The U.S. Navy's 'Interim' LSM(R)s in World War Ⅱ: Rocket Ships of the Pacific Amphibious Forces

摘要

The scale of the Second World War's Pacific theatre necessitated support ships with long ranges and large cargo capacities that did not sacrifice their ability to fulfill vital combat roles. In 1944, the United States Navy's response was to hastily convert twelve amphibious landing craft from troop carriers to rocket-armed gunboats. Dubbed the "Interim" Landing Craft Medium (Rocket) or LSM(R), these new ships saw a period of brief but substantial action throughout the Okinawa campaign.