Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Lost to enemy action, 7 December 1944

USS LSM-318

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Juliet - Whiskey
NVJW

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Ormoc Bay, 7 Dec. 1944) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Individual Awards

Purple Hearts (7 December 1944, Ormoc Bay, (4-KIA, Chester R. Smith SM3/c, Joe R. Baeta MoMM2/c, Robert R Harms, F1/c, Lloyd C, Russell SC1/c)

LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:

Laid down in April 1944 at Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company, Chicago, IL.

Launched in June 1944

Commissioned USS LSM-318, 3 August 1944, LT. Perry W. Rairden, Jr., USN in command

During World War II USS LSM-318 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 19 to 29 November 1944 Ormoc Bay landings, 7 December 1944

While departing from Ormoc, 7 December 1944, USS LSM-318 was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze suicide plane, set afire and sunk

USS LSM-318 earned one battle star for World War II service

Struck from the Naval Register, date 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
101425814	244k	LSMs including USS LSM-258 and USS LSM-318 carrying the 2nd wave of the US Army 77th Division moving into a beach near Ormoc, Leyte Island, Philippine Islands, 7 December 1944. US National Archives Identifier 80662843 - US Army Signal Corps photo # 199456	David Upton
	59k	USS LSM-318 on fire and sinking at Ormoc Bay, Philippine Islands, 7 December 1944, after being struck by a Japanese Kamikaze Plane.	James Cimpl to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
	59k	Illustrated story of the attack and sinking of USS LSM-318 during the Leyte Gulf operation in an article from the "Pullman-Standard Log Calumet" Harbor Shipyard newspaper, Vol. 3 No. 4, February 16 1945	Tommy Trampp

Commanding Officer
01	LT. Rairden Jr., Perey Wallace, USN	3 August 1944 - 7 December 1944


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

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 31 May 2024