De Soto County (LST 1171) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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