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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-181


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - November - Xray
 NVNX
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, 3 August 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Launched, 26 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-181, 10 October 1944, LTjg. Elmer W. Butler USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-181 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Eight, CDR. H. Doe USN (23);
     LSM Group Twenty-Three, LCDR. W. E. Edwin, USNR;
     LSM Division Forty-Five
  • Following World War II USS LSM-178 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    4 to 24 September 1945
    8 October to 20 November 1945

  • Decommissioned, 2 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold, 15 October 1947, to Mechanical Equipment Co., New Orleans, LA., converted to a barge, 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 General Motors (model GM 16-278A, 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-181 96k USS LSM-181 beached, date and location unknown. William Semock to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-181 117k USS LSM-181 beached, date and location unknown. William Gasser to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history extract for USS LSM-181 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Butler, Elmer W., USNR10 October 1944 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Parker Jr., B.C., USNRDecember 1945 - March 1946
    03LTjg. Kilroy, Richard F., USNRMarch 1946 - 2 May 1946
    Courtesy of 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 17 July 2020