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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-438

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 31 January 1945,at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE.
  • Launched, 14 March 1945
  • Commissioned USS LSM-438, 6 April 1945, LT. George L. Wilkinson USNR in command
  • During World War II USS LSM-438 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Fifteen;
     LSM Group Forty-Three;
     LSM Division Eighty-Five;
  • Decommissioned, 8 December 1947, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 26 February 1948, to New Orleans Shipwrecking Corp., Chicago, IL.
    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
    LSM-438 49k LSM-438 launch at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE., 14 March 1945. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-438 63k USS LSM-438, USS LSM-141 and USS LSM-211 beached, date and location unknown. Marty Peterson to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-438 75k USS LSM-438 under way in San Francisco Bay, 1945-46.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 79843, courtesy D.M. McPherson, 1974.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history extract for USS LSM-438 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Wilkinson, George L., USNR6 April 1945 - November 1945
    02LTjg. Holloway, Floyd, R., USNRNovember 1945 - June 1946
    03LT. McGlashan, Alexander, USNJune 1946 - ?
    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 22 August 2025