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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-517

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Yankee - Victor
NDYV

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 10 September 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.

Launched, 15 January 1944

Commissioned USS LST-517, 7 February 1944, LT. James T. Schermerhorn, USN, in command

During World War II USS LST-517 was assigned to the Europe-Africa Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

Decommissioned, 21 December 1945

Struck from the Naval Register, 21 January 1946

Final Disposition, transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal, January 1947, fate unknown

USS LST-517 earned one battle star for World War II service

Specifications:

Displacement

1,625 t.(lt)

4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)

2,366 t.

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
1016051705	214k	USS LST-517 crew photo, taken after , 27 November 1944, in an English port. LTjg. Charles F. Simonet USNR, Executive Officer, front row, fourth officer in from the left; LT. James T. Schermerhorn, USN, Commanding Officer, front row, fifth officer in from the left.	Photo - Ernie Galgoci for his father Ernest C. Galgoci USS LST-517 Caption - Andrea Pearce for her great uncle, Charles Frederick Simonet LST-517
	195k	USS LST-517 Engineering Division, probably, taken after, 27 November 1944, in an English port. Ernest Galgoci is 3rd from the left in the second row.	Ernie Galgoci for his father Ernest C. Galgoci USS LST-517
	138k	USS LST-517 under way, probably on the Mississippi i River after leaving the Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL, shipyard and on her way to New Orleans for fitting out, circa February 1944.
	287k	USS LST-517 moored pierside, probably at, New Orleans for fitting out, circa late February 1944.	Ernie Galgoci for his father Ernest C. Galgoci USS LST-517
	291k	USS LST-517 beached on Utah Beach in Normandy while off loading tanks of the French 2nd Armored Division, 2 August 1944.	Ernie Galgoci for his father Ernest C. Galgoci USS LST-517
1016051708 SC 192468	355k	USS LST-517 beached on Utah Beach in Normandy while off loading tanks of the French 2nd Armored Division, 2 August 1944. US National Archives Identifier 176888142 US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 192468 and US National Archives Identifier 176888728 US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 332472.	David Upton
1016051709 SC 332472	198k		David Upton
1016051702 SC 199797	886k	USS LST-517 beached on Utah Beach in Normandy while off loading tanks of the French 2nd Armored Division, 2 August 1944. US Army Signal Corps photo #'s SC 199797 and SC 199796 from the collections of the US National Archives.	Dave Kerr
1016051703 SC 199796	1050k		Dave Kerr

USS LST-517
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Schermerhorn, James Thomas, USN	7 February 1944 - August 1945
02	LT. Raymond, Henry H., USN	August 1945 - 21 December 1945


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

Last Updated 24 June 2022