USS Clarion River

USS Clarion River (LSM(R)-409) was an LSM(R)-401-class medium-type landing ship (LSM) built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for the Clarion River in west central Pennsylvania, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.

Clarion River sailing through the San Francisco Bay
History
United States
Name: USS Clarion River (LSM(R)-409)
Builder: Charleston Navy Yard
Laid down: 26 January 1945
Launched: 18 February 1945
Commissioned: 16 May 1945, as USS LSM(R)-409
Decommissioned: 6 February 1947
Recommissioned: 5 October 1950
Decommissioned: 26 October 1955
Renamed: USS Clarion River, 1 October 1955
Recommissioned: 18 September 1965
Decommissioned: 8 May 1970
Reclassified: LFR-409 (Inshore Fire Support Ship), 1 January 1969
Honors and
awards:
Fate: Sold for scrap, November 1970
General characteristics
Class and type: LSM(R)-501-class landing ship medium
Displacement:
  • 758 long tons (770 t) light
  • 993 long tons (1,009 t) attack
  • 1,175 long tons (1,194 t) full
Length: 203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Beam: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Draft:
  • 7 ft (2.1 m) forward
  • 9 ft (2.7 m) aft
Propulsion: 2 × General Motors 16-287A, non-reversing with airflex clutch, diesel engines, direct drive, 2 screws
Speed: 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement: 6 officers, 137 enlisted
Armament:
  • 1 × single 5"/38 caliber gun
  • 2 × twin 40 mm AA guns
  • 4 × twin 20 mm AA guns (after Korea)
  • 4 × 4.2 in (110 mm) mortars (removed after Korea)
  • 10 × twin-tube continuous loading 5 in (130 mm) spin stabilizer rocket launchers (two removed after Korea)
  • 2 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns on the forecastle
  • 2 × .30 cal machine guns on the bridge wings

Service history

World War II

The ship was originally laid down on 26 January 1945 at the Charleston Navy Yard. Launched on 18 February 1945 and commissioned as USS LSM(R)-409 on 16 May 1945 with Lieutenant (junior grade) Herbert H. Boltin, USNR, in command.

She was decommissioned on 6 February 1947 at San Diego, California and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Korean War

LSM(R)-409 was recommissioned on 5 October 1950 for Korean War service. She was assigned to LSMR Squadron Five and participated in the following campaigns:

  • Blockade of Wonsan (1951–1953)
  • Communist China Spring Offensive (23 May–6 June 1951)
  • UN Summer-Fall Offensive (15–30 July 1951 and 26 August–21 September 1951)
  • Third Korean Winter (16–30 April 1953)
  • Korean Summer-Fall (1 May–20 July 1953)

During her Korean War service, enemy aircraft attacked her in 1953, but did not damage her.[1]

Renamed USS Clarion River (LSM(R)-409) on 1 October 1955, the ship was again decommissioned on 26 October of that year at Astoria, Oregon and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group.

Vietnam

Clarion River was recommissioned on 18 September 1965 at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point. Reclassified as an "Inshore Fire Support Ship" USS Clarion River (LFR-409) on 1 January 1969, she participated in the following campaigns:

  • Vietnamese Counteroffensive (26 May–4 June 1966 and 13–30 June 1966)
  • Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II (1–2 July, 13 July–4 August, 13–29 October, 12–23 November 1966 and 30 January–13 March 1967)
  • Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III (7 June–6 July, 23 July–17 August, and 26 October–20 November 1967 and 26 December 1967–18 January 1968)
  • Tet Counteroffensive (3–25 February 1968)
  • Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V (8 July–13 August and 24 August–23 September 1968)
  • Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI (3 November–7 December 1968)
  • Tet 69/Counteroffensive (23 February–8 June 1969)
  • Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 (9 June–31 October 1969)
  • Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 (1 November 1969–30 April 1970)

Decommissioned for the last time on 8 May 1970 at Yokosuka, Japan and struck from the Naval Vessel Register (date unknown), she was sold for scrap in November 1970 to the Nissho-Iwai American Corporation of Sasebo, Japan.

Awards

See also

Notes
  1. Muir, p. 35.

References
  • This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
  • "LSM(R) / LFR-409 Clarion River". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
  • Muir, Malcolm, Jr. Sea Power on Call: Fleet Operations June 1951-July 1953. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center, 2005. ISBN 0-945274-53-X.
  • ussclarionriver.wordpress.com/ The USS Clarion River LSMR - 409 NEW SITE LOCATION
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