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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-547

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Korean Service Medal (4)
bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS LSM-547 was transferred to the Australian Army, named Clive Steele (AV-1356)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, date unknown, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Commissioned USS LSM-547, 25 January 1946, LTjg. Charles W. Faust, USNR, in command
  • Decommissioned, 11 March 1947, at Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs
  • Recommissioned, 22 September 1950
  • During the Korean War USS LSM-547 participated in the following campaigns;

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    20 to 27 November 1951    		 Third Korean Winter
    1 December 1952 to 30 April 1953
    Second Korean Winter
    28 November to 5 December 1951    		 Korean Summer-Fall 1953
    1 May to 27 July 1953

  • Decommissioned, 5 July 1955, at Astoria, OR.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria, OR.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-547 earned four battle stars for Korean War service
  • Transferred, sold, to Australia, 26 January 1960, named Clive Steele (AV-1356) and assigned to the Australian Army Royal Engineers, 32 Small Ship Squadron
  • Clive Steel (AV-1356) served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1971.
    She was one of the four Australian Army LSMs in Vietnam. They were on station in support of Australian ground troops around Bien Hoa, Nui Dat and Vung Tau etc. When not required they were designated to US Army for duty anywhere from the Mekong Delta to Danang.
  • Decommissioned by the Australian Army in 1972
  • Sold in 1972, to Pacific Logistics S.A., Philippines
  • Struck by Communist rockets, 6 July 1973, in the Mekong Delta, beached and abandoned
  • 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 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
    USS LSM-547
    LSM-548 63k USS LSM-547 left and USS LSM-548 center, moored in a nest of three ships, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 49k USS LSM-547 USS LSM-175 and USS LST-561 beached, probably in the San Diego Bay area, circa 1950-1955 Tommy Trampp
    LSM-547 188k USS LSM-547 beached at Kojedo, Korea, December 1951. Brian Miller
    LSM-547
    NY9 14303-9-52    		 71k USS LSM-547 off Mare Island Naval Shipyard. LSM-547 was under repair at the shipyard from 11 July to 15 September 1952 and was dry docked in ARD 32 from 8 to 12 Aug 1952.
    US Naval Shipyard photos # NY9 14303-9-52 and NY9 14304-9-52, dated 9 September 1952.    		 Darryl Baker
    LSM-547
    NY9 14304-9-52    		 59k
    LSM-547 91k USS LSM-547 off Mare Island Naval Shipyard. LSM-547 was under repair at the shipyard from 11 July to 15 Sept 1952.
    US Naval Shipyard photo    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 79k USS LSM-547 underway, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 71k USS LSM-547 underway, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 124k USS LSM-547 and USS LST-529 with LCU-851 loaded on her main deck, circa 1952, location unknown. Don Garner
    LSM-547 138k USS LSM-547 underway exchanging movies with an unidentified LST while enroute to Korea in 1953. Photo by George Dahl USS LSM-547
    LSM-547 169k USS LSM-547 loading American Army personnel at Kojedo Korea in 1953. Photo by George Dahl USS LSM-547
    LSM-547 215k The tank deck of USS LSM-547 is loaded with American Army personnel, waiting to be disembarked on an island off the Korean coast in 1953. Photo by George Dahl USS LSM-547
    LSM-547 215k USS LSM-547 enroute to Kojedo Prison Island in 1953 with Chinese Communist Army prisoners of war. South Korean Army guards are on the upper deck in 1953. Photo by George Dahl USS LSM-547
    LSM-547 177k Chinese Communist Army prisoners of war in the tank deck of USS LSM-547 while underway enroute to Kojedo Prison Island in 1953 Photo by George Dahl USS LSM-547
    LSM-547 77k USS LSM-547 underway, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 53k USS LSM-547 underway, date and location unknown Dave Perham
