LSM-1 class landing ship, medium

Overview and historical setting

The LSM-1 family comprised 558 WWII medium landing ships built by seven U.S. Shipyards from a design originally designated LCT(7).

The class belongs to the history of amphibious warfare ships and served during World War II and Cold War. Amphibious ships connect naval movement with operations ashore. Their design may emphasize beaching, ramps, landing craft, well decks, aviation facilities, vehicle capacity, troop accommodation, command spaces, or some combination of those features. The mission therefore depends on how the ship moves people and equipment from sea to land, not simply on its defensive armament. For LSM-1 class landing ship, medium, the documented mission set included transport and support of amphibious forces, landing of vehicles and equipment, and delivery of cargo directly to a beach.

Development and design

ShipbuildingHistory records 558 physical LSM hulls and states that 60 were configured as LSM(R) rocket ships. Therefore treats the rocket branches as overlapping derivatives of the 558-hull completed ships, not 60 additional ships. The program chronology records the documented construction period ending in 1946. Program totals list 558 planned, 558 ordered, 558 laid down, 558 completed, and 0 cancelled. These dates and totals distinguish the design program from the number of ships that were actually completed and entered service.

The design evidence for LSM-1 class landing ship, medium identifies bow ramp, shallow draft, diesel propulsion, and mass production and transport and support of amphibious forces, landing of vehicles and equipment, and delivery of cargo directly to a beach. These features connect the class's technical arrangement to the work it was expected to perform for United States Navy / Allied services. Later refits, revised sensors, new weapons, and changes in doctrine could alter the practical capabilities of individual members without changing their class identity.

Technical character

The LSM-1 class wartime landing-ship configuration, dated from 1944, is presented as wartime fit. The armament note explains that Shallow-draft bow-ramp landing ship intended to deliver vehicles, troops and cargo directly to a beach. The figures describe one documented state and may not apply unchanged throughout the subject's service life.

Technical data for LSM-1 class landing ship, medium is most useful when tied to a date and mission. Displacement changed with fuel, ammunition, electronics, weapons, and later modifications; speed and range depended on operating conditions; and sensors or armament could vary substantially between members and periods of service.

Ships of the class

The documented roster contains 558 members. These include USS LSM-1 (LSM-1), USS LSM-2 (LSM-2), USS LSM-3 (LSM-3), USS LSM-4 (LSM-4), USS LSM-5 (LSM-5), USS LSM-6 (LSM-6), USS LSM-7 (LSM-7), USS LSM-8 (LSM-8), USS LSM-9 (LSM-9), and USS LSM-10 (LSM-10), with 548 additional documented members. The available sources support this as the complete class roster.

Individual ship histories are needed to show how a common design diverged through construction differences, refits, damage, transfers, new assignments, and final disposition. For a ship-level view of the class in service, see USS LSM-1, whose profile follows the evidence available for one member of LSM-1 class landing ship, medium.

Service history

Postwar service included foreign transfers, U.S. Auxiliary redesignations, and military conversions across the class. Generic or weakly identified transfers remain intentionally not listed. The shared design created a common starting point, while individual ships could accumulate different deployments, combat damage, modernization work, transfers, and end states.

Historical significance

The class fills the medium tier between smaller landing craft and the larger LST, while also providing the hull basis for three distinct rocket-support branches. Its significance is best assessed through the relationship between mission, technical choices, production scale, and the service experience of its members.

For LSM-1 class landing ship, medium, the most useful points of comparison are the requirement for transport and support of amphibious forces, landing of vehicles and equipment, and delivery of cargo directly to a beach, the use of bow ramp, shallow draft, diesel propulsion, and mass production, and a program recorded as 558 planned, 558 ordered, 558 laid down, 558 completed, and 0 cancelled. Those factors help explain what the class offered United States Navy / Allied services, how it differed from predecessors or contemporaries, and why ships built to the same design could still have different careers.

Understanding LSM-1 class landing ship, medium across time requires separating the design as approved, the configuration in which individual ships entered service, and later changes made after operational experience. For United States Navy / Allied services, that distinction matters because a refit could alter weapons, sensors, aviation facilities, command arrangements, or mission without creating a new class. The class history defines the common baseline; dated ship histories show how each member changed within it.

Ships in this class

Showing 558 recorded class members.

