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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS St. Croix River (LSMR-524)
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USS LSM(R)-524 (1945 - 1955)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

LSM(R)-501 Class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket):

Laid down, 5 May 1945, at Brown Ship Building Co, Houston, TX.

Launched, 9 June 1945

Commissioned USS LSMR-524, 14 August 1945, at Houston, TX., LT Stephen A. Humsjo, USNR in command

During World War II USS LSM(R)-524 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LSM(R) Flotilla Eighteen, CAPT. C. F. Macklin USN
LSM(R) Group Forty-Four
LSM(R) Division One Hundred Eight

Decommissioned, 21 May 1946, at Green Cove Springs, FL.

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs

Named USS St. Croix River LSM(R)-524, 1 October 1955

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1958

Final Disposition, sold in 1961, fate unknown

LSM(R) Specifications:
Displacement 758 t.(light), 993 t. (attack) 1,175 t. (fully loaded)
Length 206' 3"
Beam 34' 6"
Draft light, 5' 4" (mean), attack 6' 9" (mean), fully loaded 7' 9" (mean)
Speed 13 kts.
Complement 6 officers, 137 enlisted

Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four twin 20mm AA gun mounts

ten twin continuous loading 5" SS rocket launchers

four 4.2" mortars

Armor 10-lb. STS on conning station, pilot-house, radio room, radar plot, and rocket control, 10-lb. ASPP around 40 and 20mm gun mounts and directors

Endurance 3,000 miles @ 13kts

Propulsion

two General Motors 16-278A (non-reversing with airflex clutch) Diesel engines, direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm
Ship's Service Generators
four Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
two Diesel-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.

