LSM-1 Class 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 the vessels built on this frame were regular transports, but 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 long, able to operate at 22 knots and have a range of . 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 tank landing ship, ''Jason''-class of the Greek Navy is about long, with a top speed of 18 knots

''LSM-1''-class Landing Ship Medium (Transport)

List of ''LSM-1''-class ships

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

''LSM(R)-188''-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)

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''LSM(R)-401''-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)

* USS LSM(R)-401, (LSM(R)-401), later reclassified (LFR-401)
* USS LSM(R)-402, (LSM(R)-402)
* USS LSM(R)-403, (LSM(R)-403)
* USS LSM(R)-404, (LSM(R)-404), later reclassified (LFR-404)
* USS LSM(R)-405, (LSM(R)-405), later reclassified (LFR-405)
* USS LSM(R)-406, (LSM(R)-406)
* USS Chariton River, USS ''Chariton River'' (LSM(R)-407)
* USS LSM(R)-408, (LSM(R)-408)
* USS Clarion River, USS ''Clarion River'' (LSM(R)-409), later reclassified (LFR-409)
* USS LSM(R)-410, (LSM(R)-410)
* USS LSM(R)-411, (LSM(R)-411)
* USS LSM(R)-412, (LSM(R)-412), later reclassified (LFR-412)

''LSM(R)-501''-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)

* USS LSM(R)-501, (LSM(R)-501), later reclassified (IX-501)
* USS LSM(R)-502, (LSM(R)-502)
* USS LSM(R)-503, (LSM(R)-503)
* USS LSM(R)-504, (LSM(R)-504)
* USS LSM(R)-505, (LSM(R)-505)
* USS LSM(R)-506, (LSM(R)-506)
* USS Greenbrier River, USS ''Greenbrier River'' (LSM(R)-507)
* USS Targeteer, USS ''Gunnison River'' (LSM(R)-508), later reclassified and renamed USS Targeteer, USS ''Targeteer'' (YV-3)
* USS LSM(R)-509, (LSM(R)-509)
* USS LSM(R)-510, (LSM(R)-510)
* USS LSM(R)-511, (LSM(R)-511)
* USS LSM(R)-512, (LSM(R)-512), later reclassified (LFR-512)
* USS LSM(R)-513, (LSM(R)-513), later reclassified (LFR-513)
* USS LSM(R)-514, (LSM(R)-514)
* USS LSM(R)-515, (LSM(R)-515), later reclassified (LFR-515)
* USS LSM(R)-516, (LSM(R)-516)
* USS Pee Dee River, USS ''Pee Dee River'' (LSM(R)-517)
* USS LSM(R)-518, (LSM(R)-518)
* USS LSM(R)-519, USS ''Powder River'' (LSM(R)-519)
* USS LSM(R)-520, (LSM(R)-520)
* USS LSM(R)-521, (LSM(R)-521)
* USS LSM(R)-522, (LSM(R)-522), later reclassified (LFR-522)
* USS LSM(R)-523, (LSM(R)-523)
* USS Saint Croix River, USS ''Saint Croix River'' (LSM(R)-524)
* USS St. Francis River, USS ''St. Francis River'' (LSM(R)-525), later reclassified (LFR-525)
* USS LSM(R)-526, (LSM(R)-526)
* USS St. Joseph's River, USS ''St. Joseph's River'' (LSM(R)-527)
* USS St. Mary's River, USS ''St. Mary's River'' (LSM(R)-528)
* USS St. Regis River, USS ''St. Regis River'' (LSM(R)-529)
* USS LSM(R)-530, (LSM(R)-530)
* USS LSM(R)-531, (LSM(R)-531), later reclassified (LFR-531)
* USS LSM(R)-532, (LSM(R)-532)
* USS LSM(R)-533, (LSM(R)-533)
* USS LSM(R)-534, (LSM(R)-534)
* USS LSM(R)-535, (LSM(R)-535)
* USS White River, USS ''White River'' (LSM(R)-536), later reclassified (USS White River, LFR-536)

''Gypsy''-class salvage lifting vessels

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

Production

Dates are launch dates.

* Brown Shipbuilding: Houston, Texas, Houston, TX: 254 (May 1944 - Apr 1946)
** purpose-built yard for the war effort
* Charleston Navy Yard, North Charleston, South Carolina, North Charleston, SC: 121 (May 1944 - Nov 1945)
** traditional military yard
* Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, DE: 65 (Apr 1944 - May 1945)
** purpose-built yard for the war effort
* Pullman Company, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, IL: 44 (May 1944 - May 1945)
** traditional rail car manufacturer
* Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey, Newark, NJ: 42 (May 1944 - Feb 1945)
** traditional civil and military yard
* Western Pipe and Steel, San Pedro, California, 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, , 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 Ship breaking, 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,
* ''Jane's Fighting Ships'', 1980–81
US Navy, ONI 226, Allied Landing Craft and Ships, April 1944

External links

USS LSM/LSMR Association
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

{{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries

Lists of ships of the United States, Landing Ship Medium (LSM)
Landing ships of the United States Navy
Ship classes of the French Navy