USS LST-279

USS Berkeley County (LST-279) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for counties in South Carolina and West Virginia, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. LST-279 was laid down on 2 July 1943 at Ambridge, Pennsylvania by the American Bridge Company; launched on 19 September 1943; sponsored by Miss Marion Ruth Warsack; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana on 25 October 1943. After fitting out at the Naval Station Algiers, New Orleans, LST-279 loaded supplies and ammunition before proceeding to St. Andrews Bay, Panama City, Florida for her shakedown cruise. While there, her crew practiced beach maneuvers and held communications and gunnery drills. In mid-November, she returned to New Orleans where the tank landing ship (LST) received minor alterations at the Pendleton Ship Yards. She then proceeded independently to New York, and from there on to Davisville, Rhode Island to load supplies and cargo. Moving on to Halifax, Nova Scotia in early January 1944, she got underway in convoy for Europe later that month. After arriving at Plymouth, England on 7 February and unloading tank deck cargo, the LST engaged in various training maneuvers between Plymouth, Salcombe, and Dartmouth off the southern coast of England. Assigned to Flotilla 28 in May, the tank landing ship was placed under British operational control for the upcoming landings in France. She then spent the days immediately before the Normandy invasion in the western Solent, Southampton, undergoing further training with British troops. On 6 June 1944, LST-279 moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, where she loaded British troops and vehicles before joining a convoy for Normandy. On the morning of 7 June, the tank landing ship beached and unloaded her charges in the Green sector of Juno Beach. Casualties then came on board for the return trip to Portsmouth. On her next convoy run, however, the tank landing ship ran into trouble. German E-boats, operating from Cherbourg, torpedoed the ocean tug and closed the LST convoy.