A Landing Ship Medium (LSM) was originally an
amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of warship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory during an armed conflict. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (which, as a result, ar ...
of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. 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
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, but several were sold by the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...
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 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)
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(LSM(R)-401), later reclassified (LFR-401)
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(LSM(R)-402)
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(LSM(R)-403)
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(LSM(R)-404), later reclassified (LFR-404)
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(LSM(R)-405), later reclassified (LFR-405)
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(LSM(R)-406)
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USS ''Chariton River'' (LSM(R)-407)
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(LSM(R)-408)
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USS ''Clarion River'' (LSM(R)-409), later reclassified (LFR-409)
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(LSM(R)-410)
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(LSM(R)-411)
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(LSM(R)-412), later reclassified (LFR-412)
''LSM(R)-501''-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
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(LSM(R)-501), later reclassified (IX-501)
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(LSM(R)-502)
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(LSM(R)-503)
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(LSM(R)-504)
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(LSM(R)-505)
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(LSM(R)-506)
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USS ''Greenbrier River'' (LSM(R)-507)
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USS ''Gunnison River'' (LSM(R)-508), later reclassified and renamed
USS ''Targeteer'' (YV-3)
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(LSM(R)-509)
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(LSM(R)-510)
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(LSM(R)-511)
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(LSM(R)-512), later reclassified (LFR-512)
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(LSM(R)-513), later reclassified (LFR-513)
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(LSM(R)-514)
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(LSM(R)-515), later reclassified (LFR-515)
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(LSM(R)-516)
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USS ''Pee Dee River'' (LSM(R)-517)
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(LSM(R)-518)
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USS ''Powder River'' (LSM(R)-519)
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(LSM(R)-520)
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(LSM(R)-521)
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(LSM(R)-522), later reclassified (LFR-522)
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(LSM(R)-523)
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USS ''Saint Croix River'' (LSM(R)-524)
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USS ''St. Francis River'' (LSM(R)-525), later reclassified (LFR-525)
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(LSM(R)-526)
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USS ''St. Joseph's River'' (LSM(R)-527)
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USS ''St. Mary's River'' (LSM(R)-528)
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USS ''St. Regis River'' (LSM(R)-529)
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(LSM(R)-530)
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(LSM(R)-531), later reclassified (LFR-531)
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(LSM(R)-532)
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(LSM(R)-533)
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(LSM(R)-534)
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(LSM(R)-535)
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USS ''White River'' (LSM(R)-536), later reclassified (
LFR-536)
''Gypsy''-class salvage lifting vessels
* , authorized as ''LSM-549''
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USS ''Mender'' (ARS(D)-2), authorized as ''LSM-550''
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USS ''Salvager'' (ARS(D)-3), authorized as ''LSM-551'', later reclassified to YMLC-3
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USS ''Windlass'' (ARS(D)-4), authorized as ''LSM-552'', later reclassified to YMLC-4
Production
Dates are launch dates.
*
Brown Shipbuilding
The Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1942 as a subsidiary of Brown and Root (now KBR (company), KBR) by brothers Herman and George R. Brown to build ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Brown Shipbuilding Company ...
:
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, TX: 254 (May 1944 - Apr 1946)
** purpose-built yard for the war effort
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Charleston Navy Yard,
North Charleston, SC: 121 (May 1944 - Nov 1945)
** traditional military yard
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Dravo Corporation,
Wilmington, DE: 65 (Apr 1944 - May 1945)
** purpose-built yard for the war effort
*
Pullman Company
The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century d ...
,
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, IL: 44 (May 1944 - May 1945)
** traditional rail car manufacturer
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Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company,
Newark, NJ: 42 (May 1944 - Feb 1945)
** traditional civil and military yard
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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, , survived in its original configuration until around 2010. It was in storage at Marine Station
Camp Lejeune in
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 14th-most populous city in North Caroli ...
. 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
The Mark 8 Landing Craft Tank (also referred to as the LCT (8) or LCT Mark VIII) were landing craft tank ships operated by the British Armed Forces. The vessels were based on an American design, but improved into ocean-going vessels capable of sai ...
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
Landing Ship Medium (LSM)
Landing ships of the United States Navy
Ship classes of the French Navy