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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-478

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)

USS LSM-478 was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed Mei Kun (LSM-252)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 10 February 1945, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston TX.
  • Launched, 3 March 1945
  • Commissioned USS LSM-478, 7 April 1945, LT. N. R. Briscoe USNR in command:
  • During World War II USS LSM-478 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Fifteen;
     LSM Group Forty-Four;
     LSM Division Ninety;
  • Following World War II USS LSM-478 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 4 September to 9 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 28 May 1946, at Astoria, OR.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria
  • Reactivated and transferred, 1 April 1954, to France
  • Returned to US Naval custody and transferred in November 1956, to the Republic of China, renamed Mei Kun (LSM-252)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by the Republic of China Navy in 1973, 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-478
    LSM-478 66k USS LSM-478 en route to Saipan, at the entrance of Apra Harbor, Guam Richard W. Friedrich, F/1c, LSM-467, Collection, slide number 001
    LSM-474 170k USS LSM-474 unloading 5th Marine Division Tanks at Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan in September 1945. USS LSM-478 is in the background. Bill Heist, LSM-474, slide-003
    ROCS Mei Kun (LSM-252)
    LSM-478 44k Ex-USS LSM-478 in the Republic of China service as ROCS Mei Kun (LSM-252) under way, circa 1962, location unknown.
    Official Republic of China Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    The history extract for USS LSM-478 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Briscoe, N. R., USNR7 April 1945 - ?
    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 6 October 2017