De Soto County (LST 1171) - Naval Cruise Book

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JB' mzuuun.-munm.m:w.fum..,' a.Q -ww' ' f,m--q3,,-un--- -of---u -e ,,,.. , A - w z m 2 !5W 55E7 - - . .-. . s - ,Y ' 1. . . , 'gh' -'gg rx -' - G .., -. ... .-u P :- ,!ff133F5r:2fFf5grgg'1:g1yvy':ng-.- Atlantic Fleet ship - - 3 These will iHC1Hde the nMechanica1 Mule,U a weapons carrier mounting a 106mm recoilless rifle capable of hitting a target four to five miles distant, a ank killer, known by the Greek word UOntosW CWThe ThingWD, which bristles with six lO6mm.recoilless rifles on a small, tank-like body, a modern amphibious tracked landing vehicle capable of carrying 28 fullyearmed Leathernecks from assault ships to forward assault positions on the beachg a 525+ton medium tank, whose 90mm gun has a range in excess of 10 miles, a giant eight-inch self-propelled howitzerg and other weapons. Marine forces aboard the USS DeSoto County, under the com and of Mejor' John A. 0'Brien, USMC, New York, New York, will include a karate team and a 25ivoice chorus from the 2nd Marine Division. Karate, a hand to hand combat technique, perfected by the Japanese, will be demonstrated by Marines who have become experts in this art. . , The DeSoto County will also carry a Navy Helicopter, the Sikorsky H-19, used extensively in antisubmarine warfare. Ogdensburg, N,Y., will be DeSoto County's first stop. She will arrive there June 14, and depart two days later for a six-day stop at Rochester, N.Y., before visiting Buffalo, N.Ye, for four days. Other visits will be at Erie, Pe., June 29-July 2, Toledo, Ohio, July 3-95 Detroit, Mich., July 9-165 Bay cuuy, Mloh , July 17 zo, Sault Ste Marie, Mich , July 24 273 Duluth, Minn , July 29 August 2, Marquette, Mich , August 3, Ch1CagO, Ill U S Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Ill , August 7, Milwaukee, W1S , August 8-ll, Chicago, Ill August 13 lo, Muskegon, Muon , August l7 18, M3n1tOWOC, wle , August 19 20, Cleveland, 0h1O, August 22 29, Oswego, N Y , August 31 September 1, and Clayton, N Y , September 3 M O R E . 0 . 1 ' Q I 1 . O O . I . I - ' 0 ' ' ' . . o ' O ' o 0 U -. ' Q 1 -' . . 0 - . s , 1 . or 0 0 o c ' - , - - N.. . '., -. -.1-.4 ' . 'J' ::E?12: ' ' '!15 L2!:,.J'gv51Y:J'1!7Ai21 1355: , , , .. , -. -- . e -. .g 4- --:JH fL.n'1' 1 wH35.,15ZF.fuzI,Page'35,-5r:v7:F.:'F -imreiffilrdlr '.,:?fxEHzuSf',:E::hf':f::v:Zr3s5,5-2,5115V vghz' LI U , . H ... - - - on Jr., ul - :TY ,552 1-'fa v -:5?.z,-55,14 .. Rx- ,isis .5.hig'BfshE5,mg,,3i ,gmnigga,,15gf3gggg,u,,1m,za,.,1,4 hem! 5 Q ' as 'fs ssssassswssssssu-u u- .,, e. N R4 ee eaeeu eu H , A M..ss,uaeesr.-1u...n,e.,eaTer nf--fe -- 'W H ' 1' f -- 'dasfihnggkmiwf

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A ' 4 ' I ' Q., ' H5255-1-g3'fg,E-9' - .. 33,52 E5 ..,. '1ik541i!ib'm.4t'QgL -- .rr .1 ui - , , Atlantic Fleet Ship - - 4 7. u DeSoto Count is one of the newest ' - H7 Y ships of her type. The tank landing YE - ll ship is designed to transport and land tanks and other heavy equipment and so weapons in amphibious landings. With her shallow draft forward, she is i . capable of moving close to shore and being attached to a pontoon causeway Pio: over which cargo can move, thereby bridging the gap from ship to shore. She can also move in to a hostile shore, beach herself, and directly discharge 6 her cargo through her bow doors. 1 x ,H Commissioned June 10, 1958, at New Orleans, La., DeSoto County is 442 M, Hg feet long and 62 feet wide. When fully loaded she displaces 7,804 tons, N H3 ' more than five times that of a World War II LST. She can steam 20,000 miles RA without refueling, has a top speed in excess of 15 knots, and carries 30 13 officers and 604 enlisted men when loaded with troops. The ship's company ,Il consists of 10 officers and 174 enlisted men. She is air-conditioned through- ss out, and will be completely self-supporting in the Great Lakes except for ' fresh food. Her'armament consists of three 3-inch dual gun mounts. Q Since her commissioning she has sailed in the Mediterranean Sea as para ' 9 of the Atlantic Fleet's amphibious striking force. In 1961 she visited Holy 3 Loch, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland. During the Cuban crisis of 1962 she was il f as the only LST to evacuate dependents from Guantanamo Naval Base, returning to Q Norfolk, Va., with 92 men, women, and children. 5 ij 5 :d Lieutenant Commander Horace D. Mann, Jr., has com anded DeSoto County ffy since July 15, 1963 He is 33 years old and has attended the University of North Carolina, receiving Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees He was com issioned 1n 1953 upon graduation from the Navy's Officer Candidate School, Newport, R I . o fi wink 5. , . . ' 't o 1 r 4 . - 5 a o 0 ' i :s - El 0 Q :E 5 , . . .. - ... -- so --f, --A -1 ---' 1-f:u.,x :az W' --v--,511-'f1 v -11T'1'Y: f:f -'ES' 15:55:55: -xzafsCEST?S'1'5553S1i 53-5i1'SExir2:?1T'ff 3?2?15'iHE?Z?5l3Vi' 17 - f Y ,,-gg,-r -15.1,-25-. - P . .121 .., H1151 -....:,s- --C12-'J 'r--x-.Er --rg, P- ,.. y11,.,rjp',:,m:::m,5,'1az::B f'2 ' E111--',h.1-uL--k..1:xn11.'re-gps'-i 1g-: I7 1 '-: ' '1'-'-'-l 4'3- 5 .5 . H- rf l'Bu'S'?aa.'Raiaxss'l'5E1iinxz?,h-s1samHIas1sm:fn1'b!ds1am .m..s,.1..f hh 1, ...nh 32