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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LSM-397

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 - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 15 December 1944, at US Navy Yard Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 6 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS LSM-397, 30 July 1945, LTjg. Royal J. Lee, USNR, in command
  • Following World War II LSM-397 served as a logistics support vessel for Naval Facilities in the Caribbean from May 1954 to February 1958
  • Decommissioned, 24 February 1958, at Charleston, S.C.
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Final Disposition, sold, November 1958, to Ships Inc., Miami, FL., 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 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 General Motors (non-reversible with airflex 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-396 88k LSM-308, and LSM-396 at the fitting out piers at US Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C. Other ships in this photo include LSM-309, LSM 389, LSM-390, LSM-391, LSM-392, LSM-393, LSM-394, LSM-395, LSM-397, LSM-398, Ray K. Edwards (APD-96), Arthur L. Bristol (APD-97), Truxton (APD-98) and Upham (APD-99).
    US Navy Yard Charleston photo # 132-46, dated 10 January 1945.     		USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 110k LSM-397 underway off San Diego, CA., 28 July 1945.
    Photo by Oather Morper.    		 Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM-LSMR Association
    LSM-397 68k LSM-397 stands off shore as VADM Daniel E. Barbey USN COMPHIBLANT watches Marines haul a jeep from the surf after it had been submerged in a practice landing at Little Creek, VA. during Operation "CAMID".
    US Navy # NH 382512 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 79k LSM-397 beached, date and place unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 55k LSM-397 in the Arctic Ocean, summer-1951, as part of the convoy supporting the building of the US base at Thule Greenland, "Operation Bluejay." USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 115k LSM-397 along side General A. W. Greely (T-AP-141), Thule Greenland in 1951,
    US Navy photo # NH 97108 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    LSM-397 89k LSM-397 alongside General Stuart Heintzelman (T- AP-159), North Star Bay, Greenland. Note: the specially constructed ramp for transfer of contractor personal between ships, date unknown)
    US Navy photo # NH 47756 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 61k LSM-397 in North Star Bay, Thule, Greenland, during Operation Blue Jay, 19 July1951.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 48k LSM-397 underway, date and place unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-397 61k LSM-397 moored at South Beach, Miami, FL., 29 June 1954. Photo by Raymond A. Biswanger, Jr., Ph.D., LT. USN (Ret) USS LSM-9 and USS LSM-538
    LSM-397/297 58k LSM-397 and LSM-297 moored at South Beach, Miami, FL., 29 June 1954. Photo by Raymond A. Biswanger, Jr., Ph.D., LT. USN (Ret) USS LSM-9 and USS LSM-538
    LSM-397/297 63k LSM-297 and LSM-397 moored at South Beach, Miami, FL., 29 June 1954. Photo by Raymond A. Biswanger, Jr., Ph.D., LT. USN (Ret) USS LSM-9 and USS LSM-538
    The DANFS history extract for LSM-397 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
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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 18 February 2005