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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-7


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Sierra - Victor
 NFSV

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 July 1942, at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA.
  • Launched, 31 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-7, 2 March 1943, LT. Frank O'Neil USN in command
  • During World War II, USS LST-7 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943 .
  • Decommissioned, 21 May 1946;
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946
  • USS LST-7 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition: sold for scrapping, 7 October 1947, to Lewis Green, Jr., of Charleston, S.C.
    Specifications:
    Displacement
    1,625 t.(lt)
    4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    2,366 t. (beaching displacement)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    light 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    sea-going 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    landing 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    limiting 11' 2"
    maximum navigation 14' 1"
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    13 officers
    104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers
    147 enlisted
    Boats 2 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,700shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LST-7
    1016000707    		 261k USS LST-7 about 6 miles southeast of the port of Salerno, Italy, 9-10 September 1943, during Operation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy, Salerno, British Sector, Red Beach.
    TimeLife_image 116139793 by George Rodger, Life Magazine. For personal non-commercial use only.    		 David Upton
    LST-7 85k USS LST-7 officers, Portsmouth, England, date unknown. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LST-7 312k USS LST-7 crew, Portsmouth, England, date unknown. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LST-7 162k USS LST-7 underway at Plymouth, England, circa January 1944. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LST-7 128k USS LST-7 high and dry on Omaha Beach, Normandy, shortly after D-Day, 6 June 1944. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LST-7 181k USS LST-7 high and dry on Omaha Beach, Normandy, shortly after D-Day, 6 June 1944. Crew members John Applegate, left, and Richard Wells, right standing next to one of the ships screws. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LST-7 222k USS LST-7 unloading railroad rolling stock at Cherbourg, France, date unknown. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    USS LST-7
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. O'Neil, Frank, USN2 March 1943 - 22 September 1944 (death by suicide in line of duty)
    02LT. Rhodes, Thomas Luther, USN22 September 1944 - June 1945
    03LT. Kramer, John F., USNRJune 1945 - March 1946
    04LT. Bergeron, Ameda Joseph, USNMarch 1946 - 21 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 November 2021