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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-443

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 - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 26 February 1945, at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE.
  • Launched, 11 April 1945
  • Commissioned USS LSM-443, 7 May 1945, LT. John F. O'Donnell, USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-443 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Fifteen;
    LSM Group Forty-Four;
    LSM Division Eighty-Eight;
  • Following World War II USS LSM-443 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 1 to 24 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 23 December 1947, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold, 16 February 1948, to Crowley Launch & Tugboat Co., San Francisco, CA., 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-443 49k LSM-443 launch at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE., 11 April 1945. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-443 531k USS LSM-443 moored pierside, date and location unknown. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 97k USS LSM-443 Electrician Mates, Jackson, Palmer and Stanley. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 182k USS LSM-443 officers, Driscoll, Swenson, Baker and DeBoo. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 668k USS LSM-443 No. 1 main engine, March 1946. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 148k USS LSM-443 Radiomen Hamm and Arfmen. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 211k USS LSM-443 Galley crew. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 113k USS LSM-443 crew members, Ahern, Saburn, Hamm at Sasebo, Japan, 8 November 1945. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 160k USS LSM-443 20mm Anti-aircraft gun target practice, Money and Downey. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 150k USS LSM-443 smoke generator being worked on by Nick Palmer and Wheeler. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 146k USS LSM-443 beached at Guam with other LSMs, 9 September 1945 William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 140k USS LSM-443 underway, date and location unknown William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 186k USS LSM-443 Motor Machinist Mates; Smith, Wheeler, Galiac, Pusly, White, Borns, DeGood and Mousuer. William Palmer for his father Nicholas Palmer USS LSM-443
    LSM-443 101k LSM-443 at anchor with two unidentified LSMs nested at Sasebo, Japan, date unknown. Tom O'Connel to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-251 104k LSM-443 underway, circa 1945, place unknown.
    US Navy photo # NH 51434 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy D.M. McPherson.    		 Pete Bertram USS LSM-443 courtesy Russ Padden
    LSM-443 49k LSM-443 beached, date and place unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The DANFS history extract for LSM-443 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
    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 11 April 2014