BRP Benguet

	BRP Benguet departing at Captain Veloso Pier
History
United States
Name	USS LST-692
Builder	Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company, Jeffersonville, Indiana
Laid down	7 February 1944
Launched	31 March 1944
Commissioned	10 May 1944
Decommissioned	1946
Recommissioned	1951
Decommissioned	2020
Renamed	USS Daviess County (LST-689), 1 July 1955
Namesake	Daviess County
Stricken	1 June 1964
Honours and; awards	1 battle star (World War II); 2 battle stars (Korea);
Fate	Transferred to the Philippines, 13 September 1976
Philippines
Name	BRP Benguet (LS-507)
Namesake	Province of Benguet
Operator	Philippine Navy
Acquired	13 September 1976
Renamed	BRP Benguet (LT-507) – until April 2016; BRP Benguet (LS-507) – from April 2016;
Status	Decommissioned
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-542-class tank landing ship
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	Unloaded :; 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft; Loaded :; 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft;
Propulsion	2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing ; craft carried	2 LCVPs
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;

BRP Benguet (LS-507) is a LST-542-class tank landing ship, currently serving the Philippine Navy.

Formerly known as USS Daviess County (LST-692), it was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. She served in World War II and during the Korean War. The US Government transferred Daviess County to the Philippine Navy in 1976, which renamed her BRP Benguet (LT-507). A new classification system implemented in April 2016 changed her hull number from LT-507 to LS-507.

Service history

United States service

LST-692 was laid down on 7 February 1944 at Jeffersonville, Indiana, by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 31 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Alma D. Voelker; and commissioned on 10 May 1944.

During World War II, LST-692 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the invasion of southern France in August and September, 1944. Decommissioned in 1946, she was placed in the reserve fleet at Green Cove Springs, Florida until reactivated in 1951. She performed active service during the Korean War and thereafter. LST-692 was redesignated USS Daviess County (LST-692) on 1 July 1955.

LST-692 earned one battle star for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean service.

Daviess County was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1964 and transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) where she operated as T-LST-692.

Philippine service

The US Government transferred Daviess County to the Philippine Navy on 13 September 1976, which renamed her to BRP Benguet (LT-507). In 1999, the Philippines stationed Benguet on Scarborough Shoal. China then urged the Philippines to remove her, and the Philippines immediately replied that it would do so. However, the Philippines only removed BRP Benguet from Scarborough Shoal shortly before the official visit of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to Manila.^[1] After that removal she went aground again on Thitu Island in 2004, but was removed again and still serves the Philippine Navy today.

In September 2018, the BRP Benguet along with the BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407), BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and BRP Nestor Reinoso (PG-380) secured and assisted the BRP Gregorio del Pilar (FF-15) which ended up being grounded at the Half Moon Shoal in the South China Sea. The BRP Gregorio del Pilar was eventually pulled out from the shoal a couple of days later.^[2]^[3]

Citations

^ "ASEAN Summit to Face Spratly Dispute". China News Digest – Global. 15 November 1999. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
^ “PCG Team Arrives at Hasa-hasa Shoal to Help Extract Grounded Navy Frigate”
^ “Major Dockyard Repair Awaits BRP Gregorio Del Pilar”

References

"LST-692". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
"LST-692 Daviess County". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved 12 June 2007.

[1] "ASEAN Summit to Face Spratly Dispute". China News Digest – Global. 15 November 1999. Retrieved 1 March 2008.

[2] “PCG Team Arrives at Hasa-hasa Shoal to Help Extract Grounded Navy Frigate”

[3] “Major Dockyard Repair Awaits BRP Gregorio Del Pilar”

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