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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-220


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Charlie - Foxtrot
 NVCF
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, 3 June 1944, at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE.
  • Launched, 15 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-220, 20 August 1944, LT. John Van Wie Zaugg, USNR in command
  • During WWII USS LSM-220 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Three, CDR. W. F Morrison USN (35);
     LSM Group Eight, LCDR. J. G. Blanche USN (25);
     LSM Division Sixteen and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-220 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 3 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 23 July 1946, at Terminal Island Navy Yard, San Pedro, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1946
  • USS LSM-220 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Sold, 11 February 1948, to Charles Weaver & Co., Detroit, MI.
  • Converted to a river towboat by St. Louis Shipbuilding Co., in 1949, for Commercial Barge Lines, Inc., of Evansville, IN., renamed M/V Commercial Dispatch
  • Resold to Canaveral International Miami, FL., chartered to MSTS for use as a supply ship for the US Air Force Eastern Test Range
  • Final Disposition, ran aground and wrecked, 10 January 1970, at Samana Cay, Bahamas
    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 -220
    LSM-220 43k USS LSM-220 beached at Okinawa, 1 April 1945. Photo courtesy Albert T. Harris USS LST-71 collection
    LSM-220
    101422001    		 9560k LCT's unloading at Yellow Beach, Okinawa, 13 April 1945. From left to right;
    LCT-1415,
    LCT-1175,
    LCT-1265 and
    LCT-1049.
    With USS LSM-220,
    USS LST-1000 and
    LCT-418 standing off the beach and in the middle distance in the center
    USS LSM-84 and
    USS SC-1281 are just visible.
    US National Archives Identifier 205586456 Local ID 26-G-4426, US Coast Guard photo # 4426.    		 David Upton
    LCT-1179 58k USS LSM-220 and LCT-1179 beached at Okinawa, date unknown.
    Photo from US National Archives Tape No. NPC-101-11306.    		 Bill Brinkley
    LSM-220 98k USS LSM-220 off-loading at Okinawa. Bill Karosi
    Courtesy Jim Tusing USS LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM - LSMR Association
    LSM-220 51k USS LSM-220 beached, date and location unknown. John Finch USS LSM-26
    Courtesy Jim Tusing USS LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM - LSMR Association
    LSM-134 92k USS LSM-134 flanked by USS LSM-220 and USS LSM-24 off her starboard side and USS LSM-15 off her port side, on the invasion beaches at Okinawa, circa early-August 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 John Finch USS LSM-26
    Courtesy Jim Tusing USS LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-220 68k USS LSM-220 under way, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-220 69k USS LSM-220 in the harbor at Sasebo, Japan, circa 31 October 1945 to 5 March 1946. Paul Phipps USS Coasters Harbor
    Commercial Service
    LSM-220 83k Ex-LSM-220 in service as the Commercial Barge Lines towboat M/V Commercial Dispatch at Loch 41 on the Ohio River. Loch #41 was at Louisville, KY, and was done away with sometime around 1962. Photo circa 1948-52. Capt. Jeffrey L. Yates
    LSM-220 66k M/V Commercial Dispatch on the Ohio River, date unknown. Capt. Jeffrey L. Yates
    LSM-220 67k M/V Commercial Dispatch on the Ohio River, date unknown. Boat Photo Museum, Dan Owen
    LSM-220 71k M/V Commercial Dispatch on the Ohio River, date unknown. Boat Photo Museum, Dan Owen
    The history extract for USS LSM-220 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Zaugg, John Van Wie, USNR20 August 1944 - March 1946
    02LTjg. Helwig, Edward O., USNRMarch 1946 - 1946
    03ChMach, Petroski, Lawrence Rudolph, USN1946 - 23 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 8 April 2022