The USS Maricopa County (LST-938) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II, exemplifying the versatile amphibious vessels of its era. Constructed by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard in Hingham, Massachusetts, she was laid down on 14 July 1944, launched on 15 August 1944, and commissioned shortly thereafter on 9 September 1944. As a typical LST-542-class vessel, her primary design featured a large, flat-bottomed hull capable of beaching directly onto shore to deliver tanks, vehicles, and troops. Following her shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, she was assigned to the 7th Fleet and quickly deployed to the Pacific Theater. Her service record includes participating in critical operations such as unloading at Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralty Islands in December 1944, supporting the Philippines campaign from January 1945, and participating in the assault on Balikpapan, Borneo, in July 1945, where she transported elements of the Australian 7th Infantry Division. Her wartime activities also involved resupply missions and occupation duties in Japan, including disembarking occupation troops in Tokyo in September 1945. Post-war, she served along the China coast until mid-1946, after which she returned to the United States. Between 1946 and 1949, she functioned as a Naval Reserve training ship at Bayonne, New Jersey, and Gulfport, Mississippi. With the outbreak of the Korean War, she was reactivated and recommissioned on 14 December 1951, serving as a Marine Corps training vessel based at Little Creek, Virginia, until her decommissioning in early 1956. Renamed Maricopa County on 1 July 1955, she was eventually transferred to the Republic of Vietnam in 1962, where she was commissioned as RVNS Da Nang (HQ-501). Later, she was captured by North Vietnamese forces in 1975 and entered service with the Vietnam People's Navy as Tran Khanh Du (HQ-501), remaining active into 2017. Her service earned her two battle stars for World War II, marking her as a notable vessel in both American and Vietnamese naval histories.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.