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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-218


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Charlie - Bravo
 NVCB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

USS LSM-218 was transferred to the Republic of China later seized by Peoples Republic of China
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 24 May 1944, at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE.
  • Launched, 11 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-218, 9 August 1944, LT. Arthur B. Howell USNR in command
  • During WWII USS LSM-218 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 12 January 1945     		Consolidation and capture of the southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings, 10 March 1945
    Sulu Archipelago landings, 2 to 4 April 1945
    Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Nasugbu, 31 January 1945
    Mariveles-Corregidor, 14 to 28 February 1945     		 

  • Following World War II USS LSM-218 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    28 September to 2 October 19451 January to 15 June 1946

  • Decommissioned, 15 June 1946, and transferred the Republic of China the same day
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-218 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, seized in October 1949, from the Chinese Nationalist forces by Chinese Communist forces, 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
    LSM-218 53k Launching of LSM-218 at Dravo Shipbuilding Co, Wilmington DE., 11 July 1944 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-218 63k USS LSM-218 under way in convoy in the South China Sea, date unknown. Bob Weaver USS LSM-218 to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-67/218 83k USS ABSD-1 at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, with USS LSM-67 and USS LSM-218 in the dock, 17 November 1944.
    US Navy photo, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-67/218 97k USS ABSD-1 at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, with, front, left to right USS LSM-67 and USS LSM-218 and at the rear, left to right, USS LSM-269 and USS LSM-219, 17 November 1944.
    US Navy photo, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-67/218 90k USS ABSD-1 at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, with, front, left to right USS LSM-67 and USS LSM-218 and at the rear, left to right, USS LSM-269 and USS LSM-219, 17 November 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 22082A, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM/LSMR Association
    The history extract for USS LSM-218 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Howell, Arthur Babcock, USNR9 August 1944 - 21 March 1945
    02ENS. Holbrook, Jaline Wayne, USNR21 March 1945 - 15 June 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 8 April 2022