USSHampden County

USSHampden County(LST-803) underway
History
United States
Name	USSLST-803
Builder	Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company Jeffersonville, Indiana
Laid down	2 September 1944
Launched	19 October 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. Katie Bryant
Commissioned	13 November 1944
Decommissioned	15 June 1949
Recommissioned	15 November 1950
Renamed	USSHampden County(LST-803),1 July 1955
Decommissioned	2 January 1958
Stricken	17 April 1958
Fate	Sunk as target, 26 September 1958
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement	1,625 tons (light) 4,080 tons (full)
Length	328 ft (100.0 m)
Beam	50 ft (15.2 m)
Draft	Bow 2'-4 ", stern 7'-6" (unloaded) bow 8'-2 ", stern 14'-1" (unloaded)
Depth	8 ft (2.4 m) fwd; 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)aft (full load)
Propulsion	TwoGeneral Motors12-567diesel engines,two shafts, twin rudders
Speed	12 knots
Boats & landing craft carried	TwoLCVPs
Complement	7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Eight40 mm guns,twelve20 mmguns

TheUSSHampden County(LST-803)was anLST-542-classtank landing shipbuilt for theUnited States NavyduringWorld War II.Named afterHampden County, Massachusetts,she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Originally laid down as LST-803 by theJeffersonville Boat & Machine CompanyofJeffersonville, Indiana14 September 1944; launched 23 October; sponsored by Mrs. Katie Bryant; and commissioned 17 November. After shakedown offFloridaLST-803 departedNew Orleansin December, arrivingSan Diego8 January 1945. Sailing 4 days later, she touchedPearl HarborandEniwetokbefore arrivingGuam12 February. During the next month she prepared at Guam,Saipan,andTinianfor the invasion ofOkinawa.With the16th Marine Antiaircraft Battalionon board, she sailed 26 March for the last barrier on the road to Saipan. The landing ship approachedKerama Retto2 April, then under heavy enemy air raids andsuicide attacksfor the next week she unloaded her cargo before proceeding to Saipan for reinforcements. For the rest of the War LST-803 shuttled cargo between Okinawa and thePhilippines,then after the officialJapanese surrenderarrivedTokyo Baywith cargo for the occupation forces. Following 3 months duty in the Far East LST-803 sailed for theUnited Statesin mid-November, arriving San Diego the following month. In July, 1946 she returned to the WesternPacificto operate as a utility ship, and transported cargo, troops, and prisoners-of-war throughout theMarianaandCaroline Islands.She continued these operations until 26 February 1949 when she departedKwajaleinfor the United States. ArrivingLong Beach10 April, LST-803 decommissioned 15 June and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Following the externalcommunistaggression inSouth KoreaLST-803 recommissioned on 15 November 1950 to meet the demand for ships needed in the struggle. She departedPort Hueneme3 March 1951 and arrivedYokosuka26 April. On 17 May she sailed toKoreato transport prisoners-of-war betweenPusanandKoje-Do.Throughout the rest of the year she operated between Japan andInchon,Korea, transporting troops, cargo, and prisoners-of-war then sailed 31 January 1952, for San Diego. After a brief overhaul and training, the veteran landing ship was back in Japan 15 November. She resumed her cargo and transport runs from Japan to Inchon and Pusan, continuing these operations until the Armistice ended the armed conflict 27 July 1953. Her major projects were amphibious landings at Inchon and salvage work behind enemy lines atChummum Do.

After the War she engaged in "Operation Big Switch,"the return of North Korean and Chinese Communists to Incheon for the exchange of South Korean repatriates. Returning to San Diego 25 September she operated along the West Coast for the rest of the year. In May, 1954 she sailed on her third Far East tour and, while there, was assigned to"Operation Passage to Freedom"which transportedFrenchandVietnameseArmy units, andChristianrefugees fromNorth VietnamtoSaigon.While still in the Far East early in 1955, another impending crisis flared between the Communist Chinese and theChinese Nationalistsover theTachen Islands.As part of the amphibious force of the 7th Fleet, LST-803 commenced embarking personnel and supplies from the Tachen beaches on 8 February. During the next week she transported over 2,300 troops and civilians, along with vehicles and heavy weapons toFormosa.After these two operations contributing to peace inAsiawere completed LST-803 sailed for the United States, arriving San Diego 28 April.

On 1 July 1955 LST-803 was namedUSSHampden County(LST-803).For the next 2 years she engaged in amphibious exercises along theWest Coast,Hawaii,and in theFar East.After her 1956-1957 WestPac tour, she returned to the West Coast 31 August, then decommissioned atMare Island2 January 1958. She was struck from theNaval Vessel Register17 April and was sunk as a fleet practice target off the coast ofCalifornia26 September 1958.

LST-803received onebattle starfor World War II service and five stars for the Korean War.

References

This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entries can be foundhereandhere.

• "LST-803Hampden County".Amphibious Photo Archive.RetrievedJune 28,2007.