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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-172


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - November - Foxtrot
 NVNF
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, 27 June 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 20 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-172, 20 September 1944, LTjg. Clarence Shapiro USNR in command
  • During WWII USS LSM-172 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Six, CDR. A. R. Quinn USN;
     LSM Group Eighteen, LCDR. J. M. Fabre, USNR;
     LSM Division Thirty-Five and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 April to 17 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-172 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 11 to 20 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 9 May 1947, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-172 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold 28 February 1948 to Paul P Noyes, San Francisco, CA., 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 General Motors (model GM 16-278A, 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-172 59k LSM-172 launching, 20 July 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-172 63k USS LSM-172 under way, date and location unknown. Stan Bessmer to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-172 61k USS LSM-172 under way, date and location unknown.
    US National Archives photo # USN 1045903, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history extract for LSM-172 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Shapiro, Clarence, USNR20 September 1944 - 22 September 1945
    02LTjg. Taskey, Stanley Robert, USNR22 September 1945 - 9 May 1947
    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 24 April 2020