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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-85


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Golf - Mike
 NVGM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - 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)

USS LSM-85 was transferred to France redesignated L-9051, later to South Vietnam named Ninh Giang (HQ-403), seized by North Vietnam
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 22 August 1944, at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 15 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-85, 12 October 1944, LTjg. Bruce G. Dodd, USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-85 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Nine, CDR. D. L. Francis, USN (23);
     LSM Group Twenty-Five, LCDR. L. Brouwer, USN;
     LSM Division Forty-Nine and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 7 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-85 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    11 to 28 September 1945 
    29 September to 21 December 194529 September to 21 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Reactivated and transferred, 7 May 1954, to France designated L-9051
  • Returned and transferred in October 1956 to South Vietnam, renamed Ninh Giang (HQ-403)
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • USS LSM-85 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Seized by North Vietnam, 30 April 1975, last reported as still active in Vietnamese Navy
  • Final Disposition, 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
    USS LSM-85
    LSM-85
    101408511    		 96k USS LSM-85 with supplies coming alongside USS Sangamon (CVE-26), 15 April 1945, in Kerama Ritto Harbor.
    (Caption from Sangamon Cruise book thanks to Tracy White.)    		 101408511 Raymond G Gillis USS LSM-539
    101408505 Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM/LSMR Association
    101408506 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-85
    101408505    		 104k
    LSM-85
    101408506    		 90k
    LSM-85 60k USS LSM-85 underway, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-348 76k USS LSM-85 and USS LSM-348 entering the Advanced Base Dock USS ABSD-6 at Guam, Marianas, date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-85 52k USS LSM-85 in San Francisco Bay, 1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 81019. Courtesy D.M. McPherson, 1974.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    RFS L-9051
    LSM-85 55k ex USS LSM-85 in service as the French L-9051, 13 July 1954, location unknown.  
    Ninh Giang (HQ-403)
    LSM-85 50k ex USS LSM-85 in service as South Vietnamese Ninh Giang (HQ-403) beached, circa 1960s, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 93785.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    LSM-85 16k ex USS LSM-85 in service as South Vietnamese Ninh Giang (HQ-403), date and location unknown.  
    LSM-85
    101408502    		 121k ex USS LSM-85 in service as South Vietnamese Ninh Giang (HQ-403), at Nha Be, RVN , 1 June 1971. © Richard Leonhardt
    LSM-85
    101408503    		 174k ex USS LSM-85 in service as South Vietnamese Ninh Giang (HQ-403), at Nha Be, RVN, October 1971. © Richard Leonhardt
    LSM-85 69k ex USS LSM-85 in South Vietnamese service as Ninh Giang (HQ-403), Nha Be, RVN, October 1971. © Richard Leonhardt
    The history extract for USS LSM-85 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Dodd, Bruce G., USNR12 October 1944 - December 1945
    02LT. Bert Jr., Vernon J., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Kleiman, Louis, USNRMarch 1946 - 30 July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 16 February 2024