Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-40

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Juliet - Zulu
NZJZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LCI(L)-40 was sold to the Dominican Republic named Beller (BDI-101)

LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down, 26 October 1942, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.

Launched, 1 December 1942

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-40, 26 December 1942

During World War II USS LCI(L)-40 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943	West Coast of Italy operations, Anzio-Nuttuno advanced landings, 25 to 30 January 1944
Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943	Invasion of Southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944

Decommissioned, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS LCI(L)-40 earned four battle stars for WWII service

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 8 January 1947, for disposal

Sold in 1947 to the Dominican Republic at auction in Trinidad, named Beller (BDI-101)

Disposed of by the Dominican Republic Navy, scrapped in 1957

Specifications:
Displacement 236 t.(light), 264 t.(landing), 419 t.(loaded)
Length 158' 5½"
Beam 23' 3"

Draft

Light, 3'1½" mean

Landing, 2' 8" forward, 4' 10" aft

Loaded, 5' 4" forward, 5' 11" aft

Speed

16 kts (max.)

14 kts maximum continuous

Complement

4 officers

24 enlisted

Troop Capacity

6 officers

182 enlisted

Cargo Capacity 75 tons

Armor 2" plastic splinter protection on gun turrets, conning tower and pilot house

Endurance 4,000 miles at 12 kts, loaded, 500 miles at 15 knots; and 110 tons of fuel

Armament

five single 20mm guns, one bow mounted, one each port and starboard forward of wheelhouse, one each port and starboard aft of wheelhouse

on some LCIs two .50 cal machine guns were added

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 860 Bbls

lube oil 200 gal

Propulsion

two sets of 4 General Motors 6051 series 71 Diesel engines, 4 per shaft

single General Motors Main reduction gears

two Diesel-drive 30Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

twin variable pitch propellers, 2,320shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
USS LCI(L)-40
	18k	USS LCI(L)-40 at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation (HRPE), Newport News VA. circa 1944	The Library of Virginia US Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection
	365k	In a dress rehearsal for Operation Dragoon US infantrymen board USS LCI(L)-40 and HM LCI(L)-251 and other LCIs at Pozzuoli, Italy, 6 August 1944. US Army Signal Corps photo # SC192679 by Stubenrauch, 163rd Signal Photo Co., now in the collections of the US National Archives, NARA, College Park,MD.	Dave Kerr
1015004003	137k	USS LCI(L)-40 underway in formation, probably, enroute to an invasion beach, date and location unknown. US National Archives Identifier # 85714337	David Upton
Beller (BDI-101)
	33k	Ex-USS LCI(L)-40 underway in Dominican Republic service as Beller (BDI-101), circa 1953, location unknown.	Robert Hurst

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index

Back To The Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 20 November 2020