USS Holmes County (LST-836)

USS Holmes County (LST-836) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Florida, Mississippi, and Ohio, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS Holmes County underway in 1960s.
History
United States
Name: LST-836
Builder: American Bridge Company, Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Laid down: 11 September 1944
Launched: 29 October 1944
Commissioned: 25 November 1944
Decommissioned: 25 July 1946
Recommissioned: 3 November 1950
Decommissioned: 1 July 1971
Renamed: Holmes County, 1 July 1955
Fate: Sold to Republic of Singapore Navy, 5 December 1975
Singapore
Name: Endurance
Namesake: Endurance
Acquired: 5 December 1975
Commissioned: 1 July 1971 (on loan)
Decommissioned: 1999
Homeport: Changi Naval Base, Singapore
Identification: L-201
Fate: Serving as a floating sea-defense barricade at Changi Naval Base
Status: Decommissioned
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light)
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load)
  • 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
Length: 328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Full load: 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
  • Limiting 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
  • Maximum navigation 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 11.6 kn (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph)
Range: 24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 x LCVPs
Capacity: 1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops: 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement: 13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:
Aviation facilities: Deck as helipad

Construction

Laid down as LST-836 by the American Bridge Company of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, on 11 September 1944; launched on 29 October; sponsored by Mrs. H. E. Hetu; and commissioned on 25 November with Lieutenant Elmo J. Sullivan, USNR, in command.[2]

Service in United States Navy

1940s

After shakedown off Florida, LST-836 loaded ammunition, lumber, and cement, then departed New Orleans, on 2 January 1945. She unloaded the cargo at Balboa, Panama, in the Canal Zone, and proceeded to San Diego, arriving on 23 January. In early February she sailed for Hawaii, where she trained, embarked troops, then steamed to the Marshall Islands. Following three weeks of preparation in the Marshalls and Carolines, the landing ship departed Ulithi, on 12 April, for Okinawa. With the battle for this strategic base well underway, LST-836 arrived six days later; unloaded troops and equipment and returned Ulithi, on 29 April.[3]

For the rest of the war, she shuttled cargo and troops throughout the Pacific; then after VJ Day was assigned to duty with the occupation forces in Japan. Returning to the United States, LST-836 arrived San Francisco, on 19 January 1946; and remained on the West Coast until she decommissioned at Vancouver, Washington, on 25 July 1946.[3]

1950s

Following four years in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, LST-836 recommissioned at Bremerton, Washington, on 3 November 1950, with Lieutenant Thomas J. McLaughlin, in command. After refresher training she sailed for the Far East, to join United Nations forces in South Korea. Arriving at Yokosuka, on 28 March 1951, the veteran landing ship was once again assigned to a battle zone and for the next eight months shuttled cargo and troops between Japan and various Korean ports.[3]

After a brief stateside overhaul in early 1952, LST-836 departed San Diego, on 24 July, for operations in conjunction with the first hydrogen bomb tests in the Marshall Islands. From August to November, she aided scientists as they tested this new source of power. She returned to San Diego; then, after a brief respite, sailed on 16 March 1953, for further duty in the still raging Korean War. Arriving at Yokosuka, on 22 April, LST-836 immediately commenced cargo runs from the staging areas to Inchon. When the fighting ended, LST-836 remained in the Far East to transport cargo to the United Nations peacekeeping force stationed in Korea.[3]

From 1954 to 1959, she made three WestPac cruises and participated in training operations along the West Coast. On 1 July 1955, LST-836 was renamed Holmes County. Following a FRAM overhaul in late 1959, the landing ship was assigned to the Pacific Amphibious Force, and for the next five years Holmes County engaged in amphibious exercises along the West Coast and in the Hawaiian Islands.[3]

1960s-1970s

On 11 October 1965, Holmes County left San Diego, for operations in Southeast Asia. She arrived at Da Nang, South Vietnam, on 22 November, and operated there for the rest of the year and into 1966. On 29 March 1966, after 89 days in the combat zone, Holmes County steamed for Yokosuka, for upkeep before starting the 5,500-nautical-mile (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) journey home. Holmes County received the following message from Commander 7th Fleet: "As you depart 7th Fleet Intra-Coastal Task Unit, be assured you leave behind an admiration for the extraordinary work you have done this cruise." On 26 May, Holmes County arrived home. After serving in the San Diego area for four months, she participated in the Fleet Exercise "Operation Base Line" in October. This was one of the largest peacetime operations conducted by the Pacific Fleet.[3]

Holmes County later returned to Vietnam, operating in that theatre until 1971.[1]

Service in Republic of Singapore Navy

1970s-1980s

Holmes County was transferred on loan to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) on 1 July in 1971, being renamed as RSS Endurance (L201). The ship was eventually sold outright to Singapore on 5 December in 1975.[1][4] Endurance, along with four other ex-US Navy LSTs sold to Singapore by the USA at around the same period of time, served as part of the RSN's 191 Squadron of the 3rd Flotilla, with its main roles being transporting Singapore Army troops and personnel to training facilities abroad (in foreign countries such as Taiwan), rescue-and-aid operations, supply missions as well as for officer-cadet training programmes conducted overseas. Endurance was re-engined with MTU diesel-powered ship-engines during her service with the Singapore Navy.[5]

1990s-2000s

Following the commissioning of the new Endurance (LS207) into the Singapore Navy in 1999, she was decommissioned from active service for the last time in that same year, along with her sister ships, Excellence (L202; formerly LST-629), Intrepid (L203; formerly LST-579), Resolution (L204; formerly LST-649) and Persistence (L205; formerly LST-613). Currently, with the exception of Resolution, which is now moored at Tuas Naval Base for use as a training ship, all four ex-US Navy LSTs are employed as floating sea-defense barricades for Changi Naval Base.[6]

Awards and honors
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References
  1. NS LST-836 2020.
  2. DANFS LST-836.
  3. DANFS Holmes County.
  4. Moore 1985, p. 429.
  5. Baker 1998, p. 781.
  6. Wertheim 2007, p. 703.

Bibliography
  • "LST-836". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 29 July 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "Holmes County". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "USS Holmes County (LST-836)". NavSource Online. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  • Moore, John (1985). Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-7106-0814-4.
  • Baker, A. D. (1998). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.
  • Wertheim, Eric (30 March 2007). Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (15th ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-955-2. Retrieved 22 March 2011.


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