>From the "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships," 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.25





LAKE COUNTY





	Counties in 12 States.





LST-880

Displacement:  1,625 t.

Length:  328'

Beam:  50'

Draft:  14'1"

Speed:  12 k.

Complement:  226

Armament:  8 40mm; 12 20mm

Class:  LST-511



	LST-I880 was laid down by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron 

Co., Evansville, Ind., 6 November 1944; launched 16 December 

1944; sponsored by Mrs. L. H. Quigley; and commissioned at 

New Orleans, La., 9 January 1945, Lt. (jg.) James T. 

Connolly in command.



	After shakedown off the Florida coast, LST-B80 departed 

New Orleans for Hawaii 13 February.  Steaming via the Panama 

Canal and the west coast, she reached Pearl Harbor 31 March.  

During the next 6 weeks she participated in training 

operations with Seabees before departing Pearl Harbor for 

the western Pacific 24 May.  Carrying men and equipment of 

the 98th Construction Battalion, she sailed via the 

Marshalls and Marianas to Okinawa where she arrived 4 July.  

There she discharged men and cargo; and, after embarking 

combat veterans, she sailed for the Marianas 10 July.  

Steaming via Guam, she reached Saipan the 19th.



	LST-880 sailed for the Solomon Islands 27 July.  

Arriving Russell Island 7 August, she operated among the 

Solomons during the final week of fighting in the Pacific.  

On the 19th she departed Guadalcanal for the Philippines.  

Upon arriving Samar 30 August, she operated in Leyte Gulf 

until 20 September when she sailed for Luzon.  She reached 

Lingayen Gulf the 24th; and, after embarking occupation 

troops at San Fabian, Luzon, she sailed for Japan 26 

September.  Steaming in convoy she arrived Wakayama, Honshu, 

7 October to support occupation landings in Japan.



	Continuing her occupation duty, LST-S80 departed 

Nagoya, Honshu, for the Philippines 27 October.  She 

embarked more occupation troops at Lingayen Gulf, and from 

11 to 18 November steamed to Sasebo, Kyushu, for further 

occupation duty.  Departing Sasebo 23 November, she sailed 

for the Marianas where she arrived Saipan the 29th.  She 

operated between Guam and Saipan until 18 December; then she 

sailed for Pearl Harbor.  After touching at Eniwetok, 

Kwajalein, and Roi in the Marshalls, she arrived Pearl 

Harbor 8 January 1946.  Departing 3 days later, she steamed 

to the west coast and arrived San Pedro Bay 22 January.  

Between 6 and 28 February, she sailed from San Pedro to New 

Orleans.  She decommissioned there 1 October 1946 and was 

assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.



	Towed to Green Cove Springs, Fla., early in 1947, 

LST-880 transferred to Norfolk, Va., late in 1950.  From May 

to August 1951 she served the Military Sea Transportation 

Service as a supply ship during the construction of military 

bases in the Arctic.



	After returning to Norfolk, LST-880 recommissioned 20 

August, Lt. Carl S. Cross in command.  During the next 9 

months she operated out of Norfolk while making supply runs 

along the east coast and to Cuba and Puerto Rico.  Between 

21 May and 5 June 1952 she steamed from Norfolk to Port 

Lyautey, French Morocco, to begin logistics operations in 

the western Mediterranean for the powerful 6th Fleet.  

During the next 6 months she carried supplies to ports in 

North Africa and steamed from Portugal to Italy while 

supporting peacekeeping and readiness operations in the 

Mediterranean.  She departed Port Lyautey 11 November; 

reached Norfolk the 26th; and resumed supply runs out of 

Norfolk.



	Logistics duty in 1953 sent her to the Caribbean, and 

she carried supplies to American bases in Cuba, Puerto Rico, 

and in the British West Indies from the Bahamas to Trinidad.  

Departing Norfolk 21 September, she sailed via Davisville, 

R.I., for North Africa and arrived Port Lyautey 9 October.  

After unloading supplies, she sailed four days later and 

returned to Norfolk 27 October.



	LST-880 resumed logistics operations to island bases in 

the Atlantic and the Caribbean.  During late August and 

early September 1954, she operated between Norfolk and 

Halifax, Nova Scotia, and during 1955 she made two 

additional runs to Halifax and Argentia, Newfoundland.  

Named LAKE COUNTY 1 July 1955, she continued supply runs 

primarily in the Caribbean from 1955 to 1958.  Departing the 

Bahamas 10 February 1958, she arrived Norfolk the 13th.  

LAKE COUNTY steamed to Charleston 29 August and 

decommissioned there 25 November.  Declared unsuitable for 

further naval service, she was used as a target ship for 

destruction.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com