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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST-197


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Charlie - Sierra
 NQCS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - (retroactive - Anzio) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-African-Middle East Campaign Medal (4)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service 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. Thomas S. S. Medford, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LST-197 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, participating 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

  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LST-197 came under the command of
    LST Flotilla Thirty-Five, CAPT. D. H. Johnston USN (22);
    LST Group One Hundred Three, CDR. A L. Warburton USN (24);
    LST Division Two Hundred Six
  • Following World War II USS LST-197 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 19 September to 2 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.
  • USS LST-197 earned four battle stars 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. (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-197 46k USS LST-197 landing near Gela circa July-August 1943.
    Photographs by Major Ivor Manley    		 David Madden
    LST-197 54k
    LST-197 57k
    LST-197
    1016019709    		 106k USS LST-197 and USS LST-314 beached in Salerno Bay, Italy, while disembarking members of the British 5th Infantry Division, 8 September 1943.
    Imperial War Museum Photo NA6668 by Sgt. Bowman    		 Martin Hilgers
    LCI(L)-9 95k USS LST-197 at Pozzuoli Bay, Port of Nisida in February 1944, after the Anzio operations along with from let to right:
    USS LCI(L)-218,
    USS LCI(L)-35,
    USS LCI(L)-231,
    USS LCI(L)-9,
    USS LCI(L)-104,
    USS LCI(L)-215,
    USS LCI(L)-213.
    Note: COMFLOTONE commodore's barge near the open doors USS LST-197.    		 Submitted by Tim Hummel for his father Roy D. Hummel MoMM2/c USN, USS LCI(L)-9 Flotilla 11 and Stan Galik, for his father Stanley Galik, SC2/c, USS LCI 35, courtesy Guiseppi Peluso
    LST-326 94k From left to right: USS LST-326, USS LST-358, USS LST-197, USS LST-377, USS LST-360 and an unidentified LST beached at Ajaccio, Corsica, 25-26 March 1944. The LSTs convoyed from Naples to Ajaccio carrying US troops, equipment, vehicles and supplies. After offloading the Americans at Ajaccio the LSTs loaded French military personnel and their equipment and offloaded them at Nisida, Italy. (See attached (War Diary). Photo originally was owned by US Army Captain Sanner of the 335th Engineer General Service Regiment. Brian Miller
    LST-197/61 44k USS 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 USS LST-197 and USS LST-61 beached at Normandy after 6 June 1944.
    US Navy photo    		 Russ Padden
    LST-197 37k USS LST-197 at Omaha Beach, Normandy, D+3, 9 June 1944. Paul Giordano
    LST-197 489k USS LST-197 off the coast of California in late 1944. Note the causeways secured to her sides. David Buell
    USS LST-197
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
     LT. Newman, Charles, USN (Ferry Command)30 January 1943 - 5 February 1943
    01LT. Medford, Thomas Stanley Swell, USNR5 February 1943 - 26 July 1943
    02LT. Greeff, Bernard, USNR26 July 1943 - 1944
    03LTjg. Neal, James Elijah, USN1944 - 1944
    04LT. Northcutt, Howard E., USNR1944 - 1945
    05LT. Betz, Merle Eugene, USN1945 - ?
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 January 2021