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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LSM-135

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 25 May 1945 off Okinawa) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Individual Awards

Purple Hearts (11 KIA and unknown number wounded 25 May 1945)

LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:

Laid down, 13 March 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.

Launched, 23 April 1944

Commissioned USS LSM-135, 31 May 1944, LT. Harry L. Derby, Jr., USNR in command

During World War II LSM-135 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Leyte operation;
(a) Leyte landings, 20 October 1944
(b) Ormoc Bay landings, 7 to 8 December 1944
Luzon operation;
(a) Lingayen Gulf landing, 9 January 1945
Okinawa Gunto operation;
(a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 25 May 1945

Sunk by Kamikaze attack off Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 25 May 1945 at approximately 0830 hours. LSM-135

had only been in service 11 months and 25 days. At the time of her sinking LSM-135 was picking up survivors from

the minesweeper Spectacle (AM-305) when it also was hit by Kamikaze attack and burst into flames.

Flemming (DE-32) rescued twenty survivors of the Bates (APD-47) (which was sinking from two Kamikaze hits)

and eleven survivors from LSM-135

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Final Disposition, hulk donated, 10 July 1957, to the Government of the Ryukyu Islands, fate unknown

LSM-135 earned three battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 520 t.(light), 743 t. (landing) 1,095 t.(fully loaded)
Length 203' 6" oa
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 six single 20mm AA 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
403k	*LSM-135, LSM-24, LCT-1326* and other landing craft unloading cargo on Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, 24 April 1945. US National Archives photo # 080-G-321772, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Arthur Tarpinian, USS LSM-135
49k	*LSM-87, LSM-135* and *LSM-26* beached at Ie Shima, early May 1945.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
49k	*LSM-135* beached at Ie Shima, May 1945.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
74k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Superstructure looking forward.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
52k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Starboard quarter view showing damage to the conn where Kamikaze struck directly on the top of the conning tower. Ie Shima is in the background.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
40k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Ie Shima is in the background.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
50k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Port quarter view showing damage to conn.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
47k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Port side view showing extent of damage.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
86k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Interior view showing extent of damage to the conn.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
72k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. View of the top of the conning tower showing extent of damage where the Kamikaze plane struck.
70k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. View from the bridge looking through the water on the starboard side showing bomb hole forward of the No. 3 gun tub on the superstructure deck.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
78k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. Interior view of radio shack showing extent of damage.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
53k	*LSM-135* after being sunk off Ie Shima by Japanese Kamikaze the morning of 25 May 1945. View of the bridge from the starboard side.	Charles Bauman to the USS LSM / LSMR Association

View the Correspondence concerning the loss of LST-135 on 25 May 1945

The DANFS history extract for LSM-135 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9). Additional history was provided by Tom Kerman.

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS LSM / LSMR Association

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