USS Dukes County

	LST-735 off Wonsan, Korea c. 1953
History
United States
Name	USS LST-735
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Neville Island, Pittsburgh
Laid down	30 January 1944
Launched	11 March 1944
Commissioned	26 April 1944
Decommissioned	March 1946
Recommissioned	3 November 1950
Renamed	USS Dukes County (LST-735), 1 July 1955
Decommissioned	1957
Stricken	1 November 1974
Honours and; awards	4 battle stars (World War II); 3 battle stars (Korea);
Fate	Leased to the Republic of China, May 1957
Stricken	1 November 1974
Fate	Sold to the Republic of China, 1974
History
Taiwan
Name	ROCS Chung Hai (LST-219)
Acquired	May 1957
Renamed	ROCS Kao Hsiung (AGC-1, later LCC-1), 1968
General characteristics
Class and type	Template:Sclass-
Displacement	1,780 long tons (1,809 t) light; 3,640 long tons (3,698 t) full;
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	8 ft (2.4 m) forward; 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) aft;
Propulsion	2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Troops	Approximately 140 officers and enlisted men
Complement	8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted men
Armament	1 × single 3"/50 caliber gun mount; 8 × 40 mm guns; 12 × 20 mm guns;

USS Dukes County (LST-735) was an Template:Sclass- built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Dukes County, Massachusetts, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

LST-735 was laid down on 30 January 1944 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation of Neville Island; launched on 11 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. G. W. Fearnside; and commissioned on 26 April 1944 at New Orleans, Louisiana with Lieutenant Theodore F. Aldous in command.

Service history

During World War II, LST-735 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: capture and occupation of Saipan (August 1944); Lingayen Gulf landing (January 1945); Zambales-Subic Bay (January 1945); and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (March through June 1945).

LST-735 was decommissioned in March 1946 and reactivated on 3 November 1950 when she performed service during the Korean War and after with Commander Mine Forces, Pacific. Assigned as a minesweeper support ship in July 1951, she made a Korean War deployment in 1952-53 and had additional Western Pacific tours in 1953-54 and 1955-56.

Renamed USS Dukes County (LST-735) 1 July 1955, the ship was subsequently decommissioned (date unknown) and leased to the Republic of China (Taiwan) in May 1957 and again renamed Chung Hai (LST-219). She was outfitted in January 1962 as an amphibious command ship and renamed Kao Hsiung (AGC-1, later LCC-1). Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1974, she was sold to Taiwan.

Kao Hsiung later underwent refurbishment along with the rest of the ROCN's fleet of tank landing ships and is still serving with the ROC Navy and was visited in March 2012 by Fleet Master Chief John Minyard of Pacific Fleet Command. He reported that she is in outstanding condition and is battle ready. In 2016 She was selected to host as Mark 41 Vertical Launching System test bed for Taiwan.

LST-735 earned four battle stars for World War II service and three for Korean service.

Notes

^ Bridgeman, Leonard. "313." Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. p. 1973 ships. ISBN 1 85170 493 0.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

"LST-735". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
"LST-735 Dukes County". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved 12 June 2007.