A river in southeastern Delaware, that flows into Delaware Bay about four miles northwest of Lewes.
LSMR-405 was laid down on 18 January 1945 at Charleston, S.C., by the Charleston Navy Yard; launched on 6 February 1945; sponsored by Miss Henrietta Agnes Friend; and commissioned on 9 May 1945.
The warship spent several weeks in the Chesapeake Bay area conducting shakedown training followed by post-shakedown repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard. On 3 June, LSMR-405 departed Norfolk on her way to the west coast. She arrived in San Diego, Calif., on 25 June and began seven weeks of operational training there. On 12 August, the warship put to sea for Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 21st. She spent about a month engaged in amphibious warfare exercises conducted at various locations in the Hawaiian Islands. On 26 September, LSMR-405 headed back to the west coast. For the next 15 months, the warship operated out of San Diego as a unit of the Pacific Fleet Amphibious Force. Decommissioned on 10 February 1947, LSMR-405 was berthed with the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, where she remained until the spring of 1951.
On 28 March 1951, she was recommissioned at San Diego, Lt. Samuel P. Adams, USNR, in command. Soon thereafter, the ship got underway for the east coast. Upon arrival at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Va., LSMR-405 became an element of LSMR Division (LSMRDiv) 22, LSMR Squadron (LSMRRon) 2, Landing Ship Flotilla 2, Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force. Over the next four years, the ship participated in a number of amphibious warfare exercises in the Chesapeake Bay, off the Virginia capes and North Carolina beaches as well as at Vieques Island near Puerto Rico. On 6 August 1955, she was named Broadkill River (LSMR-405).
On 30 September 1955, she set sail from Jacksonville, Fla., where she had completed the initial portion of her inactivation overhaul. Broadkill River arrived at Orange, Tex., early in October and began final preparations for deactivation. She was placed out of commission on 16 November 1955 and was berthed with the Texas Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet. The ship remained there until sometime late in 1961 or early in 1962 when she was moved to the Norfolk Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 1 January 1969, while still in reserve at Norfolk, Broadkill River was redesignated an inshore fire support ship, LFR-405. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 May 1973, and she was sold to the Maritime Shipping Co., Ltd., Tehran, Iran, on 28 June 1974 for purposes unknown.
Raymond A. Mann
1 December 2005
