De Soto County (LST 1171) - Naval Cruise Book

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Dimensions ...... Displacement .... Ship's Company Troop Capacity. Speed ............. Cruising Radius Armament ........

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Med 2-7 FROM: COMMANDING OFFICER TO: ALL HANDS For each of you, this Mediterranean cruise holds many memories. They will be remembered with various emotions, ranging from surprise to delight. We were all surprised with the suddenness of the assignment just as we were all delighted with the outcome of our competitive exercises as well as the liberty ports. We all worked hard but, as you will seein the following pages, we also took time out to play hard. The tremendous success of the cruise is a reflection of the dedication, competance, and many extra hours of work put in by so many of you. You can be sure your efforts were often noticed and much appreciated. The successful completion of MED 2-70 is a monument to each officer and crew member on board. It has beena pleasure and honor to have sailed with you. ' 1' f-1 ' 4 .1 f , f i' Q ' 1 f I 'ls b X lb If . , I fi K i.. 1 f ,f ,I . 1 ' Lf' ff! ' A... ..,..,.....--. .... V .Y gpm.. . -Yerefiimmq-221714:

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Ship's Histor The DESOTO COUNTY is the prototype of the LST-1171 class. Her keel was laid in September 1956, and she was launched February 28, 1957. She was commissioned on June 10, 1958, and then assigned to Commander Am- phibious Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, for duty. After initial training in the Caribbean, DESOTO COUNTY deployed to the Mediterranean for seven months in 1959. The year 1961 was highlighted by trips to Scotland and Ireland. DESOTO COUNTY was in Mediterranean for five months in 1962, par- ticipating in training as part of the Sixth Fleet. Deployed in the Caribbean when the Cuba crisis erupted, DESOTO COUNTY was the only Am- phibious Force ship to participate inthe evacua- tion of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base personnel. In December 1963, DESOTO COUNTY headed for the Caribbean on a normal deployment with her squadron. The Panama riots broke out and the squadron remained until the crisis was settled. During the summer of 1964, DESOTO COUNTY cruised the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes displaying the capabilities of the Navy-Marine Corps team. She visited 17 cities during the cruise and hosted almost half a million visitors. In November 1964 DESOTO COUNTY participated in STEELPIKE I. Staged in Spain, it was the largest peacetime amphibious landing ever conducted. After extensive operations and type training in 1965, the ship deployed to the Caribbean as part of the Amphibious Ready Group in the spring of 1966. During August and September DESOTO COUNTY made three trips to the Dominican Republic, following the crisis in that country, to embark' Army personnel for return to North Carolina. DESOTO COUNTY returned to the Caribbean twice in the spring of 1967, taking part in Operation CLOVEHITCH III, a joint Navy- Army-Air Force exercise. The ship deployed to the Mediterranean with Amphibious Squadron Two as a unit of Med 2-67 in August, and re- turned to Little Creek in February 1968. The last half of 1968 found DESOTO COUNTY in the shipyard for regular overhaul. Following refresher training, DESOTO COUNTY deployed in May 1969 to the Caribbean for five months with Amphibious Squadron Ten as a unit of Carib 2-69. After participating in various local opera- tions during the remainder of 1969 and on into early 1970, DESOTO COUNTY again deployed to the Caribbean in April 1970 for approximately one month, visiting St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, briefly. Upon the ship's return to Little Creek, a period of leave and upkeep followed, only interrupted briefly by a visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as PHIBLANT School Ship in June 1970.