LSM-1 / LSM (R) class
| LSM-1 / LSM (R) class | |
|---|---|
 USS LSM-437 |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | LSM: landing ship , LSM (R): landing support ship |
| units | 498 LSM, 60 LSM (R) |
| Shipyard |
|
| period of service |
since 1944 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
528 t / 1113 t |
| length |
62.06 m |
| width |
10.52 m |
| Draft |
2.21 / 2.59 m |
| crew |
LSM: approx. 50 |
| drive |
|
| speed |
13 kn |
| Range |
2500–4900 nm at 12 kn |
| Armament LSM | |
| Load LSM |
|
| Armament LSM (R) |
|
| radar |
Navigation radar |
The LSM-1 / LSM (R) class was a dropship class of the US Navy built in two basic types and different variants . The basic type LSM (Landing Ship Medium) were medium-sized landing ships for troops and vehicles. The ships of the basic type LSM (R) (Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)) were landing support ships that were equipped with rocket launchers and sometimes with artillery for shelling landing beaches.
Within the amphibious forces of the US Navy, the LSM represented a medium type of ship between the smaller armored landing craft ( Landing Craft, Tank / LCT) and the larger armored landing craft (Landing Ship, Tank / LST). Initially, the LSM was also known as LCT (7 ) (Landing Craft Tank, Type 7) was planned before the new "LSM" classification was introduced.
General
Between May 1944 and November 1945 a total of 558 LSM and LSM (R), which had been built at various American shipyards, were put into service, 498 of them LSM and 60 LSM (R). The ships were uniformly numbered (LSM-1 to LSM-558, in between the LSM (R)). The ships originally had no names, only their numbers. The still existing LSM (R) were given an additional name from 1955 that ended in "River", e.g. B. USS LSM (R) -401 Big Black River . In 1959 the four still active LSMs were given names with a geographical reference, e.g. B. USS LSM-175 Oceanside . Some LSM modified for other tasks were given a name in addition to a changed identifier, e.g. B. USS LSM-398 became the sonar test ship USS Hunting (E-AG-398) .
LSM
General data
The LSM were landing craft with a loading capacity for about a mechanized train with three heavy or five medium tanks or some amphibious vehicles. They had an open transport deck with a bow ramp , which was covered by two bow hatches, and accommodation capacity for 48 soldiers. The armament of the first units consisted of six 20-mm automatic cannons, later ships also had one to two 40-mm guns. The superstructures were protected by light armor.
The propulsion system consisted of two Fairbanks Morse diesel engines that drove two shafts with fixed propellers. The hull was made of steel and was divided into nine watertight compartments. In addition to a bow anchor on port side, the ships were equipped with a large stern anchor, which was arranged on the port side of the transom. With this anchor they could pull themselves down from the beach after a landing.
The crew consisted of five officers and 54 non-commissioned officers and men.
commitment
The LSM were developed and built for the Pacific War and were also used there, provided they were operational by the end of the war. After the end of World War II and the completion of logistical operations in the course of the occupation of Southeast Asia by Allied troops, almost all LSM were decommissioned.
A smaller number of LSM were reactivated in the Korean War. The US Navy stopped using LSM during the Vietnam War .
Some LSM were converted for other tasks in the US Navy and reclassified accordingly. This included test vehicles and catapult ships for targeting drones. LSM-549 to LSM-552 were converted into rescue ships during the construction phase and put into service as Salvage Lifting Vessel (ARSD-1 to ARSD-4).
In 1959, four LSMs were still available in the original version and were given a name. They were used for logistical support tasks of the US armed forces in various regions, including Alaska , and were decommissioned in 1965.
Whereabouts
Most of the LSM were either given to other navies or sold for civilian use. A larger number of the latter group were used as transport ships, especially for offshore drilling work, while others were scrapped. Some are still in use today as barges without a propulsion system.
Some of the LSMs given to other countries were not used as landing ships, but were used for other tasks. Some have been converted into mine layers or support vessels for smaller boats.
