyages out of San Diego to U.S. Pacific bases. She trained in Hawaiian waters during July and August, and she steamed the Pacific coast to Kodiak, Alaska and back between 30 September and 10 November. She returned to the Hawaiian Islands 5 April 1958 for operations out of Pearl Harbor until sailing for the Marshalls 7 May. Between 21 May and 18 June she provided logistics support during seven nuclear test shots. Thence, she departed Eniwetok 22 June and arrived San Diego via Pearl Harbor 19 July. "Lawrence County" returned to Pearl Harbor 6 May 1959 and resumed passenger and cargo runs to Pacific bases. She sailed for Midway 9 May and operated there until returning to Pearl Harbor 24 June. Between 13 August and 30 October she cruised to Wake Island, Eniwetok, and Ponape to shuttle cargo. Departing Pearl Harbor 2 November, she reached San Diego 19 November. "Lawrence County" operated at San Diego until sailing for Astoria, Oregon 24 February 1960. She arrived the 29th and decommissioned there 22 March 1960. She was placed in the Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1 November 1960. In December, 1960 she was sold to Indonesia under terms of the Foreign Assistance Sales Program for service in the Indonesian Navy as "Tandjung Nusanixe" (LST-1). Deleted from the Indonesian's Navy Vessel Register in 1974, her final fate is unknown. LST-887 received one battle star for World War II and three battle stars for Korean War service.

References

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* cite web|title=LST-887 "Lawrence County"|work=Amphibious Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160887.htm|accessdate=July 31|accessyear=2007

ee also

* List of United States Navy LSTs