Landing Ship Medium

A Landing Ship Medium (LSM) was originally an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy in World War II. Of a size between that of Landing Ships Tank and Landing Craft Infantry, 558 LSMs were built for the USN between 1944 and 1945. Most 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.

OPNAV N95 established a new LSM program in 2020. The new LSM will be 350 to 400 feet (110 to 120 m) long, able to operate at 22 knots and have a range of 6,500 miles (10,500 km). The cost will be much lower than traditional amphibious shipping, according to a story in the March 2023 Marine Corps Gazette. The piece suggests that a MLR (Marine Littoral Regiment) would need nine LSMs. As a comparison the Jason-class of the Greek Navy is about 380 feet (120 m) long, with a top speed of 18 knots

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	Up to 2 × 40 mm AA guns 4-6 × 20 mm AA guns (typically 4 if Bofors shipped)

List of LSM-1-class ships

In total, 558 LSM ships were launched. Some notable examples include:

Name	Year launched	Fate	Short summary
USS LSM-17	May 7, 1944	Sold on November 15, 1974
USS LSM-19	May 14, 1944	Un­known
USS LSM-20	May 14, 1944	Sank on December 5, 1944
USS LSM-45	June 30, 1944	Scrapped after 1998
USS LSM-46	June 30, 1944	Sold on October 23, 1948
USS LSM-56	July 21, 1944	Sold on October 23, 1948
USS LSM-60	July 29, 1944	Scuttled on July 25, 1946
USS LSM-105	October 21, 1944	Sold on December 10, 1958
USS LSM-110	October 28, 1944	Scrapped on June 9, 1976
USS LSM-115	November 11, 1944	Sold on December 29, 1946
USS LSM-125	November 25, 1944	Scrapped on October 4, 1977
USS LSM-135	April 23, 1944	Sank on May 25, 1945
USS LSM-149	May 27, 1944	Grounded on December 5, 1944
USS LSM-157	—	Sank in September 1958	Transferred to Nationalist China in 1949, recommissioned as Mei Le, sunk by Red Chinese artillery 9/1958
USS Kodiak (LSM-161)	June 27, 1944	Scrapped on August 14, 1972
USS Oceanside (LSM-175)	August 3, 1944	Scrapped in 1989
USS LSM-216	—	Scrapped in 1960
USS LSM-217	—	Un­known
USS LSM-236	July 4, 1944	Scrapped in 1972
USS LSM-247	—	Sold in February 1947
USS LSM-256	—	Sank on June 16, 1969	Transferred to Nationalist China in 1949, recommisioned as Mei Hua, sunk in a collision with M.V. Ta Tung 16/6/69
USS LSM-275	September 11, 1944	Scrapped in 1976	Later renamed and reclassified USS Portunus (ARC-1)
USS LSM-297	October 30, 1944	Scrapped in 1958
USS LSM-315	—	Un­known
USS LSM-319	—	Sank in 1971
USS LSM-333	October 13, 1944	Scuttled on September 17, 2006
USS LSM-335	—	—	Later USNS LSM-335 (T-AG-335) Assigned Ryukyuan shuttle.
USS LSM-338	December 5, 1944	Scrapped
USS LSM-355	December 2, 1944	Un­known
USS LSM-380	January 13, 1945	Waiting for preservation
USS LSM-397	January 6, 1945	Sold in November 1958
USS Hunting (LSM-398)	January 6, 1945	Scrapped after 1983	Later reclassified (E-AG-398)
USS LSM-462	February 3, 1945	Un­known
USS LSM-469	February 17, 1945	Scuttled on February 1, 2003
USS LSM-471	February 17, 1945	Un­known
USS LSM-477	—	Sank in 1971
USS LSM-478	March 3, 1945	Un­known
USS Raritan (LSM-540)	August 1, 1945	Un­known
USS LSM-547	—	Abandoned by 1972

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, two 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)

General characteristics
Class and type	LSM-401(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 (10 m)
Draft	7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Propulsion	GM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, two 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 guns 2 × 40 mm AA guns 4 × 20 mm AA guns 4 × 4.2 in (110 mm) mortars 8-10 × continuous loading 5-inch (130 mm) Ship-to-Shore rocket launchers

