USS LSM ( R ) - 191 LSM ( R ) - 191 was a World War II " Landing Ship , Medium " fitted for firing a rocket barrage . It was laid down at Charleston Navy Yard , Charleston , South Carolina . The ship was commissioned on 21 November 1944 under Lieutenant Junior Grade John W . Loyer , of the US Navy Reserve , in command . USS LSM ( R ) - 191 took part in the assault and occupation of Okinawa on 26 March - 3 June 1945 . Service history . During World War II the ship 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 Richmond Kelly Turner 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 Kerma Retto was an opportunity to break in all twelve of the 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 suicide boats hidden there . On the morning of 29 March three of these boats attacked the USS LSM ( R ) - 189 but were promptly destroyed . On 1 April 1945 the southern half of the six - mile - wide Okinawa invasion beach was assigned to Task Force 55 , commanded by Rear Admiral John Leslie Hall , Jr . with the assault troops under Major General John R . Hodge . The southern support craft included LSM ( R ) s 189 , USS LSM ( R ) - 190 , USS LSM ( R ) - 191 , USS LSM ( R ) - 192 , and USS LSM ( R ) - 193 . The northern half of the six - mile - wide invasion beach was assigned to Task Force 53 , under the command of Rear Admiral Lawrence F . Reifsnider . The LSMR ' s involved in the invasion as part of the Northern Tractor Flotilla included USS LSM ( R ) - 194 , USS LSM ( R ) - 195 , USS LSM ( R ) - 196 , USS LSM ( R ) - 197 , USS LSM ( R ) - 198 , and USS LSM ( R ) - 199 . The American defense plan against kamikaze attack was for fighters to 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 in all directions . Each station was manned around the clock by a handful of ships ranging from destroyers down to minesweepers . Their job was to sound the alarm and vector fighters to intercept before the Japanese could attack the fleet off Okinawa or the Allied forces and supply dumps ashore . However some aircraft chose to attack the picket vessels . Dennis L . Francis who was LSM Commander , Flotilla Nine for the period 2 – 20 April , in his Action Report said of the LSMs " these ships are not particularly suited for picket duty . . . They have no great value in combating enemy air craft 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 " He added that since their magazines held explosive rockets added to the hazard . He advised against putting them on the picket line when other vessels were available since there was a risk of losing these specialist vessels . Before these recommendations were implemented the USS LSMR - 195 was sunk on 3 May 1945 with 9 killed and 16 wounded , USS LSMR - 190 was sunk on 4 May 1945 with 13 killed and 18 wounded , and the USS LSMR - 194 was sunk on 4 May 1945 with 13 killed and 23 wounded .