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U.S.S. CATAMOUNT

(LSD-17)

THE UGLY DUCKLING

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USS CATAMOUNT (LSD-17) - a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship

In Commission 1944 to 1970

LSD-17 Deployments - Major Events

Add a LSD-17 Shellback Initiation Add a LSD-17 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
APR1942- Shellback Initiation - 13 APR 1942 - Atlantic Ocean
APR1942- Shellback Initiation - 13 APR 1942 - Atlantic Ocean
JUN1942-DEC1942Caribbean
JUN1942-DEC1942Caribbean
JUN1944-Commissioned: 5 JUN 1944
JAN1945-Launch Date: 27 JAN 1945
JUL1945-Shellback Initiation - 8 JUL 1945 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1955-FEB1955Evacuation Chiang Kai-Shek
SEP1955-AUG1956operation red wing
JAN1956-SEP1956Operation Redwing Atomic Tests
JUL1956-Shellback Initiation - 27 JUL 1956 - Pacific Ocean
MAY1957-AUG1957Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
JUN1960-SEP1963West Pac-Viet Nam
JUL1960-Shellback Initiation - 3 JUL 1960 - Pacific Ocean
JUL1960-Shellback Initiation - 19 JUL 1960 - Pacific Ocean
JUL1961- Shellback Initiation - 3 JUL 1961 - Pacific Ocean
AUG1961-FEB1962West Pac
NOV1962-NOV1962TRIP UP THE SAIGON RIVER
DEC1963-MAY1964West Pac
JAN1964-JAN1965West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1964-JAN1965West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1965-NOV1966West Pac-Viet Nam
DEC1965-APR1966West Pac-Viet Nam
DEC1965-JUN1966West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB1967-DEC1967West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1969-SEP1969West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1969-SEP1969West Pac-Viet Nam
MAR1970-Decommissioned: 31 MAR 1970

LSD-17 General Specifications

Complement: 17 Officers and 237 Enlisted

Displacement: 7930 tons

Length: 457 feet 9 inches

Beam: 72 feet 2 inches

Draft: 8 feet 2 in

Flank Speed: 17 knots

Final Disposition: Sold for scrap 4 December 1975



USS CATAMOUNT (LSD-17)



Catamount (LSD-17) was launched 27 January 1945 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Newport News Va.; sponsored by Mrs. D. E. Satterfield Jr.;commissioned 9 April 1945 Commander C. A. Swafford in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet.


Catamount sailed out of Pearl Harbor 16 June 1945 laden with landing craft for Guam and Eniwetok. Through the remainder of the war she ferried landing craft dredges and other equipment from Espiritu Santo to Kwajalein Guam and the Philippines. On 19 August she cleared Guam with special equipment to be used in the occupation of Japan and on 26 August she stood up Tokyo Bay. Here she operated a boat pool and tended landing craft until 6 October when she cleared on the first of two voyages to Manila to ferry troops and boats for the Japanege occupation. After a final voyage from Guam to Samar Catamount cleared for San Francisco and Norfolk where she arrived 11 February 1946. Joining the Atlantic Fleet Catamount took part in amphibious training and midshipman cruises until the outbreak of the Korean Conflict.


Leaving Norfolk 15 August 1950 Catamount called at San Diego en route Kobe where she embarked marines bound for the magnificently planned and executed invasion of Inchon. In the landings at Wonsan Catamount sailed with the important repair and salvage group. It was in November 1950 at Chinnampo port city of Pyongyang that Catamount achieved a notable first when she became the first LSD to take part in minesweeping operations. It was essential that this port be opened so that the advancing Army ashore could be supplied by sea and all types of minesweepers were summoned for the urgent task. Catamount served as tanker and supply ship to this varied fleet as well as mothering a swarm of LCVP's which were able to sweep waters too shallow for larger craft.


In December Catamount took part in the skillful withdrawal of marines and soldiers from Hungnam to Pusan then returned to Yokosuka to replenish. She returned to tend landing craft at Korean ports through April 1951 when she began duty transporting equipment and supplies from Sasebo to Inchon and Pusan. On 31 May she cleared Yokosuka for an overhaul at San Diego.


Catamount had two more tours of duty in the Korean War from 3 November 1951 to 24 July 1962 [1952?] and from 29 October 1952 to 8 April 1953. She made her first post-war tour from 5 August 1953 to 18 April 1954. During each of these tours she tended small craft and transported personnel as well as taking part in exercises off Japan and Okinawa. From her base at San Diego she conducted local operations and in the summer of 1954 made two voyages to Naknek Alaska with landing craft and oil barges.


On 3 January 1955 Catamount cleared for the Far East once again arriving at Yokosuka 25 January. Almost at once she sailed for the Taiwan Straits to take part in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands early in February. She returned to San Diego 24 April. After local operations she spent 16 January to 30 August 1956 in the central Pacific in Operation "Redwing " a nuclear test. In the summer of 1957 Catamount sailed from Seattle Wash. on resupply missions to stations of the Distant Early Warning Line in the Arctic. From 12 June to 8 December 1958 she cruised in the Far East once more returning for duty off the coast of southern California. Among her assignments was qualifying helicopter pilots in landings on ships of her type and participating in amphibious landing exercises based on the relatively new concept of vertical envelopment. Special operations off the northwest coast of the United States and British Columbia in the spring and summer of 1959 preceded a deployment to Hawaii for amphibious training. Later in the year she was overhauled in Portland Oreg. returning to operations from San Diego 25 March 1960. After a brief period of operations and supplementary overhaul in San Diego Catamount sailed on 25 June on a special mission carrying landing craft to southern Chile devastated by earthquakes. Transferred to the Chilean Navy these landing craft provided critically needed transportation in regions where piers had been destroyed by tidal waves. Catamount returned to San Diego on 13 August operated on the west coast and on 22 November sailed for another tour with the 7th Fleet in the Far East.


Catamount received seven battle stars for Korean War service.

[Note: The above USS CATAMOUNT (LSD-17) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS CATAMOUNT (LSD-17) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]