• Antares
• Aspirante Goycolea
• Aspirante Isaza
• Aspirante Morel
• Aspirante Morel
• BAP Atico
• BAP Lomas
• BDI No. 1
• Boqueron
• BRP Batanes
• BRP Western Samar
• Brudenell White
• Clive Steele
• Contreras
• FGS Eidechse
• FGS Krokodil
• FGS Natter
• FGS Otter
• FGS Salamander
• FGS Viper
• Friars
• Han Giang
• Harry Chauvel
• Hau Giang
• HDMS Beskytteren
• HDMS Hjaelperen
• HDMS Vindhunden
• HS Aktion
• HS Amvrakia
• HS Daniolos
• HS Ipopliarkhos Roussen
• HS Krystalidid
• HS L-161
• HS L-162
• HS Merlin
• HTMS Kram
• HTMS Kut
• HTMS Phai
• Jambeli
• JS LSM-3001
• Lam Giang
• Los Testigos
• Monk
• Ninh Giang
• NRP Medusa
• ROCS CMC-348
• ROCS LSM-341
• ROCS LSM-342
• ROCS LSM-345
• ROCS LSM-349
• ROCS LSM-351
• ROCS LSM-355
• ROCS Mei Cheng
• ROCS Mei Kun
• ROCS Mei Lo
• ROCS Mei Lo
• ROCS Mei Ping
• ROCS Mei Song
• ROCS Mei Tseng
• ROCS Mei Yi
• ROKNS Si Hung
• ROKS Ki Rin
• ROKS Ku Moon
• ROKS LSM-653
• ROKS LSM-656
• ROKS Sin Mi
• ROKS Teo Do
• Roques
• RPS Batanes
• RPS Isabela
• RPS Oriental Mindoro
• San Rafael
• Sirio
• Tarqui
• TCG Marmaris
• TCG Meric
• TCG Mersin
• TCG Mordogan
• TCG Murefte
• Tien Giang
• USNS T-AG-335
• USS Big Black River
• USS Big Horn River
• USS Black Warrior River
• USS Blackstone River
• USS Broadkill River
• USS Canadian River
• USS Catapult
• USS Chariton River
• USS Charles River
• USS Clarion River
• USS Clark Fork River
• USS Cumberland River
• USS Des Plaines River
• USS Elk River
• USS Escalante River
• USS Flambeau River
• USS Gila River
• USS Grand River
• USS Green River
• USS Greenbrier River
• USS Gypsy
• USS Holston River
• USS Hunting
• USS James River
• USS John Day River
• USS Kodiak
• USS Lamoille River
• USS Laramie River
• USS Launcher
• USS LSM(R)-188
• USS LSM(R)-189
• USS LSM(R)-190
• USS LSM(R)-191
• USS LSM(R)-192
• USS LSM(R)-193
• USS LSM(R)-194
• USS LSM(R)-195
• USS LSM(R)-196
• USS LSM(R)-197
• USS LSM(R)-198
• USS LSM(R)-199
• USS LSM-1
• USS LSM-10
• USS LSM-100
• USS LSM-101
• USS LSM-103
• USS LSM-104
• USS LSM-105
• USS LSM-106
• USS LSM-107
• USS LSM-108
• USS LSM-109
• USS LSM-11
• USS LSM-111
• USS LSM-112
• USS LSM-114
• USS LSM-115
• USS LSM-116
• USS LSM-117
• USS LSM-118
• USS LSM-119
• USS LSM-12
• USS LSM-120
• USS LSM-121
• USS LSM-122
• USS LSM-123
• USS LSM-124
• USS LSM-126
• USS LSM-127
• USS LSM-128
• USS LSM-129
• USS LSM-130
• USS LSM-131
• USS LSM-132
• USS LSM-133
• USS LSM-134
• USS LSM-135
• USS LSM-136
• USS LSM-137
• USS LSM-138
• USS LSM-139
• USS LSM-14
• USS LSM-140
• USS LSM-141
• USS LSM-142
• USS LSM-143
• USS LSM-144
• USS LSM-145
• USS LSM-146
• USS LSM-147
• USS LSM-148
• USS LSM-149
• USS LSM-15
• USS LSM-150
• USS LSM-151
• USS LSM-152
• USS LSM-153
• USS LSM-154
• USS LSM-156
• USS LSM-158
• USS LSM-159
• USS LSM-16
• USS LSM-160
• USS LSM-162
• USS LSM-163
• USS LSM-164
• USS LSM-165
• USS LSM-166
• USS LSM-167
• USS LSM-168
• USS LSM-169
• USS LSM-17
• USS LSM-170
• USS LSM-171
• USS LSM-172
• USS LSM-173
• USS LSM-174
• USS LSM-176
• USS LSM-177
• USS LSM-178
• USS LSM-179
• USS LSM-18
• USS LSM-180
• USS LSM-181
• USS LSM-182
• USS LSM-183
• USS LSM-184
• USS LSM-185
• USS LSM-186
• USS LSM-187
• USS LSM-2
• USS LSM-20
• USS LSM-200
• USS LSM-201
• USS LSM-202
• USS LSM-203
• USS LSM-204
• USS LSM-205
• USS LSM-206
• USS LSM-207
• USS LSM-208
• USS LSM-209
• USS LSM-21
• USS LSM-210
• USS LSM-211
• USS LSM-212
• USS LSM-213
• USS LSM-214
• USS LSM-215
• USS LSM-217
• USS LSM-218
• USS LSM-219
• USS LSM-22
• USS LSM-220
• USS LSM-221
• USS LSM-222
• USS LSM-223
• USS LSM-224
• USS LSM-225
• USS LSM-228
• USS LSM-229
• USS LSM-23
• USS LSM-230
• USS LSM-231
• USS LSM-232
• USS LSM-233
• USS LSM-234
• USS LSM-235
• USS LSM-237
• USS LSM-238
• USS LSM-239
• USS LSM-24
• USS LSM-240
• USS LSM-241
• USS LSM-242
• USS LSM-243
• USS LSM-244
• USS LSM-245
• USS LSM-246
• USS LSM-247
• USS LSM-248
• USS LSM-249
• USS LSM-25
• USS LSM-250
• USS LSM-251
• USS LSM-252
• USS LSM-253
• USS LSM-254
• USS LSM-255
• USS LSM-257
• USS LSM-258
• USS LSM-259
• USS LSM-26
