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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(G)-61
ex
 USS LCI(L)-61 (1942 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Sierra - Golf
 NZSG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 5 August 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 27 September 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-61, 12 November 1942
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Guns) LCI(G)-61, 15 June 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-61 / LCI(G)-61 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    New Georgia Group operations
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 1 and 4 July 1943
    Vella Lavella occupation, 15 August 1943     		Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945
    Treasury-Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landing, 27 October1943
    Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 11 November 1943     		Borneo operations
    Balikpapan operation, 26 June to 7 July 1945
    Consolidation of the Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of Northern Solomon Islands, 28 April to 15 June 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS LCI(G)-61 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    9 September to 11 November 19459 September to 11 November 1945
  • Decommissioned in 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 25 February 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-61 earned five battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal
  • Sold, 17 January 1951 by the Maritime Commission
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 216 t.(light), 234 t.(landing); 389 t.(loaded)
    Length 158' 5 1/2"
    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
    LCI(L) Complement
    3 Officers
    21 Enlisted
    LCI(G) Complement
    5 Officers
    65 Enlisted
    LCI(L) Troop Capacity
    6 Officers
    182 Enlisted
    LCI(L) 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 kts; and 110 tons of fuel
    LCI(L) Armament
    four single 20mm guns one forward, one amidship, two aft
    two .50cal machine guns
    LCI(G) Armament
    two 40mm guns
    four 20mm guns
    six .50cal machine guns
    ten MK7 rocket launchers
    Fuel Capacity 130 tons, lube oil 200 gal.
    Propulsion
    two sets of 4 General Motors Diesel engines, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600
    twin variable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-61 150k USS LCI(L)-61 with men from Echelon One of the 6th Special Navy Construction Battalion (CBs) aboard heading for the beach at Bougainville, November 1943.
    Photo from the May 2014 issue of the USS LCI National Association's newsletter, "Elsie Item", courtesy of John Ratomski.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-61 149k USS LCI(L)-61 on the beach at Bougainville, 23 November 1943.
    US Navy photos from the US Navy Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA.    		 John Ratomski for his father John Joseph Ratomski S1c 6th Special Naval Construction Battalion
    LCI(L)-61 147k
    LCI(L)-53 52k USS LCI(L)-61 and USS LCI(L)-63 beached at Bougainville, British Solomon Islands, 23 November 1943.
    US Navy photos from the US Navy Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA.    		 John Ratomski for his father John Joseph Ratomski S1c 6th Special Naval Construction Battalion
    The history for USS LCI(L)-61 / LCI(G)-61 is from USS LCI "Landing Craft Infantry", Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1995. (ISBN 1-56311-262-0)
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 November 2018