USS LSM(R)-194 was a LSM(R)-188-class Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) of the United States Navy during World War II, which took part in the Battle of Okinawa. LSM(R)-194 was laid down at the Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina on 21 November 1944. It sank on 4 May 1945 when it was hit by a Japanese suicide plane while on radar picket duty.
USS LSM(R)-194 port broadside view, passing under the Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC, 2 December 1944.
A Landing Ship Medium (LSM) was an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy in World War II. Of a size between that of Landing Ships Tank and Landing Craft Infantry, 558 LSMs were built for the USN between 1944 and 1945. Most of vessels built on this frame were regular transports, while several dozen were converted during construction to specialized roles. Most LSMs were scrapped during the Cold War, but several were sold by the United States Department of Defense to foreign nations or private shipping companies.
USS LSM-175 underway off Charleston Navy Yard in 1944
USS LSM(R)-194 passing under the Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC, 2 December 1944
USS Pee Dee River (LSM(R)-517) underway in 1954
USS Gypsy (ARS(D)-1) underway at Houston, Texas, in 1946