• USS LSM-260
• USS LSM-261
• USS LSM-262
• USS LSM-263
• USS LSM-264
• USS LSM-265
• USS LSM-266
• USS LSM-269
• USS LSM-27
• USS LSM-270
• USS LSM-271
• USS LSM-272
• USS LSM-273
• USS LSM-274
• USS LSM-277
• USS LSM-278
• USS LSM-279
• USS LSM-28
• USS LSM-280
• USS LSM-281
• USS LSM-282
• USS LSM-283
• USS LSM-284
• USS LSM-286
• USS LSM-287
• USS LSM-288
• USS LSM-289
• USS LSM-29
• USS LSM-290
• USS LSM-291
• USS LSM-292
• USS LSM-293
• USS LSM-294
• USS LSM-296
• USS LSM-297
• USS LSM-298
• USS LSM-299
• USS LSM-3
• USS LSM-300
• USS LSM-302
• USS LSM-304
• USS LSM-305
• USS LSM-306
• USS LSM-307
• USS LSM-308
• USS LSM-309
• USS LSM-31
• USS LSM-310
• USS LSM-311
• USS LSM-312
• USS LSM-314
• USS LSM-317
• USS LSM-318
• USS LSM-32
• USS LSM-321
• USS LSM-322
• USS LSM-323
• USS LSM-324
• USS LSM-325
• USS LSM-326
• USS LSM-327
• USS LSM-328
• USS LSM-329
• USS LSM-33
• USS LSM-330
• USS LSM-331
• USS LSM-332
• USS LSM-334
• USS LSM-336
• USS LSM-337
• USS LSM-339
• USS LSM-34
• USS LSM-340
• USS LSM-341
• USS LSM-342
• USS LSM-343
• USS LSM-344
• USS LSM-345
• USS LSM-346
• USS LSM-347
• USS LSM-348
• USS LSM-349
• USS LSM-35
• USS LSM-350
• USS LSM-351
• USS LSM-352
• USS LSM-353
• USS LSM-354
• USS LSM-356
• USS LSM-357
• USS LSM-358
• USS LSM-359
• USS LSM-36
• USS LSM-360
• USS LSM-361
• USS LSM-363
• USS LSM-364
• USS LSM-365
• USS LSM-366
• USS LSM-367
• USS LSM-368
• USS LSM-369
• USS LSM-37
• USS LSM-370
• USS LSM-371
• USS LSM-372
• USS LSM-373
• USS LSM-374
• USS LSM-375
• USS LSM-376
• USS LSM-377
• USS LSM-378
• USS LSM-379
• USS LSM-38
• USS LSM-380
• USS LSM-381
• USS LSM-382
• USS LSM-383
• USS LSM-384
• USS LSM-385
• USS LSM-386
• USS LSM-387
• USS LSM-388
• USS LSM-389
• USS LSM-39
• USS LSM-391
• USS LSM-393
• USS LSM-394
• USS LSM-395
• USS LSM-397
• USS LSM-4
• USS LSM-40
• USS LSM-41
• USS LSM-413
• USS LSM-414
• USS LSM-415
• USS LSM-416
• USS LSM-418
• USS LSM-419
• USS LSM-42
• USS LSM-420
• USS LSM-421
• USS LSM-423
• USS LSM-424
• USS LSM-425
• USS LSM-426
• USS LSM-427
• USS LSM-428
• USS LSM-429
• USS LSM-43
• USS LSM-430
• USS LSM-432
• USS LSM-433
• USS LSM-434
• USS LSM-435
• USS LSM-436
• USS LSM-437
• USS LSM-438
• USS LSM-439
• USS LSM-44
• USS LSM-440
• USS LSM-441
• USS LSM-443
• USS LSM-447
• USS LSM-448
• USS LSM-449
• USS LSM-450
• USS LSM-451
• USS LSM-452
• USS LSM-453
• USS LSM-454
• USS LSM-455
• USS LSM-458
• USS LSM-459
• USS LSM-46
• USS LSM-460
• USS LSM-461
• USS LSM-464
• USS LSM-465
• USS LSM-466
• USS LSM-467
• USS LSM-468
• USS LSM-47
• USS LSM-470
• USS LSM-472
• USS LSM-473
• USS LSM-475
• USS LSM-476
• USS LSM-479
• USS LSM-48
• USS LSM-480
• USS LSM-482
• USS LSM-485
• USS LSM-486
• USS LSM-487
• USS LSM-488
• USS LSM-489
• USS LSM-49
• USS LSM-494
• USS LSM-495
• USS LSM-496
• USS LSM-497
• USS LSM-498
• USS LSM-499
• USS LSM-5
• USS LSM-50
• USS LSM-51
• USS LSM-52
• USS LSM-53
• USS LSM-54
• USS LSM-542
• USS LSM-546
• USS LSM-55
• USS LSM-556
• USS LSM-56
• USS LSM-57
• USS LSM-58
• USS LSM-59
• USS LSM-6
• USS LSM-60
• USS LSM-61
• USS LSM-62
• USS LSM-63
• USS LSM-64
• USS LSM-65
• USS LSM-66
• USS LSM-67
• USS LSM-68
• USS LSM-69
• USS LSM-7
• USS LSM-70
• USS LSM-71
• USS LSM-72
• USS LSM-73
• USS LSM-74
• USS LSM-75
• USS LSM-77
• USS LSM-78
• USS LSM-79
• USS LSM-8
• USS LSM-80
• USS LSM-81
• USS LSM-82
• USS LSM-83
• USS LSM-84
• USS LSM-87
• USS LSM-88
• USS LSM-89
• USS LSM-9
• USS LSM-90
• USS LSM-91
• USS LSM-92
• USS LSM-93
• USS LSM-94
• USS LSM-95
• USS LSM-97
• USS LSM-98
• USS LSM-99
• USS Maurice River
• USS Mender
• USS Owyhee River
• USS Pearl River
• USS Pee Dee River
• USS Pit River
• USS Powder River
• USS Raccoon River
• USS Rainy River
• USS Raritan
• USS Red River
• USS Republican River
• USS Salmon Falls River
• USS Salvager
• USS Smoky Hill River
• USS Snake River
• USS St. Croix River
• USS St. Francis River
• USS St. Johns River
• USS St. Mary's River
• USS St. Regis River
• USS Targeteer
• USS Trinity River
• USS White River
• USS Windlass
• Vernon Sturdee