• USS Big Black River (LSM(R)-401), later reclassified (LFR-401)
• USS Big Horn River (LSM(R)-402)
• USS Blackstone River (LSM(R)-403)
• USS Black Warrior River (LSM(R)-404), later reclassified (LFR-404)
• USS Broadkill River (LSM(R)-405), later reclassified (LFR-405)
• USS Canadian River (LSM(R)-406)
• USS Chariton River (LSM(R)-407)
• USS Charles River (LSM(R)-408)
• USS Clarion River (LSM(R)-409), later reclassified (LFR-409)
• USS Clark Fork River (LSM(R)-410)
• USS Cumberland River (LSM(R)-411)
• USS Desplaines River (LSM(R)-412), 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, two 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

• USS Elk River (LSM(R)-501), later reclassified (IX-501)
• USS Escalanteo River (LSM(R)-502)
• USS Flambeau River (LSM(R)-503)
• USS Gila River (LSM(R)-504)
• USS Grand River (LSM(R)-505)
• USS Green River (LSM(R)-506)
• USS Greenbrier River (LSM(R)-507)
• USS Gunnison River (LSM(R)-508), later reclassified and renamed USS Targeteer (YV-3)
• USS Holston River (LSM(R)-509)
• USS James River (LSM(R)-510)
• USS John Day River (LSM(R)-511)
• USS Lamiolle River (LSM(R)-512), later reclassified (LFR-512)
• USS Laramie River (LSM(R)-513), later reclassified (LFR-513)
• USS Maurice River (LSM(R)-514)
• USS Owyhee River (LSM(R)-515), later reclassified (LFR-515)
• USS Pearl River (LSM(R)-516)
• USS Pee Dee River (LSM(R)-517)
• USS Pit River (LSM(R)-518)
• USS Powder River (LSM(R)-519)
• USS Raccoon River (LSM(R)-520)
• USS Rainy River (LSM(R)-521)
• USS Red River (LSM(R)-522), later reclassified (LFR-522)
• USS Republican River (LSM(R)-523)
• USS Saint Croix River (LSM(R)-524)
• USS St. Francis River (LSM(R)-525), later reclassified (LFR-525)
• USS St. Johns River (LSM(R)-526)
• USS St. Joseph's River (LSM(R)-527)
• USS St. Mary's River (LSM(R)-528)
• USS St. Regis River (LSM(R)-529)
• USS Salmon Falls River (LSM(R)-530)
• USS Smoky Hill River (LSM(R)-531), later reclassified (LFR-531)
• USS Smyrna River (LSM(R)-532)
• USS Snake River (LSM(R)-533)
• USS Thames River (LSM(R)-534)
• USS Trinity River (LSM(R)-535)
• 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, two 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

Production

Dates are launch dates.

• Brown Shipbuilding: Houston, TX: 254 (May 1944 - Apr 1946)
  • purpose-built yard for the war effort
• Charleston Navy Yard, North Charleston, SC: 121 (May 1944 - Nov 1945)
  • traditional military yard
• Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE: 65 (Apr 1944 - May 1945)
  • purpose-built yard for the war effort
• Pullman Company, Chicago, IL: 44 (May 1944 - May 1945)
  • traditional rail car manufacturer
• Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, NJ: 42 (May 1944 - Feb 1945)
  • traditional civil and military yard
• Western Pipe and Steel, San Pedro, CA: 32 (Aug 1944 - Mar 1945)
  • traditional civil yard

Delivery:

• Q2 1944: 74
• Q3 1944: 129
• Q4 1944: 132
• Q1 1945: 111
• Q2 1945: 58
• Q3 1945: 30
• Q4 1945: 15
• 1946: 9

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.

Light Amphibious Warship (LAW)

As of February 2023 the US Marine Corps has proposed the purchase of 18 to 35 modern LSMs; this LSM concept was previously known as the Light Amphibious Warship (LAW).

See also

• List of United States Navy Landing Ship Mediums
• 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