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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LSM-18

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) [Ormoc Bay, P.I., 7 December 1944] - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (1-KIA Ormoc Bay, P.I., 7 December 1944)

LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:

Laid down (date unknown) at Brown Shipbuilding Co, Houston, TX.

Launched (date unknown)

Commissioned USS LSM-18, 14 June 1944, Lt William B. Wilder, USNR in command

During World War II LSM-18 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Leyte operation;
(a) Leyte landings, 20 October to 29 November 29, 1944
(b) Ormoc Bay landings, 7 and 8 December 1944
Luzon operation;
(a) Lingayen Gulf landings, 16 to 18 January 1945
Manila Bay-Bicol operations;
(a) Mariveles-Corregidor landings, 14 to 28 February 1945
Consolidation and occupation of the Southern Philippines;
(a) Mindanao Island landings, 10 March, 17 April to 23, April and , 10 to 16 May 1945
Borneo operation;
(a) Balikpapan operation, 26 June to 6 July 1945

Decommissioned, 26 March 1946, at Terminal Island, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Final Disposition, sold to A. G. Schoonmaker Co, N.Y., 16 February 1947, for conversion to a barge

LSM-18 earned five battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 520 t.(light), 743 t.(landing) 1,095 t.(fully loaded)
Length 203' 6" (ovl)
Beam 34' 6"
Draft light, 3' 6" forward, 7' 8" aft, fully loaded, 6' 4" forward, 8' 3" aft
Speed 13.2 kts. (max.), (928 tons displacement)
Complement 5 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament five single 20mm gun mounts
Vehicle/Boat Capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVT's, or 9 DUKW's
Troop Capacity 2 officers, 46 enlisted
Armor 10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station
Propulsion two Fairbanks Morse (model 38D81/8X10, reversible with hydraulic clutch) diesels. Direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm, twin screws, Endurance, 4,900 miles @ 12kts.(928 tons displacement)

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
74k	*LSM-18* at left and *LSM-51* at right unloading at Ormoc Bay, Philippine Islands, 7 December 1944. US Navy photo # NH 26580.	Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM / LSMR Association
78k	*LSM-18* approaching the beach, date and place unknown. At far right is another LSM which is unidentified.	USS LSM / LSMR Association
118k	*LSM-18* and *LSM-138* beached at Leyte while unloading equipment, circa October - November 1944. US Navy photo, Courtesy Ken Roberts	Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM-LSMR Association

There is no DANFS history available for LSM-18 at the Haze Gray and Underway Web Site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS LSM-18

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Last Updated 11 October 2004