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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-56


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Echo - Hotel
 NVEH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 30 June 1944, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 21 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-56, 31 August 1944, LT. Harold Dash, USNR in command
  • During World War II LSM-56 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla Six, CDR. A. R. Quinn, USN
     LSM Group Sixteen(flagship), LCDR. J. T. Brugger Jr. USNR;
     LSM Division Thirty-Six and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 April to 17 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-56 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    4 to 20 September 1945
    8 October to 20 November 1945

  • Decommissioned, 18 March 1946, at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946 li>USS LSM-56 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission at Clermeont, VA. for disposal-(PDX-225, 27 September 1946)
  • Sold, 23 October 1947, to Charles N. Wilson, New Brunswick, Canada and converted to a barge to haul pulpwood
  • Final Disposition, hulk abandoned in 1960 in the Musquash Estuary, New Brunswick, Canada
    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-56
    LSM-56 75k USS LSM-56 starboard bow view. Underway off Brown Shipbuilding Co. Inc, Shipyard, Houston, TX., circa August 1944. LSM-56 is painted Camouflage Measure 31, Design 10L.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-56 66k USS LSM-56 port quarter view. Underway off Brown Shipbuilding Co. Inc, Shipyard, Houston, TX., circa August 1944. LSM-56 is painted Camouflage Measure 31, Design 10L.
    US Navy photo.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-56 86k USS LSM-56 underway, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-56 74k USS LSM-56 beached, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-56/26 34k USS LSM-26 and LSM-56 beached at Okinawa, April 1945. Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM/LSMR Association
    LSM-56 45k USS LSM-56 beached, date and location unknown. Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM/LSMR Association
    Commercial Service
    LSM-56 6k The hulk of ex-USS LSM-56 lies abandoned in Musquash Estuary, New Brunswick, Canada, 2004 James Tusing
    The history extract for USS LSM-56 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Dash, Harold, USNR31 August 1944 - December 1945
    02LTjg. Douglass Jr., Thomas C., USNRDecember 1945 - 18 March 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Mystery ships of the Musquash Estuary, New Brunswick, Canada (WWII Ships Found!) 75th anniversary
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Ship Medium (LSM) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 19 December 2025