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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-197

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (17 KIA at Anzio)
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 June 1942, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 13 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LST-197, 5 February 1943. LT. T. S. Medford, USNR, in command During World War II LST-197 was assigned to the European 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 West coast of Italy operations-1944
    Anzio-Nettuno advanced landing, 22 January to 1 March 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • LST-197 was reassigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 5 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 31 October 1947, to Luria Steel and Trading Co., New York, N.Y.
  • LST-197 earned four battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
    Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    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)
    Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    7 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
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-9 84k LST-197 at Pozzuoli Bay, Port of Nisida in February 1944, after the Anzio operations along with from let to right:
    LCI(L)-218,
    LCI(L)-35,
    LCI(L)-231,
    LCI(L)-9,
    LCI(L)-104,
    LCI(L)-215,
    LCI(L)-213.
    Note: COMFLOTONE commodore's barge near the open doors LST-197.    		 Submitted by Tim Hummel for his father Roy D. Hummel MoMM2/c USN, USS LCI(L)-9 Flotilla 11
    LST-197/61 44k LST-197 going into drydock after Anzio where she was hit by German RR guns and lost 17 men killed in action. The LCI in the foreground is unidentified. Paul Giordano
    LST-197/61 69k LST-197 and LST-61 on beach at Normandy after 6 June 1944
    US Navy photo    		 Russ Padden
    LST-197 37k LST-197 at Omaha Beach, Normandy, D+3, 9 June 1944. Paul Giordano
    View the LST-197
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To the Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 27 October 2006