USS Lyon County (LST-904)

The USS "Lyon County" (LST-904) was an sclass|LST-542|tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Nevada, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Originally laid down as LST-904 by the Dravo Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 12 November 1944; launched 23 December 1944; sponsored by Miss Betty McCallen; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana 25 January 1945 with Lieutenant James L. Randles, Jr., in command. Following shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico, LST-904 loaded cargo at New Orleans and departed 1 March for the Pacific. She reached Pearl Harbor 2 April, thence sailed in convoy 16 April via Eniwetok and Guam to Saipan where she arrived 12 May. There she embarked Army Signal Corps troops and equipment, and on 12 June steamed to the Ryukyu Islands. Reaching Okinawa the 18th, from 23 to 28 June she beached at Ie Shima before returning to Hagushi to complete cargo operations. In addition she embarked marines for transfer to the Marianas. Departing 10 July, she touched Guam the 16th and arrived Saipan 2 days later for availability. Between 30 July and 2 August, LST-904 steamed to Iwo Jima where she loaded a cargo of steel pilings. After returning to Saipan the 23rd, she headed for Okinawa 29 August and began discharging cargo 4 September. Unloading completed, she embarked men of the 5th Army Air Force and carried them to Yokohama, Japan between 29 September and 4 October. Between 12 October and 8 November she sailed to the Philippine Islands and transported additional occupation troops to Japan. She operated along the Japanese coast from Aomori to Yokohama until departing for the Marianas 7 December. She reached Saipan 13 December, thence steamed via Guam to Pearl Harbor where she arrived 21 January 1946. After loading LCT-1458 on her main deck, LST-904 departed for San Francisco 29 January. She arrived in early February and operated along the west coast until 10 July when she was placed in commission, in reserve with the 19th Fleet. LST-904 decommissioned 15 November 1946 and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet in the Columbia River. She was named USS "Lyon County" (LST-904) 1 July 1955. On 20 October 1958 the Secretary of the Navy recommended that she be used as a target to destruction. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1 November. Towed to Bremerton, Washington on 31 December, her hulk was sunk in 1,280 fathoms of water off the coast of Washington 13 May 1959 by torpedoes fired from the USS "Capitaine" (SS-336). LST-904 received one battle star for World War II service.

References

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* cite web|title=LST-904 "Lyon County"|work=Amphibious Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160904.htm|accessdate=August 10|accessyear=2007

ee also

* List of United States Navy LSTs