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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-34


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Charlie - Oscar
NVCO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)


LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 14 May 1944, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston,
  • Launched, 6 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-34, 13 July 1944, LT. Howard J. Hicks USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-34 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 October and 29 November 1944
    Ormoc Bay landing, 7 to 8 December 1944
    Manila Bay-Bicol operations;
    Mariveles-Corregidor, 14 to 28 February 1945
    Luzon operation
    Mindoro Landings, 12 to 18 December 1944
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 16 to 18 January 1945
    Consolidation and capture of the southern Philippines;
    Mindanao Island landings, 10 March 1945, 17 to 23 April 1945, and 10 to 16 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-34 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 28 September to 20 October 1945
  • Decommissioned in 1946 at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • USS LSM-34 earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 2 December 1947, to Georgia Marine Salvage Co., Inc., Brunswick, GA. for conversion to a barge, 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
    LCM-34 66k USS LSM-34 landing troops in the Philippines, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LCM-34 44k USS LSM-34 beached in the Philippines, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LCM-258/34 3864k USS LSM-258, LSM-34 and probably USS LSM-311 unloading troops and equipment during the landing at White Beach, Leyte, 20 October 1944. LSM-34 operated with LSM Group Four as a replacement for the invasion of Leyte. Arrived Manus Island 2 October 1944 to replace USS LSM-10. LSM-34 carried about 100 tons of rolling stock, 107 army engineers, and two navy photographers. The first vehicle off was a bulldozer that carried a 3000 pound landing mat. The landing mat was not helpful and actually had to be abandoned to allow vehicles off the ship. Three vehicles drowned out and had to be towed ashore by the bulldozer (visible in this photograph). By 1119 all vehicles were ashore. The two Navy photographers came aboard at Manus and were disembarked at white beach two and took still and movies of all activities of interest from the time of departure until being put ashore at white beach two. The LCVP in the foreground belongs to USS Arneb (AKA-56). Brian Miller also Contributed in the name of Purl Allan Ferrier, S1/c, SV-6 USNR, USS LSM-87 by Vicki Purl Ferrier-Taylor
    LCM-258/34 114k USS LSM-34 landing trucks, probably in the Philippines, date unknown. Bill Gonyo
    LCM-34 1662k USS LSM-34 approaching a landing area to off-load troops and equipment, probably in the Philippines, date and location unknown. Dave Kerr
    LCM-34
    101403408
    335k A Dodge 3/4 ton, 4x4 WC-51 "Weapons Carrier" utility truck plows through the surf as it decends down the ramp of USS LSM-34 at Leyte in December 1944.
    "Leyte by Carl Mydans 1944-12" Life Magazine. TimeLife_Image_115926285 For personal non-commercial use only.[
    David Upton
    LCM-34 113k USS LSM-34 crew on the beach at Mindoro, date unknown. Ralph E. Robinson USS LSM-34
    LSM-205
    101420504
    276k USS LSM-205 and USS LSM-34 beach at Mindanao, Philippine Islands, 17 April 1945. H-Hour of "R" Day for the landing of the 24th Division, at Parang, Green Beach, Mindanao. The pre-naval bombardments had completely destroyed all the houses on the beach, and no enemy troops remained.
    US National Archives Identifier 204950572, Local ID 342-FH-3A30663-64174AC, U.S. Army Air Corps 64174AC.
    David Upton
    LCM-34 77k USS LSM-169, LSM-34, USS LSM-319 and USS LSM-315 as well as two unidentified LSMs alongside and unidentified tender or repair ship at Subic Bay, P.I., date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LCM-34 65k USS LSM-34 at Guam, December 1945, she is on her way stateside. Note the homeward bound pennant. Also of note are the symbols on the conning tower representing the two Japanese planes LSM-34 was officially credited with shooting down. Ralph E. Robinson USS LSM-34

    The history extract for USS LSM-34 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 - Navy Log

    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Hicks, Howard J., USNR13 July 1944 - 12 November 1945
    02LTjg. Malpus, Kenneth C., USNR12 November 1945 - 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
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    Last updated 22 October 2021