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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-457

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS LSM-457 was transferred to the Republic of China and named ROCS Mei-Song (LSM-347)

LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:

Laid down, 4 December 1944, at Western Pipe and Steel Co., Wilmington, CA.

Launched, 17 March 1945

Commissioned USS LSM-457, 28 March 1945, at San Pedro, CA., LT. Thomas M. Hoban, USNR in command

During World War II USS LSM-457 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LSM Flotilla Fourteen, LCDR. W. R. McCaleb;
LSM Group Forty-Two;
LSM Division Eighty-Four

Following World War II USS LSM-457 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
11 to 27 September 1945	28 September 1945 to 12 June 1946

Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 12 June 1946, at Tsingtao, China

Transferred the same day to the Republic of China, named ROCS Mei-Song (LSM-347)

Escaped to Taiwan in October 1949, with the fall of the Republic of China

Rebuilt and reconfigured in 1969/73

Redesignated LSM-694 in 1978/79

ROCS Mei-Song decommissioned, 1 June 2005, at Kaohsiung Harbour, Taiwan

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
89k	USS LSM-433, USS LSM-457 and USS LSM-432 moored pierside at Tientsin, China in 1945.	USS LSM / LSMR Association
26k	USS LSM-457 at Taku, China, winter 1946	Photo by Karl E. Lemmerman, ETM2c USN USS LSM-457, June 1944 - June 1946.
17k
24k
83k	USS LSM-457 aground in Hai River, near Taku, China, winter 1946	Photo by Karl E. Lemmerman, ETM2c USN USS LSM-457, June 1944 - June 1946.
53k
94k	USS LSM-457 under way, date and location unknown.	USS LSM / LSMR Association

USS LSM-457
DANFS history entry located at Navsource.

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Hoban, Thomas M., USNR	28 March 1945 - June 1945
02	LT/LTjg. Nelson, Theodore P., USNR	June 1945 - November 1945
03	LTjg. Vranish, Joseph N., USNR	November 1945 - March 1946
04	LTjg. Hammer, Harry E., USNR	March 1946 - 12 June 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 2 January 2026