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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-23


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Bravo - Sierra
 NVBS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) [Surigao Strait, P.I., 5 December 1944]
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (8-KIA Surigao Strait, P.I., 5 December 1944)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 30 April 1944, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 21 May 1944 Commissioned USS LSM-23, 23 June 1944, LT. Karl K. Hickman USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-23 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 October to 29 November 1944
    Ormoc Bay Landings, 7 to 8 December 1944
  • Following World War II USS LSM-23 was assigned to Occupations service from 29 September to 29 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 1 April 1946 at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-23 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 12 February 1948, to Hill Dredging Corp., Ventnor, N.J., fate unknown
    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
    one twin bow mounted 40mm gun
    four single 20mm gun mounts
    Vehicle/Boat Capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVT's, or 9 DUKW's
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 1,225 Bbls
    Troop Accommodations
    2 officers
    46 enlisted
    Armor 10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station
    Endurance 4,900 miles @ 12kts.(928 tons displacement)
    Propulsion
    two Fairbanks Morse (model 38D81/8X10, reversible with hydraulic clutch) Diesel engines, direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm
    Ship's Service Generators
     two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
     one Diesel-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.
    twin propellers, 2,800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LSM-23
    LSM-23 168k USS LSM-23 and USS LST-204 and landing craft landing cargo at Leyte, 20 October 1944.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-59509 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LSM-23 43k USS LSM-23 beached, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-23 109k USS LSM-23 beached, date and location unknown. Tim Donovan to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-23 58k USS LSM-23 beached, date and location unknown. Tim Donovan to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-23 762k Japanese Prisoners of War unload USS LSM-23, probably at Kerama Retto in May 1945. Photo by PhoM 2/C Paul D. Guttman. Robert Guttman for his father PhoM 2/C Paul D. Guttman
    LSM-23 56k USS LSM-23 in convoy from Manila to Japan about 26 September 1945. Ralph E. Robinson USS LSM-34
    Merchant Service
    LSM-23 69k possibly ex LSM-23 in merchant service on the upper Yangtze River, China, 1987. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-23 75k possibly ex LSM-23 in merchant service on the upper Yangtze River, China, 1987. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history extract for USS LSM-23 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Hickman, Karl K., USNR23 June 1944 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Marston Jr., Floyd L., USNRDecember 1945 - 1 April 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    USS LSM-LSMR Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Ship Medium (LSM) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last updated 27 April 2018