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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LSM-203

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 13 January 1944, at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE.
  • Launched, 10 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-203, 21 May 1944, LT. F.L. Townsley, USNR in command
  • During WWII LSM-203 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
  • Decommissioned, 14 June 1946, at Charleston, S.C.
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 December 1947, to Georgia Marine Salvage Co., Inc., Brunswick, GA.
  • LSM-203 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" 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 single 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
    Troop Accommodations 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)
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LSM-203 57k LSM-203 side launching at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE. in April 1944
    US Navy photo # 400635    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-256 115k Aerial view of Little Creek Amphibious Base, 1 August 1944. Ships that can be identified are: LSM-256, LSM-201, LSM-2, LSM-127, LSM-203, LSM-16, LSM-126, LSM-134 and LSM-144. The two LSTs are unidentified.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-203 42k LSM-203 beached at Leyte, P.I. in 1945 Brian White
    LSM-203 39k LSM-203 beached at Leyte, P.I. in 1945 Brian White
    LSM-203 26k LSM-203 beached at Leyte, P.I. in 1945 Brian White
    LSM-497 50k LSM-203 and sixteen additional LSMs moored at Apra Guam, waiting for orders to return to the United State, January 1946. Other LSMs that can be identified are LSM-286, LSM-64, LSM-497, LSM-219, LSM-68. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-203 31k LSM-203 entering San Francisco Bay, 11 March 1946 Brian White
    LSM-203 65k LSM-203 arriving in San Francisco Bay, 11 March 1946. . USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-203 33k LSM-203 at San Francisco, 1946, (standing) Bud Thorne and Steve Ufhiel, (crouched L) Al Buckley (crouched R) Roland Soletto Brian White
    LSM-203 35k LSM-203 at San Francisco, 1946, Bud Thorne and Roland Soletto. Brian White
    Crittenden 127k Operation Crossroads prospective target ships and support ships at Pearl Harbor in a photo released, 27 February 1946.
    Ships present from front to rear include: Crittenden (APA-77), Catron (APA-71), Bracken (APA-64), Burleson (APA-67), Gilliam (APA-57), Fallon (APA-81), one unidentified ship, Fillmore (APA-83), Kochab (AKS-6), Luna (AKS-7) and an unidentified tanker and liberty ship. Identifiable on the right are LSM-203 and LSM-465. Farther in the background are a floating drydock and a merchant ship hulk with unidentified fittings forward of the bridge.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-702126 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    The DANFS history extract for LSM-203 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 11 March 2005