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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-44


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Delta - India
 NVDI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Iwo Jima-19Feb-16Mar 1945) - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 6 June 1944, at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 30 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-44, 28 July 1944, LT. Bernard A. Rubin USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-44 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
    LSM Flotilla Five, CDR. W. H. Carpenter USN (26);
    LSM Group Thirteen, LCDR. T. F. Griswold USNR;
    LSM Division Twenty-Five and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 9 February to 16 March 1945
  • Following World War II USS LSM-44 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East from 15 September to 20 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 17 May 1946, at San Diego, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-44 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 8 February 1949, 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-44 71k USS LSM-44 port midships view. Under way off Brown Ship Building Co. Inc, Shipyard, Houston, TX., circa July 1944. LSM-44 is painted Camouflage Measure 31, Design 10L.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-44 80k USS LSM-44 beached, date and location unknown. Peter Nisotis,
    Photo Courtesy Jim Tusing LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM - LSMR Association
    LSM-44 58k USS LSM-44 loaded with equipment just off the beach during the Invasion of Iwo Jima on 3 February 1945. Mount Suribachi, on the islands southern end, rises just above the ship's bow. Note the signal mast has been fitted with an SL radar antenna and that the ship's camouflage paint is severely weathered by long exposure the sea.
    Real War Photos    		 Gerd Matthes
    LSM-44 106k USS LSM-44 approaching USS Samaritan (AH-10) with Marine casualties from Iwo Jima, 23 February 1945. Note Mount Suribachi in the background.
    US Navy photo    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-44 49k USS LSM-44 beached at Iwo Jima in February1945. Martin Nichols to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    Chilton 226k USS LSM-44 and an unidentified LCI are moored pierside at Nanking (Nanjing), China in April, 1946 as USS Chilton (APA-38) heads down the channel. Chilton's decks are crowded with Nationalist China civilians and military personnel being evacuated to Shanghai.
    ©Life Magazine Archives, Jack Birns photographer, as shared by Peter DeForest.    		 Mike Green
    The history extract for LSM-44 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Rubin, Bernard A., USNR28 July 1944 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Pantel, Donald, USNRDecember 1945 - 17 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    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 19 October 2018