Charges were made to the navies of the following countries, among others:
- Argentina
- Chile
- China (Taiwan)
- Denmark
- Germany
- Ecuador
- France
- Greece
- Israel
- Norway
- Portugal
- South Korea
- South Vietnam
- Turkey
At the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, some LSM of the Navy of the Republic of China fell to that of the People's Republic . Likewise, some LSM of the Navy of South Vietnam fell into the hands of the communist North Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War .
LSM (R)
-188_rocket_launchers-1.jpg)
The numerous landing operations of the Pacific War revealed a significant need for fire support, for which the available combat ships such as battleships, cruisers and destroyers were insufficient. Therefore, other platforms were prepared as landing support ships and equipped with artillery and rocket launchers. The LSM, which is in mass production, was also used.
First construction lot
First, in the second half of 1944, twelve LSMs under construction at the Charleston Navy Yard with construction numbers 188–199 were modified and classified as "Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) / LSM (R)". This group is also known as the LSM (R) -188 class . For this, the transport deck was closed in order to be able to set up a large number of rocket launchers and some guns. 75 Type Mk 36 rocket launchers, each with four launch rails, and 30 Type Mk 30 launchers, each with six rails, were installed on the resulting upper deck and beyond the ship's side at the edge of the deck, so that the ships could prepare 480 launchers at the same time. It took two and a half hours to reload the launchers. In order to use the missiles it was necessary to turn the ship accordingly.
As artillery armament, these ships received a 5 "/ 38 gun (127 mm), two 40-mm guns and three 20-mm automatic cannons. The 127-mm gun was positioned at the stern of the ship.
The crew consisted of five officers and 76 non-commissioned officers and men.
Second construction lot
As of January 1945, a second batch was launched from turn twelve vessels at the US Naval Shipyard, Charleston, SC, in April and May as LSM (R) -401-412 put into service and also as LSM (R) -401-class designated were. With these ships the lessons from the unfavorable setup of the armament were taken into account in the first lot. For this purpose, the superstructure and armament were rearranged, and they received a more pointed stern with a stern anchor arranged in the middle. The bridge was at the stern, with the 127mm gun directly in front of it. A 40 mm twin gun was installed at the bow and stern. The barrel armament was supplemented by a number of automatic cannons, heavy and light machine guns. The rocket rails were replaced by ten double launch devices that could each fire 30 rotation-stabilized 127 mm rockets per minute and were laterally adjustable. There were also four 4.2 " mortars (107 mm). On some ships, the number of twin rocket launchers was reduced to eight.
The hull and propulsion system were largely retained. The ships were about 0.8 m longer than the LSM. Due to the changed payload, the specified range was reduced from 4900 to 3000 nm . The crew consisted of six officers and 137 NCOs and men.
Third construction lot
The third lot was built at Brown Shipbuilding Co. in Houston, Texas and consisted of 36 ships with hull numbers 501-536, also known as the LSM (R) -501 class . The ships were put into service between March and November 1945; the last only after the Japanese surrender. They were largely identical to the second construction lot, except that they were not armed with machine guns. The crew also consisted of six officers and 137 NCOs and men.
Use and whereabouts
Of the twelve ships in the first batch, two were sunk during the war, the others decommissioned shortly after the end of the war and sold for demolition or civilian use. All LSM (R) of the second and third construction batch remained active or as reserve units in the US Navy until at least the mid-1950s and were given a name in 1955. During the Korean War LSM (R) were in active service and were used for the most part. Three LSM (R) (409, 525, 536) were still involved in the Vietnam War.
From 1955 onwards, some LSM (R) were separated and given to civil companies and foreign navies. In 1969, the five LSM (R) -401 and seven LSM (R) -501 that were still in existence were redesigned as "Inshore Fire Support Ships (LFR)". By 1973 all LSM (R) were decommissioned. Most of them have been scrapped or demilitarized and given to private companies. Only three LSM (R) were given to other navies (527 to South Korea, 532 and 534 to Germany).
Federal Navy
The German Navy received four LSM and two LSM (R) in 1958, which together formed the 2nd landing squadron. All six ships had only a brief active service life in the US Navy, and only one ( LSM-491 ) had participated in World War II. The ships were put into service on September 5, 1958 in Charleston, SC and then transferred to Germany in a closed formation.
