Laid down 18 October 1943 Decommissioned 25 June 1946 Construction started 18 October 1943 Length 100 m | Commissioned 14 February 1944 Recommissioned October 1950 Launched 20 December 1943 Builder Jeffboat | |
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Name USS LST-525, later USS Caroline County Namesake Caroline County, Maryland, and Caroline County, Virginia | ||
USS Caroline County (LST-525) was an LST-491-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for counties in Maryland and Virginia, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
LST-525 was laid down on 18 October 1943 at Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 20 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Anna Mae Federspiel; and commissioned on 14 February 1944 with Ensign James R. Stevens in command.
Service history
During World War II, LST-525 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following operations: Convoy UGS-36 (April 1944) and the invasion of southern France (August and September 1944). Following the war, LST-525 was decommissioned on 25 June 1946.
She was recommissioned in October, 1950 and performed services for the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, until decommissioned on 15 September 1954. On 1 July 1955 she was named USS Caroline County (LST-525).
Again reactivated in mid-1965, Caroline County provided support and resupply for riverine forces in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Decommissioned in early 1970 at Orange, Texas she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 September 1974. Caroline County was sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) 1 August 1975.
Caroline County earned two battle stars for World War II service as LST-525 and four battle stars for Vietnam War service.