Landing Ship Medium

Landing Ship Medium (LSM) were amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy in World War II. Of a size between that of Landing Ships Tank (LST) and Landing Craft Infantry (LCI), 558 LSMs were built for the USN between 1944 and 1945. The majority of vessels built on this frame were regular transports, while several dozen were converted during construction to specialized roles. Most LSMs were scrapped during the Cold War, but several were sold by the United States Department of Defense to foreign nations or private shipping companies.

LSM-1-class Landing Ship Medium (Transport)[]

USS LSM-175 underway off Charleston Navy Yard in 1944.
General characteristics
Class and type	LSM-1 class Landing Ship Medium
Displacement	530 long tons (539 t) empty 900 long tons (914 t) loaded
Length	203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam	34 ft (10 m)
Draft	Landing : 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) forward 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) aft Full load : 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) forward 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) aft
Propulsion	Fairbanks-Morse or GM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, 2 screws
Speed	13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Capacity	5 × medium tanks or 3 × heavy tanks (150 tons max. payload, beaching) or 6 × LVTs or 9 × DUKWs
Troops	54 troops
Complement	4 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament	2 × 40 mm AA guns 4 × 20 mm AA guns

List of LSM-1-class ships[]

LSM(R)-188-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)[]

USS LSM(R)-194 passing under the Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC, 2 December 1944
General characteristics
Class and type	LSM(R)-188-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
Displacement	LSM(R)-188 to LSM(R)-195 : 968 long tons (984 t) loaded LSM(R)-196 to LSM(R)-199 : 1,008 long tons (1,024 t) loaded
Length	203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam	34 ft (10 m)
Draft	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) forward 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) aft
Propulsion	GM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, 2 screws
Speed	13.2 knots (24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Complement	5 officers, 76 enlisted
Armament	LSM(R)-188 to LSM(R)-195 : 1 × 5"/38 caliber gun 2 × 40 mm AA guns 3 × 20 mm AA guns 85 × Mk. 51 automatic rocket launchers LSM(R)-196 to LSM(R)-199 : 1 × 5"/38 caliber gun 2 × 40 mm AA guns 75 × 4-rail Mk. 36 rocket launchers 30 × 6-rail Mk. 30 rocket launchers 85 × Mk. 51 automatic rocket launchers

• USS LSM(R)-188
• USS LSM(R)-189
• USS LSM(R)-190
• USS LSM(R)-191
• USS LSM(R)-192
• USS LSM(R)-193
• USS LSM(R)-194
• USS LSM(R)-195
• USS LSM(R)-196
• USS LSM(R)-197
• USS LSM(R)-198
• USS LSM(R)-199

LSM(R)-401-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)[]

• , later reclassified (LFR-401)
• , later reclassified (LFR-404)
• , later reclassified (LFR-405)
• USS Chariton River (LSM(R)-407)
• USS Clarion River (LSM(R)-409), later reclassified (LFR-409)
• , later reclassified (LFR-412)

LSM(R)-501-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)[]

USS Pee Dee River (LSM(R)-517) underway in 1954
General characteristics
Class and type	LSM-501(R)-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
Displacement	1,175 long tons (1,194 t) loaded
Length	203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam	34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Draft	7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Propulsion	GM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, 2 screws
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Complement	6 officers, 137 enlisted
Armament	1 × 5"/38 caliber gun 4 × 40 mm AA guns 8 × 20 mm AA guns 4 × 4.2 in (110 mm) mortars 20 × continuous loading 5-inch (130 mm) Ship-to-Shore rocket launchers

• , later reclassified (IX-501)
• USS Greenbrier River (LSM(R)-507)
• USS Gunnison River (LSM(R)-508), later reclassified and renamed USS Targeteer (YV-3)
• , later reclassified (LFR-512)
• , later reclassified (LFR-513)
• , later reclassified (LFR-515)
• USS Pee Dee River (LSM(R)-517)
• USS Powder River (LSM(R)-519)
• , later reclassified (LFR-522)
• USS Saint Croix River (LSM(R)-524)
• USS St. Francis River (LSM(R)-525), later reclassified (LFR-525)
• USS St. Joseph's River (LSM(R)-527)
• USS St. Mary's River (LSM(R)-528)
• USS St. Regis River (LSM(R)-529)
• , later reclassified (LFR-531)
• USS White River (LSM(R)-536), later reclassified (LFR-536)

Gypsy-class Salvage Lifting Vessels[]

USS Gypsy (ARS(D)-1) underway at Houston, Texas, in 1946
General characteristics
Class and type	Gypsy-class Salvage Lifting Vessels
Displacement	816 long tons (829 t)
Length	224 ft 9 in (68.50 m)
Beam	34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)
Draft	8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
Propulsion	Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, 1,440 shp (1,074 kW), direct drive, 2 screws
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range	4,900 nmi (9,100 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	65 officers and enlisted
Armament	2 × 20 mm AA guns

• USS Gypsy (ARS(D)-1), authorized as LSM-549
• USS Mender (ARS(D)-2), authorized as LSM-550
• USS Salvager (ARS(D)-3), authorized as LSM-551, later reclassified to YMLC-3
• USS Windlass (ARS(D)-4), authorized as LSM-552, later reclassified to YMLC-4

Legacy[]

One LSM, USS LSM-45, survived in its original configuration until around 2010. It was in storage at Marine Station Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. It was slated to become the centerpiece of the Museum of the Marine, but due to changed plans was scrapped between 2010 and 2014.

See also[]

• Landing Ship, Infantry
• Mark 8 Landing Craft Tank

References[]

• LSM-LSMR: WWII Amphibious Forces, Turner Publishing Co.; Paducah, Kentucky, ISBN 1-56311-140-3
• Jane's Fighting Ships, 1980–81
• US Navy, ONI 226, Allied Landing Craft and Ships, April 1944

External links[]

• USS LSM/LSMR Association
• NavSource Photo Archives
• Landing Ships ibiblio.org
• My Life Aboard the LSM-319 by Eugene Carey
• The Navy's Smallest Aircraft Carrier, July 1958, Popular Mechanics small article on conversion of LSM-445 to a target drone launching vessel