In the system of the German Navy, the LSM / LSM (R) were, despite the designation landing ship or landing support ship, boats, i.e. vehicles with a commander who had the disciplinary authority of a company commander . The commanders held the rank of lieutenant commander .
Lizard class
The LSM 491, 537, 553 and 558 were named Lidechse , Krokodil , Salamander and Viper , the class designation was Lidechse-Klasse (Landungsschiff Klasse 550) . All ships were put in reserve in 1946.
The ships were gradually adapted according to German technical standards and received, among other things, a different electricity supply. The superstructures have also been changed slightly. As armament, the German Navy LSM carried a 40 mm twin gun. After the adjustments, the range was specified as 2500 nm at 12 kn.
The Krokodil was rebuilt to a larger extent as the command ship of the squadron. In addition to accommodating the squadron staff, it received a larger medical area and a helicopter landing deck. The crocodile was later given a longer bow ramp and the bow gates were removed at the same time.
The crew was 50 soldiers. All ships were decommissioned and retired between 1969 and 1973.
Natter class
The two LSM (R) Otter and Natter were referred to as the Natter class ( landing support ship class 551 ), although the Otter was the ship with the smaller hull number. The armament in the German Navy consisted of eight 5-inch twin rocket launchers (127 mm), a 5-inch gun (127 mm) and four 40-mm guns in double mounts. The range was 2500 nm at 12 kn. The crew consisted of 100 soldiers.
Overview of the LSM / LSM (R) of the German Navy
| Name in the US Navy | Shipyard | Service in the US Navy | German name (body no.) | Service in the German Navy | Whereabouts | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSM-537 | Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX. | November 3, 1945 to May 24, 1947 | Crocodile (L 750) | September 5, 1958 to December 15, 1972 | 1976 sold to Pauns Marine Shipping Lloyd as a pipeline carrier and later sold on | Command and doctor ship |
| LSM-491 | Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX. | April 30, 1945 to November 27, 1946 | Lizard (L 751) | September 5, 1958 to March 21, 1973 | like crocodile | Participation in World War II, then support for the occupation of Southeast Asia and service in China |
| LSM-553 | Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, SC | September 6, 1945 to April 19, 1946 | Salamander (L 752) | September 5, 1958 to February 14, 1969 | Sold for demolition in 1970 | |
| LSM-558 | Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, SC | November 2, 1945 to June 3, 1946 | Viper (L 753) | September 5, 1958 to March 14, 1969 | Sold to the Netherlands in 1970, used there as the Duchess of Holland RO / RO ferry , Oil Dragon in 1973 , Seacore in 1986 , demolished in 1991/92 | |
| Smyrna River LSM (R) -532 | Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX. | October 12, 1945 to June 17, 1946 | Otter (L 754) | September 5, 1958 to September 15, 1967 | Sold in 1971, then scrapped | |
| Thames River LSM (R) -534 | Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX. | October 18, 1945 to April 25, 1946 | Snake (L 755) | September 5, 1958 to December 15, 1967 | like otters |
References
Web links
- NavSource Photo Archives - List and data of all LSM and LSM (R) (English)
- LSM at globalsecurity (English)
- LSM (R) at globalsecurity (English)
literature
- Siegfried Breyer, Gerhard Koop (1996): The ships, vehicles and planes of the German Navy from 1956–1976 . Bonn, 1978, ISBN 3-7637-5155-6
Individual evidence
- ↑ DANFS entry on USS Oceanside (LSM-175)
- ↑ List of Israeli ships ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ NavSource Photo Archives to LSM (R) -188
- ↑ [1] [2] Documents for the handover of the boats on the occasion of the establishment of the 2nd landing squadron on September 5, 1958 in Charleston, SC
- ↑ Navsource page with details on LSM-537 / Krokodil
- ↑ Navsource page with details on LSM-491 / Lizard
- ↑ Navsource page with details on LSM-553 / Salamander
- ↑ Navsource page with details on LSM-558 / Viper
- ↑ Navsource page with details on LSM (R) -532 / Otter
- ↑ Navsource page with details on LSM (R) -534 / Natter
![[1]](http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/06/100653405.jpg){kind=link}
![[2]](http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/06/100653406.jpg){kind=link}