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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Lost to enemy action, 28 April 1944

USS LST-507

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Xray - Victor
NDXV

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 28 April 1944)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

LST-1 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 8 September 1943, at Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN.

Launched, 16 November 1943

Commissioned USS LST-507, 10 January 1944, LT. James S. Swarts, USNR in command.

During World War II USS LST-507 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater

Sunk by a German E-Boat torpedo attack off Slapton Sands, England, 28 April 1944, during Operation Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy invasion. LST 507 went down with 16 Army trucks and landing craft on deck and 22 amphibious DUKWs in her hold. Torpedoed by 40-knot German E-boats based in Cherbourg, 202 US servicemen from this vessel were killed. In total US 638 servicemen lost their lives in Exercise Tiger.

Struck from the Naval Register, 9 June 1944

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
	85k	USS LST-507 enroute to the European Theater from the US with a MK5 LCT loaded on her main deck, March 1944.	Robert Hurst
	407k	USS LST-507 at anchor in Brixham Harbor, England, 27 April 1944, This photo was taken the day before USS LST-507was sunk in the English Channel by a German E-boat.	Eugene Kyle
1016050705	104k	Chart of Convoy T4, showing positions of LSTs and E-Boats off Slapton Sands England the night of 27-28 April 1944. dday.overload.com	Tommy Trampp
1016050703	86k	Artist's rendition of the action off Slapton Sands, 28 April 1944, German E-Boat torpedo attack hits USS LST-507.	Tommy Trampp
1016050704	247k	Surviving Officers from USS LST-507 and USS LST-531. Ensign Alexander Brown, Far Left, Standing (Deceased August, 1995) Also pictured, Ensign Douglas Harlander, *LST-531, kneeling middle; and Dr. Eugene Eckstam, LST-507*, far right, standing)	Tommy Trampp

USS LST-507
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Swarts. James S., USNR	10 January 1944 - 28 April 1944


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
Exercise Tiger: Disaster at Slapton Sands 28 April 1944
Exercise Tiger - The Quiet Sacrifice
Historic England -American Landing Ships Involved in D-Day Rehearsals
Alexander Z "Jerry" Brown Story - LST-507
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 9 July 2021