USS La Moure County (LST-1194)
USS La Moure County (LST-1194) underway
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS La Moure County |
Namesake | LaMoure County, North Dakota |
Builder | San Diego, California |
Laid down | 22 May 1970 |
Launched | 13 February 1971 |
Commissioned | 18 December 1971 |
Decommissioned | 17 November 2000 |
Stricken | 17 November 2000 |
Identification | LST-1194 |
Fate | Sunk as a target, 10 July 2001 |
General characteristics as built | |
Class and type | tank landing ship |
Displacement | |
Length | |
Beam | 69 ft 6 in (21.2 m) |
Draft | 17 ft 6 in (5.3 m) max |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) max |
Range | 2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
Troops | 431 max |
Complement | 213 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament | 2 × twin 3"/50 caliber guns |
Aviation facilities | Helicopter deck |
USS La Moure County (LST-1194) was the sixteenth of twenty
Design and description
La Moure County was a
The LST had a displacement of 4,793 long tons (4,870 t) when light and 8,342 long tons (8,476 t) at full load. La Moure County was 522 feet 4 inches (159.2 m) long overall and 562 ft (171.3 m) over the derrick arms which protruded past the bow.[2][3] The vessel had a beam of 69 ft 6 in (21.2 m), a draft forward of 11 ft 5 in (3.5 m) and 17 ft 5 in (5.3 m) at the stern at full load.[4]
La Moure County was fitted with six
The Newport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry.[6] The LSTs have a ramp forward of the superstructure that connects the lower tank deck with the main deck and a passage large enough to allow access to the parking area amidships. The vessels are also equipped with a stern gate to allow the unloading of amphibious vehicles directly into the water or to unload onto a utility landing craft (LCU) or pier. At either end of the tank deck there is a 30 ft (9.1 m) turntable that permits vehicles to turn around without having to reverse.[1][2] The Newport class has the capacity for 500 long tons (510 t) of vehicles, 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2) of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops.[1][7] The vessels also have davits for four vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull.[2][3]
La Moure County was initially armed with four Mark 33
Construction and career
The LST was ordered as the seventh hull of the third group of the Newport class in
During the
Grounding and aftermath
The ship was run aground near the coast of Caleta Cifuncho Bay, Chile, in the pre-dawn hours of 12 September 2000 during a routine amphibious training operation with a sister vessel, the Chilean Navy's Valdivia. A combination of the speed of the ship at impact and the incoming tide resulted in extensive damage to the bow, keel, screws, and rudders. Extensive internal flooding and the dumping of 40,000 US gallons (150,000 L; 33,000 imp gal) of diesel fuel only served to complicate matters.[15] No injuries were suffered by the crew or marines aboard the ship.[16]
Following the grounding, it was found that the captain of the ship had failed to chart his position correctly. This incident led to a complete standdown by all USN vessels to assess their safety and navigation protocols. La Moure County's grounding, along with several navigational mishaps by other USN vessels led to the USN re-assessing its training in navigation. The USN ordered new simulation training for bridge officers.[17]
La Moure County was deemed damaged beyond repair.
Notes
- ^ Transit Group 3 was composed of USS Guam, USS Iwo Jima, USS Manitowoc and La Moure County.[11]
Citations
- ^ a b c Blackman 1972, p. 504.
- ^ a b c d Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, p. 621.
- ^ a b c d e Couhat 1986, pp. 655–666.
- ^ Moore 1975, p. 486.
- ^ Moore 1976, p. 614.
- ^ a b c Moore 1974, p. 467.
- ^ Moore 1978, p. 690.
- ^ Sharpe 1990, p. 761.
- ^ a b c Naval Vessel Register
- ^ DANFS.
- ^ a b Brown 2000, p. 28.
- ^ Brown 2000, pp. 25, 28, 31, 227–228, 230.
- ^ "Coming Back From Desert Storm". Daily Press. 17 April 1991. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ a b Polmar 2005, p. 198.
- ^ McMichael, William (2 October 2000). "Navy ship hits reef, spills diesel fuel". Navy Times.
- ^ McIntyre, Jaime (12 September 2000). "U.S. Navy ship runs aground off Chile". CNN. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ "Navy Simulates Safety". CBS News. 8 March 2001. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ Bartholomew & Milwee 2009, pp. 492–496.
References
- Bartholomew, Charles A. & Milwee, William I Jr. (2009). Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy (Second ed.). Washington, D.C.: Naval History & Heritage Command. ISBN 978-0-945274-60-5.
- Blackman, Raymond V. B., ed. (1972). Jane's Fighting Ships 1972–73. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company. OCLC 28197951.
- Brown, Ronald J., ed. (2000). U. S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990–1991: With Marine Forces Afloat in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Washington, D.C.: History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 978-0-7881-8563-2.
- Couhat, Jean Labayle, ed. (1986). Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85368-860-5.
- "La Moure County (LST-1194)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Moore, John, ed. (1974). Jane's Fighting Ships 1974–75 (77th ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated. ISBN 0-531-02743-0.
- Moore, John, ed. (1975). Jane's Fighting Ships 1975–76 (78th ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated. ISBN 0-531-03251-5.
- Moore, John, ed. (1976). Jane's Fighting Ships 1976–77 (79th ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated. ISBN 0-531-03261-2.
- Moore, John, ed. (1978). Jane's Fighting Ships 1978–79 (81st ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated. ISBN 0-531-03297-3.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
- Polmar, Norman (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet (18th ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-685-2.
- Sharpe, Richard, ed. (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships 1990–91 (93 ed.). Surrey, United Kingdom: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-0904-3.
External links
- "LST-1194 La Moure County". Amphibious Photo Archive.