THE FINAL FATE
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The story of final fate of  the LST 887 can be found in the volumes of  "Jane's Fighting Ships".

From Jane's 1962-1963:
Page 371, Tank Landing Ships-U.S.A.
"Lawrence County LST 887 and Russell County LST 1090 were transferred to Indonesia". (This sentence occurs between sentences naming other LST's transferred during 1961)

Page127, Landing Ships-Indonesia
10 Ex-U.S. LST "511-1152" Type
Tandjung Nusanive(ex-U.S.S. Lawrence County, LST 887)
Tandjung Radja(ex-U.S.S. Russell County, LST 1090)
(also listed exUS-LSTs 1128, 616, 652, 657 and 4 unidentified)

From Jane's 1966-1967, 1969-1970, 1970-1971, 1975-1976
Tandjung Nusanive(ex-U.S.S. Lawrence County, LST 887) listed 

From Jane's 1978-1979
Tandjung Nusanive is not listed.
Note: Page 232, 
under Deletions:
1974 Tandjung Nusanive


Around 1994, I began a long series of telephone calls with Colonel Fanz Wung Wuwung, who at the time was the Naval Atache at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C. He was not familiar with this ship and was confused because there is  now another ship in the Indonesian Navy ( not an LST ) which is named "Tandjung Nusanive".  I had hoped to learn more as to the final details of  the end of the 887.
Colonel Wuwung told me he was making inquires about the first Tandjung Nusanive, but his answer was always the same. No one in the Indonesian Navy knew anything  about the ship.  He told me that the Admiral was coming to Washington and he hoped to learn more information at that time.  Unfortunatly the answer was always the same.

Since this is 20 years after the ship was deleted from the rolls, many people probably have not heard of the ship.  In addition for those who don't follow the foreign news, Indonesia is a very strange place by our standards.  The country is run in a completly different way than the US.  One would think that someone would be keeping records of their ships, but like I said its a strange place.

In any event I haven't given up hope.  I've recently made some new contacts and am making plans to learn the end of the story from different sources.