Sources and further reading

1. Landing Ships, Medium - LSM, LSM(R), LSV ↗ShipbuildingHistory.com · accessed 2026-09-20
2. Launcher ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · accessed 2026-09-20
3. NavSource Landing Ship, Medium Photo Archive ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
4. USS Hunting (E-AG-398), ex USS LSM-398 ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
5. USS LSM-500 / HDMS Hjaelperen (A-563) ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
6. USS LSM-558 / Federal Republic of Germany transfer group ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-20
7. USS Kodiak (LSM-161) ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21
8. USS Oceanside (LSM-175) / RVNS Huong Giang / BRP Batanes ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21
9. Portunus II (ARC-1) ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · accessed 2026-09-21
10. USNS T-AG-335, ex T-LSM-335 ↗ShipScribe · accessed 2026-09-21
11. USS Catapult (YV-1), ex LSM-445 ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21
12. USS Launcher (YV-2), ex LSM-446 ↗SeaWaves Magazine · accessed 2026-09-21
13. USS LSM-463 / USAT / USNS / RPS Isabela ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21
14. USS LSM-492 / HNoMS Vale / TCG Mersin ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21
15. USS LSM-493 / HNoMS Vidar / TCG Murefte ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21
16. Mordogan (N-101) class coastal minelayers ↗Military Periscope · accessed 2026-09-21
17. USS Raritan (LSM-540) ↗NavSource Naval History · accessed 2026-09-21

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