1943 convoy duty She was first assigned to the
Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater. Departing
Little Creek, Virginia, on 27 July 1943,
LST-17 headed for
Oran, Algeria, arriving there on 14 August 1943. She sailed with
Convoy KMS 23 during part of its journey from
Gibraltar, to
Port Said, Egypt, sailing from Oran, to
Bizerta, Tunisia.
LST-17 sailed from
Algiers, Algeria, to Port Said, Egypt, in October 1943, this time joining with
Convoy UGS 19. On 3 November, she set out with nine other LSTs from
Aden, Yemen, for
Bombay, India, arriving on 10 November. She left the next day for
Colombo,
British Ceylon, arriving on 16 November. At the end of December she left
Calcutta, with 11 LSTs headed for Colombo, British Ceylon, arriving 27 December 1943.
1944 convoy duty/Normandy invasion LST-17 joined
Convoy MKS 38 at Bizerta, in January 1944, as it was en route to Gibraltar, arriving 1 February. Forming
Convoy MKS 38G, she rendezvoused with
Convoy SL 147 and sailed for
Liverpool on 2 February, arriving on 13 February 1944.
LST-17 arrived at
Milford Haven, Wales, on 3 March 1944. Leaving Milford Haven on 3 March 1944, she proceeded to
Portland and returned to Milford Haven on 15 March 1944. On 31 March, she left for
Lough Foyle and then visited in turn
Derry,
Roseneath (sic),
Plymouth, Senny Cliff Bay,
Weymouth,
Solent and
Southampton, returning to Solent, on 28 May 1944, to prepare for the
Normandy invasion, towing
Rhino barges on which were railway equipment for use in France. She sailed to the sea off
Normandy, detaching the Rhino barges to the beach at 16:15 on 6 June 1944. At 20:10 she received the first group of casualties via
DUKWs and returned to Solent, on 7 June. She left Solent, for her second trip to France, on 9 June, anchoring off the Normandy beach at 03:35 on 10 June, moving pontoons ashore and returned to Solent, 11 June, proceeding to Southampton the next day. On 15 June, she left Southampton and anchored off France. The following day she beached at "JIG GREEN" on the
"Gold" assault areas at 11:08 with
British and
Canadian troops. She left the beach on 17 June, and returned to
Tilbury, England, proceeding to Solent, on 20 June. She left Solent on 23 June 1944, and beached at Normandy, France, at 16:39 that day, returning to Solent, on 24 June. Again on 27 June, she left Solent and beached in Normandy, France, at 18:48, leaving Normandy, on 28 June, and arriving at Tilbury, on 29 June. She departed
Southend on 30 June, arriving at
Seine Bay,
France, on 1 July 1944, with
Convoy ETM 22.
LST-17 sailed for London, on 4 July. Her next trip was on 14 July 1944, when she left
Thames Dry Dock and arrived at Normandy, on the same day, returning to Southampton on 16 July. Again on 18 July, she left Southampton, this time for
Utah Beach, Normandy, France, leaving there on 19 July, and arriving at Weymouth, England on 20 July. She left Weymouth on 21 July, and arrived at
Omaha Beach that same day and returned to Portland. From this time until September 1944, she made continuous trips between Utah Beach and England. Arriving at
Cornwall, on 17 September 1944, she departed for Norfolk, Virginia, on 5 October 1944, and taking on fuel and provisions at Norfolk, on 24 October, she arrived at
Boston, on 26 October 1944, for overhaul. On 10 November 1944, her Coast Guard crew was "relieved of manning"
LST-17.
1945 convoy duty LST-17 left from
New York City, on 26 January 1945, as part of
Convoy NG 486 bound for
Guantánamo, Cuba, where she arrived on 2 February. She then left the next day as part of
Convoy GZ 119 en route to the
Panama Canal Zone and
Cristóbal, Colón, where she arrived on 6 February. ==Post war==