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direction. A handful of ships ranging from destroyers - manned around the clock - to minesweepers. Their job was to sound the alarm and vector fighters to intercept before the
Japanese could attack the fleet anchored off Okinawa and the Allied forces and supply dump ashore. Unfortunately, some of the eager-to-die Japanese wanted to attack the first American ships they saw: the pickets. Dennis L. Francis LSM Commander, Flotilla Nine for the period 2â20 April, Action Report indicated that " these ships are not particularly suited for picket duty. Since their primary function is to deliver rockets during invasion operations, it seems feasible that subjecting them to continual enemy air attacks will allow this secondary duty to seriously affect their ability to perform their primary function due to damage. They have no great value in combating enemy aircraft due to the absence of air search radar, adequate director control for the 5"/38 main battery, and director control for the 40mm single guns. The fact that they carry a considerable quantity of explosive rockets in their magazines presents another hazard. In general, it is believed that assigning them to picket duty should be avoided since it means risking the operation of a limited number of specialized ships which could be performed by any number of other landing craft whose primary function is more closely coincident with screening operations". Before these recommendations could be implemented, the
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was
Commander of Amphibious Forces Pacific and was to be in charge of operations until the beachhead was established. The Kerama Retto islands were a small chain of islands 15 miles west of the southwest tip of Okinawa. The invasion of the Kerama Retto was an opportunity to break in all twelve of the
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The
American plan for defense against the kamikazes was to have fighters intercept the Japanese as early as possible. Sixteen radar picket stations were established around the island, in some cases almost 100 miles out, to give early warning of the Japanese planes, which might be coming from any
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was patrolling at Picket
Station 12. Not long after sunrise the anticipated kamikazes arrived and were met by American combat air patrol. Several of the Japanese planes managed to get through and attack the ships on this station. Three kamikazes crashed
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was hit by a series of six kamikazes, suffering 45 killed or missing and 49 wounded. The ship survived, but was later decommissioned because it was not considered worth repairing. At about the same time, approximately 20 planes attacked the destroyer
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did not come without a price. On the night of 28 March, Japanese planes from
Okinawa airfields made a special attack on the small patrol craft assembled between the islands and Okinawa. About a dozen were shot down, but one crashed into
475:. The southern half of the six-mile-wide invasion beach was assigned to Task Force 55, commanded by Rear Admiral John Leslie Hall, Jr. The assault troops were under Major General John R. Hodge. The southern support craft included
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in March 1945. Unaware of their destination, the crews were nonetheless well equipped and trained. In a preliminary assault on 26 March 1945, they laid down a rocket barrage at dawn on
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During World War II LSM(R) 188 was assigned to the
Asiatic Pacific theater. At that time, the fleet was under the command of Admiral Spruance and named the Fifth fleet. Vice Admiral
550:. The ship that had seen so much previous action and had been credited with rescuing 180 survivors of other stricken ships was herself sunk. In the same attack, the destroyer
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to land and control the islands and the harbor for the protection of the hospital, floating dry dock, and supply and communication ships. The early dawn assault surprised the
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but were promptly destroyed. The northern half of the six-mile-wide invasion beach was assigned to Task Force 53, under the command of Rear
Admiral
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188-class LSM(R)s. One of the reasons that
Admiral Turner wanted to capture Kerama Retto was his knowledge that the Japanese Sea Raiding Units had
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525:. She was crashed by four of them and sank within 12 minutes of the first hit. The result was 30 dead or missing and 79 wounded.
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was likewise crashed by a kamikaze. The crash started her rockets exploding and knocked out the fire main and auxiliary pumps.
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was facing the same fate at Picket
Station 1. This was the most critical station on the picket line. The capture of the
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439:. The LSMRs involved in the invasion on 1 April 1945 as part of the Northern Tractor Flotilla included
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US Amphibious Ships and Craft, Friedman, Norman Naval
Institute Press Annapolis, MD 2002.
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The American victory at Okinawa cost the crew of LSM(R)-188 17 crew members killed.
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attack. Picket station 10 was the hardest hit. Shortly before dusk, the destroyer
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was sunk, carrying 126 of her 312 officers and men with her. At the same time as
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had to be abandoned and, after being ripped by heavy explosions, sank. On 4 May
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Francis, Dennis L,C.T.G.52.21 (LSM Flotilla NINE)Action Report 2â20 April 1945.
