USS Steuben County (LST-1138)

History
United States
Name:	USS LST-1138
Builder:	Chicago Bridge & Iron Company Seneca, Illinois
Laid down:	6 January 1945
Launched:	5 April 1945
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Hattie R. Fox
Commissioned:	24 April 1945
Renamed:	USS Steuben County (LST-1138), 1 July 1955
Struck:	1 February 1961
Honors and awards:	5 battle stars, Korean War
Fate:	Sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, Oreg., on 11 August 1961
General characteristics
Class and type:	LST-542-class LST
Displacement:	1,490 tons (light); 4,080 tons (full load of 2,100 tons)
Length:	328 ft (100 m)
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	8 ft (2.4 m) forward; 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) aft (full load)
Propulsion:	Two diesel engines, two shafts
Speed:	10.8 knots (20 km/h) (max); 9 knots (17 km/h) (econ)
Complement:	7 officers, 204 enlisted
Armament:	8 × 40 mm guns; 12 × 20 mm guns

The USS Steuben County (LST-1138) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Indiana, and New York, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Service history

Completed too late for service in World War II, LST-1138 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946. After post-war operations with the Pacific Fleet, LST-1138 saw extensive service during the Korean War, including the 1950 amphibious assault at Inchon,^[1] and a Korean prisoner exchange in 1953. She earned five battle starts for her service. During various cruises across the Pacific, she ranged as far north as Barrow, Alaska, and as far south as Taka Atoll in the Marshall Islands.^[2] On 1 July 1955, she was renamed Steuben County (LST-1138) (q.v.) after counties in Indiana and New York. She was struck from the Navy List on 1 February 1961 and sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, Oregon, on 11 August 1961.^[3] Zidell had by that time expanded from shipbreaking into building barges with steel recovered from decommissioned ships, including Steuben County.^[4]

Footnotes

1. Edwin Anthony DeDeaux
2. lst1138.org
3. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
4. Zidell Marine

References

• "Zidell Marine Corporation: Our Story". Zidell Marine Corporation. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
• "LST-1138". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C.: Department of the Navy -- Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
• "Veterans' Memoirs, Edwin Anthony DeDeaux". Korean War Educator. Tuscola, IL: Lynnita Jean Brown. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
• "Unofficial Log of operations of the LST 1138 from July 1950 to 1954". lst1138.org. C.D. Pardee. Retrieved 2009-05-15.

External links

• Serving on LST-1138 from 1953 through 1955
• Photo gallery of USS Steuben County (LST-1138) at NavSource Naval History