Photo Gallery
1
DeSoto
County Pictures
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Updated October 27, 2005
The deck crew I served with in 1962/63.
The
Great Lakes Cruise - 1964
This
page has pictures taken during the Great Lakes Cruise
of
the DeSoto County, graciously provided by our Captain
at
that time, LtCmdr H.D. Mann.
Shakedown
This
picture was just sent to me by Doyle Neal, Plankowner
and
member of the DeSoto's shakedown cruise. Picture was
taken
as the DeSoto steamed down the Mississippi on her way
to
shakedown. Thank you, Doyle.
(Click on image for larger picture - hit Back to return)
My
pictures of the DeSoto County
This is looking at the ship from behind, port side,
and we're carrying a causeway on each side for amphibian
landings.
We can carry up to four.
And here I am, ready for action and danger(?)
at my GQ battle station, Local Surface Operator on one of our three 3"
50 gun mounts.
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Hard to believe that I was ever this skinny, but
here I am at our ship's barbeque in Panama in January of 1964. What
a difference 41 years makes!
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A couple miscellaneous pics that
I have found in some old slides
This is our Captain's Gig, coming alongside off P.R.
Not sure of the date, but during operations off Vieques.
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This is the main deck, loaded.
Took this pic in Panama, 12/63
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Here is a picture sent to me by George Shumate.
You Gators know it was taken underway from the flying bridge.
I really like this picture!
Atlantic swells in 1959.
Speaking of 1959...
There was a Med cruise that
year. Joe Morris was a QM3 on the USS Grant County
LST 1174, which made the
Med cruise with the Big D. He just sent me these pictures
of the 1171. Anybody
remember tangling anchors with the USS Caperton?
Thank you Joe, for these
pictures.
This one shows the anchor
chain locked
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This one shows the UDT
unhooking the chains
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This is the hydrafoil from
R.D.C. to Messina
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This is our beloved Big D
steaming alonside the Grant
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1962 Med Cruise
Pictures sent by Henry Ruiz
A couple pictures from '64/'65
These are a couple pictures
sent in by Ken Friske from Panama
and from Spain - Operation
Steelpike.
Change
of Command - 1972
Here
are a couple pictures of the changing of command between the Italian Navy
and
our own. These pictures were graciously sent ot me by Conley Peters,
a
Boatswain's Mate on the DeSoto at the ceremony. Thanks, Conley.
The
picture on the left shows both the York County LST 1175,and the DeSoto
County LST 1171.
The
York is on the left side of the picture.
The DeSoto County spent 20 years
serving in the
Italian Navy. This is how
she looked.
This photo was taken by Ignacio
Lopes in Brindisi, Italy
Ignacio is a veteran of the Spanish
Navy.
I have expanded the gallery to
include pictures of other T's.
Our sister ships in the 1171
class are shown at Gallery
2 , and
other T's, of course,
are also welcome. I will try to accommodate
as many pictures as I can, so
please send me your favorites to post.
My prime objective, however
is for "Super T" pictures.
Thanks.
The 1171 in the Med - 1969
Helo operations in Med - 1969
Photos by Conley Peters
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One tight fit!
Also by Conley Peters
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Return to Military Index
Gallery
2 - Other LSTs and Amphibious Ship Pictures
Here she is
once more, underway, going somewhere!
A sad, but fond farewell
to the DeSoto County
This picture is taken from the pages of the Italian Naval
magazine,
NOTIZIARIO DELLA MARINA March, 2000.
It shows the Nave GRADO, (L9890), better know to us as
the proud USS DESOTO COUNTY (LST 1171) under tow
to her final demolition.
(Geez! That was surprisingly hard to write!)
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