twin screws 2,800 shp

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
488k	USS LSM(R)-524 Pre-commissioning crew at completion of training at US Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Base Little Creek Norfolk, VA. May 1945.	Mark McDonald courtesy Vernice R. Thompson USS LSM(R)-524
427k	USS LSM(R)-524 LT. Stephen A. Humsjo and ship's officers, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c (at right) USS LSM(R)-524
94k	USS LSM(R)-524 commissioning ceremony at Southern Pacific Docks, Houston, TX. 14 August 1945. (Note: the twin 5 inch SS rocket launcher mounts have not yet been installed.)	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
127k	USS LSM(R)-524 commissioning ceremony at Southern Pacific Docks, Houston, TX. 14 August 1945.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
118k	USS LSM(R)-524 under way in the Gulf of Texas during her shake down cruise, 20 September 1945. (Good view of ships armament - ten twin continuous loading 5" SS rocket launchers, two twin 40mm gun mounts, four twin 20mm gun mounts, four 4.2" mortars and one 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts.) Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
80k	USS LSM(R)-524 (left) and USS LSM(R)-525 (right) preparing to get underway, probably from Southern Pacific Docks, Houston, TX. for NAB Little Creek, VA., circa August 1945. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
81k	USS LSM(R)-524's 5"/38 gun mount and conning tower. Note camouflage paint. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
94k	USS LSM(R)-524's starboard diesel engine. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
29k	USS LSM(R)-524 moored pierside at US Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, VA. - crew finishing camouflage painting on the port side, circa 1945. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
28k	USS LSM(R)-524 moored pierside with USS LSM(R) 525 or USS LSM(R)-523 at the US Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Base Little Creek Norfolk VA in 1945.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
49k	USS LSM(R)-524 underway, enroute to Florida, date unknown.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
87k	USS LSM(R)-524 gunnery crew in action firing one of the ship's twin 20 mm guns during a practice drill, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
82k	USS LSM(R)-524 gunnery crew firing one of the ship's twin 20 mm guns during a practice drill, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
71k	USS LSM(R)-524 gunnery crew firing one of the ship's twin 20 mm guns during a practice drill, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
91k	USS LSM(R)-524 gunnery crew firing the bow twin 40mm guns during a practice drill, date and location unknown. Photo by Vernice R. Thompson.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
78k	USS LSM(R)-524 gunnery crew firing the stern twin 40mm guns during a practice drill, date and location unknown. Photo by John A,. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
63k	USS LSM(R)-524 firing its 5" SS Rockets off the starboard side during a live fire exercise, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
30k	USS LSM(R)-524 firing its 5" SS Rockets off the port side during a practice drill, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
57k	USS LSM(R)-524 gunnery crew firing its stern twin 40mm gun during a practice drill - picture taken from the conning station - date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
55k	USS LSM(R)-524 was at GQ during a live fire exercise, 5 October 1945, in area North Charlie, Chesapeake Bay, when the twin 40mm gun crew shot down this drone aircraft. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
60k	USS LSM(R)-524 under way in the Chesapeake Bay, date unknown. After securing from GQ crew observes object floating in the water. Possibly a target or weather balloon. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
59k	Night scene looking out over USS LSM(R)-524's 5"/38 gun mount while the ship is moored, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
54k	USS LSM(R)-524 launch coming alongside, date and location unknown. Photo by John A. McDonald.	Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
73k	USS LSM(R)-524 anchored at Green Cove Springs, FL.. Note; crew members on the scaffold repainting the ship's port side for the decommissioning stage on 21 May 1946. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSMR-524.	Robert Jackson USS LSM(R)-524, courtesy, Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
46k	Close-up of above photo - USS LSM(R)-524 anchored at Green Cove Springs, FL. prior to decommissioning. Photo by John A. McDonald USS LSM(R)-524.	Robert Jackson USS LSM(R)-524, courtesy, Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
95k	USS LSM(R)-523, *LSM(R)-524, USS LSM(R)-525, USS LSM(R)-527, USS LSM(R)-526* and USS LSM(R)-519 at anchor in a nest of six LSMRs at Green Cove Springs, FL, January 1946. The deck log entry of USS LSM(R)-524 for January 1946 indicates the following: "Moored at Berth Oak 31, St. John's River, Green Cove Springs, Fla. in 14 feet of water, mud bottom, with 35 fathoms of chain to bow anchor, 300 feet of cable to the stern anchor and moored port side to the USS LSM(R) 523 moored to the starboard side, the starboard side to the USS LSM (R) 525 moored to the port, port side to, USS LSM (R) 527 moored to the USS LSM (R) 525, USS LSM (R) 526 moored to LSM (R) 527, USS LSM (R) 519 moored to starboard side of USS LSM (R) 526 on the following Bridge bearing 166 (T), North End of bridge 068 (T), tower 219 (T) with the following machinery in operation #1 ship service generator, #1 boiler, #2 refrigerator, #2 fresh water pump, #2 fire and flushing pump, #2 air compressor"	Photo submitted by Donald Tourville USS LSMR-528 Log Entry submitted by Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
58k	Seventeen LSM(R)s at Green Cove Springs, FL. during Operation "Zipper", the process of decommissioning the fleet, commonly called "mothballing", March 1946. From front to back: USS LSM(R)-519 USS LSM(R)-526, USS LSM(R)-527, USS LSM(R)-525, USS LSM(R)-524, (See Deck Log entry below) USS LSM(R)-529, USS LSM(R)-521, USS LSM(R)-528, USS LSM(R)-522, USS LSM(R)-531, USS LSM(R)-536, USS LSM(R)-535, USS LSM(R)-534, USS LSM(R)-520, USS LSM(R)-533, USS LSM(R)-530, USS LSM(R)-523, The USS LSM(R)-524 Deck Log states during the month of March 1946 Moored in Birth Oak 31, St. Johns River Green Cove Springs. Fla. Anchorage in 14 feet of water, mud bottom with 65 fathoms of chain to bow anchor and 495 feet of cable to the stern anchor. Nested with LSM (R) type ships: 523, 530, 533, 520, 534, 535, 536, 531, 522, 528, 521, and 529, moored to our starboard numbering from inboard to outboard. LSM(R) type ships: 525, 527, 526, and 519, moored to our port numbering from inboard to outboard , on the following bearing: bridge opening 180 .5 (T), signal tower 235 (T), pt. of land 336 (T). The following machinery in operation: #1 generator, #1 evaporator, #2 fire & flushing pumps, #2 fresh water pumps, #2 refrigeration unit.	Robert Hanle to the USS LSM / LSMR Association Log Entry submitted by Mark McDonald for his father John A. McDonald S1/c USS LSM(R)-524
640k	Painting of USS LSM(R)-524 by Dr. Bernard John Heetderks Jr.. Dr. Heetderks was a S1/c and he worked in Fire Control on the 524.	Mark McDonald

USS LSM(R)-524 Model
	611k	The solid mahogany model of USS LSM(R)-524 was built by Motion Models of Florida. It is 30" in length and 13" high at the top of the conning tower mast. The model is authentically detailed with the proper armament and pre-invasion camouflage color scheme for that era. The model, commissioned by Mark McDonald, was made in loving memory of his father, John A McDonald S1/c, and his ship mates who served in USS LSM(R)-524. At this time in history the crew was preparing for Operation Olympic. The first stage of Operation Downfall, the invasion of the southern most main Japanese Island of Kyushu.	Photos by Mark McDonald
	910k