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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-81


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Golf - Echo
 NVGE
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 (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 14 August 1944, at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched 7 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-81, 5 October 1944, LTjg. Norman A. Wodder USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-81 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Eight, CDR. H. Doe USN (23);
     LSM Group Twenty-Two, LCDR. N.E. Fryer Jr. USN (38);
     LSM Division Forty-Four and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 to 26 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-81 was assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East from 17 September to 15 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 1 September 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-81 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 10 November 1947, to Edward F. Jardine, Atlantic City, N.J., 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-2 62k USS LSM-81 at anchor in a nest of LSMs at Okinawa, 1945. George Coughlan to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-2 57k USS LSM-81 beached, date and location unknown. George Coughlan to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-2 66k USS LSM-81 under way, date and location unknown. George Coughlan to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history extract for USS LSM-81 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Wodder, Norman A., USNR5 October 1944 - June 1945
    02LTjg. Schell, Frank C., USNRJune 1945 - December 1945
    03LTjg. Sawyer, James P., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    04ENS. Bleck, Clay S., USNRMarch 1946 - 1946
    05LT. Tinsley, Leeland, USN1946 - 1 September 1946
    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 (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 25 May 2018