Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LST(H)-247
ex
USS LST-247 (1943 - 1945)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - November - Zulu
NPNZ

---

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal

---

During World War II USS LST-247 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LST Flotilla Five, CAPT. G.B. Carter, USN;
LST Group Fifteen, CDR. V. K. Busck, USN;
LST Division Seventy-Nine and participated in the following campaigns;

Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Marianas Islands operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 28 July 1944	Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 16 March 1945

Final Disposition, sold, 14 October 1947, to William E. Skinner for scrapping

---

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		Contributed By
1016022004	148k	USS LST-247 is beached to the left of USS LST-220 while a DUKW is driven down the ramp of USS LST-220 during re-supply operations on the Guam beachhead, July-August 1944. US National Archives photo # USMC 87833		US Naval History and Heritage Command
	94k	USS LST-247 at Guadalcanal, flying barrage balloons.		Richard Fox for his father Ronald Fox LST-247 crew member
	38k	USS LST-247 at Guadalcanal, date unknown.		Hyperwar US Navy in World War II web site
1016022004	148k	USS LST-247 beached to the left of USS LST-220 while a DUKW is driven down the ramp of USS LST-220 during re-supply operations on the Guam beachhead, July-August 1944. US National Archives National Archives ID #74250807		US Naval History and Heritage Command
1016024102	239k	USS LST-241 with LCT(6)-1364 loaded on her main deck, USS LST-481 and USS LST-247 beached, 7 February 1945, in Apra Harbor Guam. US National Archives Identifier 295395832, COMSERRON 12 War Diary, 2/1-28/45 page 18.		David Upton
1016024703	488k	USS LST-247 beached at Iwo Jima on D-day +1, 20 February 1945. US National Archives photo # 74250807, a USMC photo now in the collections of the US National Archives		David Upton

---

USS LST-247
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

---

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Converse, Elliot VanVeltner, USNR	26 August 1943 - 21 September 1944
02	LT. Hargan, Charles H., USNR	21 September 1944 - 28November 1944
03	LT. Thacher Jr., Lother Russell, USNR	28 November 1944 - 24 May 1945
04	LT. Snead, Rayner V., USNR	24 May 1945 - 1 July 1945
05	LTjg. Kidder, Henry B., USNR (acting CO)	1 July 1945 - 31 July 1945
06	LT. Pearson, Ralph V., USNR	31 July 1945 - 3 September 1945
07	LTjg, Kidder, Henry B., USNR	3 September 1945 - 18 January 1946
08	LT. Wurm, Eugene L., USNR	18 January 1946 - 14 March 1946
09	LTjg. Caliga, Charles F., USNR	14 March 1946 - 2 July 1946

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
History of LST Flotilla Seven
LST Flotilla Five War Diary May 1944
LST Flotilla Five War Diary July 1944
The USS LST Ship Memorial
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 Photo (LST) Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 9 June 2023