    Australian LSM Association
    LSM-547 73k USS LSM-547 underway at San Diego, CA., 27 May 1954.
    Photo by Oather Morper.    		 Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM-LSMR Association
    Clive Steele (AV-1356)
    LSM-547 167k
    Namesake
    Major General Sir Clive Selwyn Steele, KBE, DSO, MC, VD (30 September 1892 – 5 August 1955) was an engineer and a senior officer of the Australian Army who served in both the First and Second World Wars. He was instrumental in the expansion of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) in preparation for the war against Japan    		 Tommy Trampp
    LSM-547 296k Centurion tank trials with Clive Steele (AV-1356) at Stockton Beach NSW in 1963. The then Minister for the Army, Mr Forbes, is on the hull of the lead tank. Tommy Trampp
    LSM-477 34k Ex-USS LSM-547 in Australian service as Clive Steele (AV-1356) beached, date and location unknown. Peter Bayliss
    LSM-477 24k Clive Steele (AV-1356) beached at Bin Thuy, Bassac River, South Vietnam Peter Bayliss
    LSM-547 139k Clive Steele (AV-1356) beached date and location unknown. Dave Perham
    Australian LSM Association
    LSM-547 75k A damaged M113A1 Armored Personnel Carrier is being loaded into Clive Steele (AV-1356) by an M543 Recovery Vehicle.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. P01226.009    		 Mike Green
    LSM-547 84k Clive Steele (AV-1356) date and place unknown. Photo Courtesy Jim Tusing LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM - LSMR Association
    LSM-547 580k Loading a battle damaged tank onto Clive Steele (AV-1356) at Vung Tau, South Vietnam for return to Australia in 1969. Tommy Trampp
    LSM-547 317k Clive Steele (AV-1356) unloading at De Long pier at Vung Tau, South Vietnam.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. P05923.008    		 Mike Green
    LSM-547 118k Clive Steele (AV-1356) at Port Moresby, Australia, off-loading a truck, 24 June 1965. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 393k Clive Steele (AV-1356) conducting loading trials at sea with a Skycrane off the coast of South Vietnam in March 1968.
    Photo from 32 Small Ship Squadron Association web site.    		 Tommy Trampp
    LSM-547 79k Clive Steele (AV-1356) beached at a ramp in South Vietnam, circa 1969. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-547 127k Clive Steele (AV-1356) with USS Luzerne County (LST-902) and an unidentified Korean manned LST beached probably at the ramp at Vung Tau, South Vietnam, circa 3 March 1969. The time is before 0700 as the Clive Steele's log indicates she retracted off the beach at 0700 bound for Cam Ranh Bay. The Korean LST loaded with ammunition and avgas retracted at 0730. At 0800 while her crew was at breakfast USS Luzerne County was hit by two Kyushu 122mm rockets and suffered a number of casualties. Photo Dave Perham, Caption Dennis Wynne
    LSM-547 78k Clive Steele (AV-1356) beached at Papua, New Guinea, circa 1969. Dave Perham
    LSM-547 54k Navy divers and crewmen of the Army's landing ship Clive Steel (AV-1356) observing the replacement of a damaged screw at Vung Tau, south Vietnam in May, 1969.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. MISC/69/0277/VN    		 Mike Greene
    LSM-547 65k Clive Steele (AV-1356) underway in Sydney Harbour, 24 March 1970, after three years of Vietnam service. Note from serving member Dennis Wynne - "Interesting about this was we arrived early, and had to lay up at Lion Island just north of Sydney, as we had to arrive for a PR photo shoot. The Royal Australian Naval ship HMAS Perth (D-38) was going back for tour of duty on the US Gun Line off Vietnam coast, So they did a one home one to war story complete with us dipping flag to senior service as we passed in harbor." USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history extract for USS LSM-547 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    USS LSM-LSMR Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    32 Small Ship Squadron
    32 Small Ship Squadron Association
    Long Tau Ship Channel, Australian Army
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 23 August 2019