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30 Ă 6-rail Mark 30 launchers mounted along gunwales (Removed early April 1945)
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hidden there. On the morning of 29 March, three of these boats attacked the
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75 Ă four-rail Mark 36 automatic rocket launchers on topside rocket deck
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5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
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was also on Picket Station 10 and while rushing to the aid of the
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LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Volume II, Turner Publishing Co. 1997
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was sunk on 4 May 1945 with 13 killed and 18 wounded, and the
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World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
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Cleveland diesels, 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), 2 screws
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was sunk on 3 May 1945 with 9 killed and 16 wounded, the
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was sunk on 4 May 1945 with 13 killed and 23 wounded.
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List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships
508:On 3 May 1945, the Japanese launched their fifth
376:The interim group of 12 LSM(R)s transited the
231:7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) fully loaded
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581:The Okinawa Radar Picket Line ( C.T.G. 52.21)
8:
197:1,175 long tons (1,194 t) fully loaded
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696:90 Day Naval Wonder, James M. Stewart 2003
665:Learn how and when to remove this message
59:Learn how and when to remove this message
628:This article includes a list of general
228:5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) attack
225:5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) light
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890:LSM(R)-188-class landing ships medium
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207:203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
159:Sold for scrapping, 17 February 1948
634:it lacks sufficient corresponding
31:tone or style may not reflect the
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194:983 long tons (999 t) attack
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191:758 long tons (770 t) light
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41:guide to writing better articles
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560:was fighting her final battle,
257:(24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph)
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369:. The ship took part in the
359:Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)
740:-class landing ships medium
577:and saw no further combat.
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118:Charleston, South Carolina
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398:Kerama Retto Island Group
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649:more precise citations.
357:of her class of twelve
273:5 officers, 76 enlisted
164:General characteristics
35:used on Knowledge (XXG)
437:Lawrence F. Reifsnider
338:Navy Unit Commendation
215:34 ft (10 m)
39:See Knowledge (XXG)'s
422:Richmond Kelly Turner
285:5-inch/38-caliber gun
114:Charleston Navy Yard
404:. This allowed the
179:Landing Ship Medium
363:United States Navy
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371:Battle of Okinawa
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135:12 September 1944
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143:15 November 1944
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186:Displacement
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151:23 June 1946
140:Commissioned
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647:introducing
390:Philippines
333:battle star
316:Operations:
900:1944 ships
884:Categories
854:LSM(R)-401
829:LSM(R)-199
822:LSM(R)-198
815:LSM(R)-197
808:LSM(R)-196
801:LSM(R)-195
794:LSM(R)-194
787:LSM(R)-193
780:LSM(R)-192
773:LSM(R)-191
766:LSM(R)-190
759:LSM(R)-189
752:LSM(R)-188
738:LSM(R)-188
691:LSM(R)-188
678:References
630:references
601:LSM(R)-194
595:LSM(R)-190
589:LSM(R)-195
571:LSM(R)-188
562:LSM(R)-194
558:LSM(R)-190
548:LSM(R)-190
543:LSM(R)-190
531:Aaron Ward
527:LSM(R)-195
515:Aaron Ward
502:LSM(R)-193
496:LSM(R)-192
490:LSM(R)-191
484:LSM(R)-190
478:LSM(R)-189
472:LSM(R)-199
466:LSM(R)-198
460:LSM(R)-197
454:LSM(R)-196
448:LSM(R)-195
442:LSM(R)-194
432:LSM(R)-189
406:US Marines
388:, and the
350:LSM(R)-188
297:20 mm guns
291:40 mm guns
270:Complement
238:Propulsion
174:LSM(R)-188
104:LSM(R)-188
382:San Diego
355:lead ship
124:Laid down
533:and the
410:Japanese
386:Honolulu
353:was the
278:Armament
181:(Rocket)
132:Launched
689:of USS
643:improve
539:LSM-195
510:kikusui
365:during
361:of the
326:Awards:
110:Builder
80:History
632:, but
535:Little
522:Little
499:, and
469:, and
204:Length
176:-class
856:class
847:class
845:LSM-1
611:Notes
394:Japan
262:Range
255:knots
253:13.2
250:Speed
220:Draft
553:Luce
380:via
348:USS
295:3 Ă
289:2 Ă
283:1 Ă
241:2 Ă
212:Beam
156:Fate
102:USS
99:Name
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