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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-359


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - November - Alpha
 NVNA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from 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, 18 November 1944, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 9 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-359, 4 January 1945, LTjg. William Whatley USNR, in command
  • During World War II LSM-359 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Twelve, LCDR. A. F. Dineen USN (22);
    LSM Group Thirty-Five, LCDR. W. K. Bradbury USNR;
    LSM Division Seventy
  • Following World War II USS LSM-359 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 18 October 1945 to 28 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 3 June 1949, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Sold in July 1958, to Dullien Steel Products, Seattle, WA., converted to a barge, Official Number (290462)
  • Purchased by Pacific Inland Navigation Co., The Dalles, OR. to haul wheat
  • Purchased by Tidewater Barge Lines, Vancouver, WA., renamed #541, used as a Tie-Off barge (Spud-Barge)
  • Final Disposition, to be scrapped at Schnitzer steel yard, Portland, OR. in April 2012
    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-359
    LSM-359 50k USS LSM-359 underway, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-359 66k USS LSM-359 beached with three unidentified LSTs, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-359 83k USS LSM-359 underway off San Diego, August 1948.
    Photo by Oather Morper    		 Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-359 81k USS LSM-359 underway, date and location unknown. Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM-LSMR Association
    LSM-359 456k Article from Bureaus of Yards and Docks "SeaBee News Service", 17 April 1945. "LSM Has Own Swimming Pool". Richard Whatley for his father LT. William Whatley Commanding Officer USS LSM-359
    Commercial Service
    LSM-359 115k Bow view of ExLSM-359 on the Columbia River, in the service of Tidewater Barge Lines, Vancouver, WA., as #541, a Tie-Off barge (Spud-Barge)., December 2002 Ron Gray/Captain
    LSM-359 110k Stern view of Tidewater Barge Lines, #541, a Tie-Off barge (Spud-Barge)., December 2002. She is stern to stern with #542, ex LSM-37 Ron Gray/Captain
    The history extract for USS LSM-359 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg/LT. Whatley, William, USNR4 January 1945 - March 1946
    02LTjg. Overbey, Chester H., USNRMarch 1946 - July 1946
    03LTjg. Potter, William C., USNRJuly 1946 - August 1946
    04ENS. Kelly, Robert R., USNRAugust 1946 - September 1946
    05LTjg. Ninow, Earl Helmuth, USNSeptember 1946 - 1947
    06LT. McCartney, Sidney Eugene, USN1947 -  
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 7 June 2024