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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Targeteer (YV-3)
ex
 Gunnison River (LSMR-508) (1955 - 1960)
 USS LSM(R)-508 (1945 - 1955)

Targeteer International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Quebec - Oscar
 NTQO
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(R)-501 Class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket):
  • Laid down, 31 March 1945, at Brown Ship Building Co, Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 28 April 1945
  • Commissioned USS LSM(R)-508, 25 June 1945, LT Harry H. Montgomery, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS LSM(R)-508 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM(R) Flotilla Eighteen, CAPT. C. F. Macklin USN
     LSM(R) Group Forty-Three
     LSM(R) Division One Hundred Sic
  • Decommissioned, 5 February 1947, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Named Gunnison River (LSMR-508), 1 October 1955
  • Reclassified Drone Aircraft Catapult Control Ship, renamed Targeteer, 26 May 1960
  • Recommissioned USS Targeteer (YV-3), 7 April 1961
  • Decommissioned, 13 December 1968
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 January 1969
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 December 1969, to American Ship Dismantling Co., of Portland, OR.
    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 gun mounts
    four twin 20mm 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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LSM(R)-508
    LSMR 507/508 71k USS LSM(R)-508 and USS LSM(R)-507 moored together in the Panama Canal, 9 November 1946. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    USS Targeteer (YV-3)
    Gunnison River 113k USS Targeteer (YV-3) underway, off the coast of southern California in the COMFLETRAGRU SDIEGO OpArea, which was within 200nm of San Diego, date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    Gunnison River 137k USS Targeteer (YV-3) underway, off the coast of southern California in the COMFLETRAGRU SDIEGO OpArea, which was within 200nm of San Diego, date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    Gunnison River 176k USS Targeteer (YV-3) in 1962 underway, off the coast of southern California in the COMFLETRAGRU SDIEGO OpArea, which was within 200nm of San Diego. Robert Hurst
    Gunnison River 52k USS Targeteer (YV-3) underway, off the coast of southern California in the COMFLETRAGRU SDIEGO OpArea, which was within 200nm of San Diego, circa 1963. Robert Hurst
    Gunnison River 194k USS Targeteer (YV-3) underway, off the coast of southern California, date unknown. Yu Chu
    USS LSM(R)-508 / USS Gunnison River LSM(R)-508 / USS Targeteer (YV-3)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Montgomery, Harry Howard, USNR25 June 1945 - March 1946LSM(R)-508
    02LTjg. Cassidy, Thomas A., USNR March 1946 - July 1946LSM(R)-508
    03LTjg. Boone, James T., LTJG USNRJuly 1946 - October 1946LSM(R)-508
    04LT. Geisendorf, Frederick Leon, USNOctober 1946 - 5 February 1947LSM(R)-508
     Decommissioned5 February 1947 - March 1961
    01LT. Chambers, Dudley Stevenson, USN (OinC)March 1961 - 7 April 1961Targeteer (YV-3)
    02LT. White, Marvin Loyd, USN7 April 1961 - 17 August 1962USS Targeteer (YV-3)
    03LT. Pfister, Donald Lee, USN17 April 1962 - ?USS Targeteer (YV-3)
    04LT. Comer, Robert Franklin, USN1964 - ?USS Targeteer (YV-3)
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    USS LSM-LSMR Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) (LSM(R) Photo Index Back To The Service Craft Yard and District Craft Type Index Back To The Drone Aircraft Catapult Control Ship (YV) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 4 October 2022