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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-201


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Alpha - Tango
 NVAT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 24 December 1943, at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE.
  • Launched, 26 February 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-201, 14 April 1944, ENS. Albert J. Buchinsky USNR in command
  • During WWII USS LSM-201 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Five, CDR. W. H. Carpenter USN (26);
     LSM Group Fourteen, LCDR. A. E. Lind USNR;
     LSM Division Twenty-Seven and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 16 March 1945

  • Decommissioned, 16 May 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-201 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 November 1946, to Capital Salvage and Sales Co., Edgewater, N.J.
    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-201 78k USS LSM-201 underway in the Chesapeake Bay during her shakedown cruise, 1 May 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228620 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 191k Overhead views of USS LSM-201 underway in the Chesapeake Bay during her shakedown cruise in May 1944.
    US Navy photos from "Allied Landing Craft of World War Two", published by Arms and Armour Press.    		 Robert Hurst
    LSM-201 113k
    LSM-201 80k USS LSM-201 underway off Cape Hatteras during her shakedown cruise, 8 May 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228634 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 77k USS LSM-201 approaching the beach, during her shakedown cruise, 8 May 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228629 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 97k USS LSM-201 underway in Chesapeake Bay, 9 May 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228633 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 54k USS LSM-201 underway in the Chesapeake Bay during her shakedown cruise in May 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228491 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 120k USS LSM-201 overhead view while underway in Chesapeake Bay in May 1944.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 66k USS LSM-201 beaching in the Chesapeake Bay, 30 April 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228497 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 53k USS LSM-201 beached in the Chesapeake Bay, 30 April 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228498 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 60k USS LSM-201 beached in the Chesapeake Bay, date unknown. Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 73k USS LSM-201 beached with bow doors open in the Chesapeake Bay, 30 April 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228493 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 56k USS LSM-201 beached with bow doors open while lowering ramp in the Chesapeake Bay, 30 April 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228495 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 104k USS LSM-201 underway in the Chesapeake Bay, 30 April 1944 with seven light tanks, two medium tanks, and fifty Army troops.
    US Navy photo # NH 228496 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 74k USS LSM-201 beached while off loading a medium tank across the beach at ATB Camp Bradford, VA., 11 May 1944.
    US Navy photo    		 Wes Stone, Lusby, MD. -"In memory of the men of the USNATB, Solomons, MD."
    LSM-201 85k USS LSM-201 beached while off loading a light tank across the beach in the Chesapeake Bay, 30 April 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228494 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 85k USS LSM-201 along with three other LSMs behind a smoke screen preparing for a mock amphibious landing at ATB Camp Bradford, VA., 11 May 1944.
    US Navy photo # NH 228492 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 105k USS LSM-201 behind a smoke screen while preparing for a mock amphibious landing at ATB Camp Bradford, VA., 11 May 1944. Note the number of officers observing. This was probably an exercise for the benefit of Army-Navy Staff College students at Camp Bradford.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201 161k USS LSM-201 beached while off loading tanks and other vehicles during a mock amphibious landing at ATB Camp Bradford, VA., 11 May 1944. Note the number of officers observing. This was probably an exercise for the benefit of Army-Navy Staff College students at Camp Bradford.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-256 114k Aerial view of Little Creek Amphibious Base, 1 August 1944. Ships that can be identified are: USS LSM-256,
    USS LSM-201,
    USS LSM-2,
    USS LSM-127,
    USS LSM-203,
    USS LSM-16,
    USS LSM-126,
    USS LSM-134
    and USS LSM-144. The two LSTs are unidentified.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-201/391 and LST-807 142k Marines unload supplies from USS LSM-201 and USS LST-807, and other amphibious warships beached at Iwo Jima on D-Day, 15 February 1945.
    US National Archives
    photo # NWDNS-26-G-4098    .    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-264/201 39k USS LSM-141, USS LSM-201 and USS LSM-264 beached at Iwo Jima, after the beach was secured. Paul Burket USS LSM-341 and
    John Finch USS LSM-26
    Courtesy Jim Tusing USS LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM - LSMR Association
    Commanding Officers
    01ENS. Buchinsky, Albert J., USNR14 April 1944 - September 1945
    03LTjg. Thomason, John L., USNRSeptember 1945 - 3 December 1945
    04LTjg. Hugghins, John A., USNR3 December 1945 - March 1946
    05LTjg. Waugh, Douglas V., USNRMarch 1946 - 16 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    The history extract for USS LSM-201 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
    USS LSM-LSMR Association
    Additional Web Sites of Interest
    Model and Construction Photos of LSM-201
    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 26 April 2019