Landing Ship Medium

A Landing Ship Medium (LSM) was 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 ft long, able to operate at 22 knots and have a range of 6500 miles. 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 9 LSMs. As a comparison the Jason class of the Greek Navy is about 380 ft long, with a top speed of 18 knots

LSM-1-class Landing Ship Medium (Transport)
USS LSM-175, of the LSM-1 class, while underway off Charleston Navy Yard in 1944
USS LSM-175 underway off Charleston Navy Yard in 1944
General characteristics
Class and typeLSM-1 class Landing Ship Medium
Displacement
  • 530 long tons (539 t) empty
  • 900 long tons (914 t) loaded
Length203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam34 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
PropulsionFairbanks-Morse or GM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, 2 screws
Speed13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Capacity
Troops54 troops
Complement4 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament

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.[1]
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, of the LSM(R)-188 class, passing under the Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC, 2 December 1944
USS LSM(R)-194 passing under the Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC, 2 December 1944
General characteristics
Class and typeLSM(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
Length203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Draft
  • 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) forward
  • 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) aft
PropulsionGM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, two screws
Speed13.2 knots (24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Complement5 officers, 76 enlisted
Armament

LSM(R)-401-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
General characteristics
Class and typeLSM-401(R)-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
Displacement1,175 long tons (1,194 t) loaded
Length203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam34 ft (10 m)
Draft7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
PropulsionGM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, two screws
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Complement6 officers, 137 enlisted
Armament
  • 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), of the LSM(R)-501 class, underway in 1954
USS Pee Dee River (LSM(R)-517) underway in 1954
General characteristics
Class and typeLSM-501(R)-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
Displacement1,175 long tons (1,194 t) loaded
Length203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Draft7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
PropulsionGM Cleveland diesel engines, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), direct drive, two screws
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Complement6 officers, 137 enlisted
Armament

Gypsy-class Salvage Lifting Vessels
USS Gypsy (ARS(D)-1), lead ship of the Gypsy class, underway at Houston, TX, in 1946
USS Gypsy (ARS(D)-1) underway at Houston, Texas, in 1946
General characteristics
Class and typeGypsy-class Salvage Lifting Vessels
Displacement816 long tons (829 t)
Length224 ft 9 in (68.50 m)
Beam34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)
Draft8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
PropulsionFairbanks-Morse diesel engines, 1,440 shp (1,074 kW), direct drive, two screws
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range4,900 nmi (9,100 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement65 officers and enlisted
Armament2 × 20 mm AA guns

Production

Dates are launch dates.[2]

Delivery:[2]

  • 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).[3][4]

See also

References
  1. "Meet the Fleet – USNS LSM-335". Sealift Magazine. Vol. 14, no. 8. Washington, D.C.: Military Sea Transportation Service. August 1964. p. 24. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  2. "Landing Ships, Medium - LSM, LSM(R), LSV". Shipbuilding History. 6 January 2018.
  3. Shelbourne, Mallory (February 2023). "Marine Corps Requirements Call for 9 Light Amphibious Ships per Regiment". USNI News. United States Naval Institute.
  4. Grady, John (February 2023). "SECNAV Del Toro 'Excited' About New Landing Ship Mediums". USNI News. United States Naval Institute.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.