USS Raritan (LSM-540)

The third USS Raritan (LSM-540) was a landing ship medium, laid down 10 May 1945 at Brown Shipbuilding Corporation, Houston, Texas, launched August 1945, commissioned as USS LSM-540 6 December 1945, LT. Roy T. Rector, USNR in command. She was decommissioned 29 May 1946, at Green Cove Springs, Florida and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs. Recommissioned 4 November 1957, she was renamed USS Raritan (LSM-540) 14 October 1959, then decommissioned 1 December 1959 at Norfolk, Virginia and struck from the Naval Register 1 January 1960.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: 520 tons (light), 743 tons (landing) 1,095 tons (fully loaded)
• Length: 203.5 ft ( m)
• Beam: 34.5 ft ( m)
• Draft: 3.5 ft forward, 7.7 ft aft (light), 6.3 ft forward, 8.3 ft aft (fully loaded)
• Speed: 13.2 knots
• Complement: 4 officers, 54 enlisted men
• Armament: 1 40mm gun, 4 x 20mm guns
• Capacity: 3 heavy or 5 medium tanks or 6 LVTs, 48 men

This article includes information collected from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.