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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-357

Nicknamed by her crew "Palermo Pete"

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Delta - Golf
NZDG

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal (3)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
Personnel Awards

Navy Cross (LTjg. Warren C. Gill, USCG, U.S.S LST-357, 10 July 1943) Citation
Purple Hearts (LTjg. Warren C. Gill, USCG, 10 July 1943), Salerno (90 WIA/KIA)

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 24 October 1942, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.

Launched, 16 November 1942

Commissioned USS LST-357, 8 February 1943, Lt. George Vaughn USN, in command

During World War II USS LST-357 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**European Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Sicilian occupation Licada,Sicily 10 July 1943	Invasion of Normandy Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944
Salerno landings 9 September 1943	.

Following World War II LST-357 performed occupation duty in the Far East in October and November 1945

Decommissioned, 8 June 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 April 1948, to the Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA.

USS LST-357 earned three battle stars for World War II service

"We transported British Soldiers from Tripoli into Salerno, Italy. After the initial invasions we made many backup trips to the above with tanks, troops and supplies. At Salerno we suffered 90 some casualties including the skipper, Lt. George Vaughn who survived. On our return to our home port of Bizerte or whatever other port in North Africa we were assigned we transported prisoners and casualties as required.". William M. Peacock, Quartermaster, USS LST 357, 8 February 1943 to 16 August 1944

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

9 officers, 120 enlisted
Troop Accommodations

14 officers, 131 enlisted
Boats 2 or 6 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

Size	Image Description	Source
84k	*LST-357* launching, 16 November 1942, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, SC. US Navy photo.	Bob Hall
66k	*LST-357* after launching, 16 November 1942, on the Cooper River, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, SC. US Navy photo.	Bob Hall
104k	USS LST-357 beached at Salerno, Italy, 9 September 1943. US National Archives photo # 80-G-82347, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	William M. Peacock, LST-357
57k	USS LST-357 ready for inspection in a southern English port by King George VI, circa May 1944.	Warren Storms for his father Fred Storms MoM/c USS LST-357
254k	Newspaper article about King George VI's visit to USS LST-357 which also contains a letter written by Fred Storms to his parents on 7 June 1944 concerning the King's visit.	Warren Storms for his father Fred Storms MoM/c USS LST-357
208k	USS LST-357 loading an ambulance at a southern England port in preparation for the cross channel invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Photo from US Army Center for Military History	Bill Gonyo
134k	USS LST-357 beached on a ramp while loading amphibious DUKS, circa 1944, location unknown.	Robert Hurst
80k	USS LST-357 underway, date and location unknown US Navy photo.	Bob Hall
84k	USS LST-357 beached at Omaha Beach, Normandy, 6 June 1944.	Jesse Iatonna LCT-218

View the USS LST-357
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

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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Last Updated 25 April 2008