USS Maricopa County (LST-938)

USS Maricopa County (LST-938) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Maricopa County, Arizona, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Originally laid down as LST-938 on 14 July 1944 at Hingham, Massachusetts by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc.; launched on 15 August 1944; and commissioned on 9 September 1944 with Ensign W. H. Limes in command.

Service history

World War II, 1944–1945

Completion of shakedown in Chesapeake Bay brought assignment to the 7th Fleet. With LCT-1210 aboard, she departed New York on 18 October 1944 and rendezvoused with a convoy near Guantanamo en route the South Pacific. Pausing briefly in the New Hebrides, LST-938 sailed on to Seeadler Harbor, Admiralty Islands, and commenced unloading on 16 December. Having taken on supplies for a PT base on 7 January 1945, she joined a convoy for the partially liberated Philippines, where she operated for next four months.

On 10 March elements of the 41st Infantry Division were put ashore at Zamboanga on the southwest tip of Mindanao. Further south an invasion was pending and on 28 April LST-938 departed Leyte and steamed to Cairns, Australia. Illustrating the cooperative nature of the war effort, LST-938 transported elements of the Australian 7th Infantry Division to the assault beaches at Balikpapan, Borneo, Dutch East Indies. Unscathed after the landing operations of 1 July and the followup resupply missions, she returned to the Philippines on 27...
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