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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-78


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Foxtrot - Yankee
NVFY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 5 August 1944, at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 30 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-78, 27 September 1944 at Houston, TX., LT. Hugh C. McFarlane USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-78 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Six, CDR. A. R. Quinn USN;
    LSM Group Seventeen, (flagship) LCDR. C. H. Johnson, USNR;
    LSM Division Thirty-Four and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 9 to 26 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-78 was assigned to Occupation service in Japan from 22 September to 9 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 1 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • USS LSM-78 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Sold, 12 August 1947, to Charles N. Wilson, St. John Tugboat Co., Ltd., East St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, converted to a barge
  • Final Disposition, hulk abandoned in 1960 in the Musquash Estuary, New Brunswick, Canada
    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
    LSM-78 81k USS LSM-78 beached during low tide at Matsuhama, Japan, 16 October 1945. Herbert N Smith Jr. S2/c USS LSM-78 to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-72 57k USS LSM-78 and USS LSM-72 beached at Okinawa, April 1945. Donald McLain to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-78 91k Herbert N. Smith Jr. S2/c in the galley of USS LSM-78 Herbert N. Smith Jr. S2/c USS LSM-78 to the USS LSM / LSMR Association

    The history extract for LSM-78 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. McFarlane, Hugh C., USNR27 September 1944 - Deember 1945
    02LTjg. Tuttle, George W., USNR Deember 1945 - 1 April 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    USS LSM-LSMR Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Action Report - Landing of Occupation Forces, Nagasaki Japan, September 1945
    Mystery ships of the Musquash Estuary, New Brunswick, Canada (WWII Ships Found!) 75th anniversary
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Ship Medium (LSM) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 4 Srptember 2020