USS Elk River
Commissioned on May 27, 1945, as the lead Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) of her class, LSMR-501 served in the Pacific before and after the Japanese Surrender in September 1945. This vessel was designed to carry both shorter range guns and rocket launchers to deliver large volumes of fire in short periods. Decommissioned on August 1, 1946, the vessel was laid up in the reserve fleet. Renamed and redesignated USS Elk River (IX-501) in October 1955, she was converted into a test range support ship and later served as a barracks craft. Struck from the Naval Register in August 1999, Elk River was sunk as a target in February 2001.
A model of USS Elk River (LSMR-501, later IX-501) is on display in the Cold War Gallery, Building 70.
Image: 330-CFD-DN-ST-82-10512: USS Elk River (IX-501), port beam view, 1982. Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
