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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-217


USS LST-217 was turned over the United Kingdom for the duration of World War II
LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 2 February 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 13 July 1943
  • Commissioned USS LST-217, 30 July 1943
  • LST-217 never saw active service with the United States Navy
  • Transferred to the United Kingdom, 5 August 1943
  • Royal Navy History
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-217, 7 August 1943
    Sailed from Nova Scotia for Liverpool in convoy SC 143, 28 September 1943
    Converted to Fighter Direction Tender at John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Shipyards, Clydebank, Scotland
    Re-commissioned HM FDT-127, 13 February 1944
    HM FDT-127 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 23 June 1944, providing aircraft control for US and British fighters in the eastern half of the assault area
    Paid off 16 April 1946 and returned to US Navy custody
  • Returned to United States Navy custody, 12 February 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 December 1947, to James A. Hughes, New York, N.Y.
    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
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    View the LST-217
    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
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2004, Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 27 October 2006