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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-63


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Yankee - Charlie
 NPYC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive 7 July 1943)
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 7 August 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 27 September 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-63, 16 November 1942
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-63 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Five;
     LCI Group Fourteen and
     LCI Flotilla Twenty Two (1944-45), CDR. Paul McD Smith, USN (1944) and CDR. Marion M. Byrd (1944-45), USN and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    New Georgia Group operations
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vanguau occupation, 4 July 1943
    Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 31 August 1943     		Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai landing, 15 September 1944
    Treasury Islands-Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landings, 6 November 1943     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 4 to 18 January 1945
    Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of northern Solomon Islands, 28 April to 15 June 1944     		 

  • Following the end of World War II, USS LCI(L)-63 was assigned to Commander Philippine Sea Frontier
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-63 earned five battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold, 3 December 1945, fate unknown.
    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
    LCI(L)-23 87k USS LCI(L)-23, USS LCI(L)-24, USS LCI(L)-65 and USS LCI(L)-63 beached on Rendova Island in the Solomons, 7 July 1943, while being unloaded after a bombing raid. A bomb hit between the 24 and 65 which caused the ships to list and come to rest on the bottom. LCI(L)-24 lost 2 dead and 3 wounded. Survivors spent an uneasy night in foxholes on the beach watching the gunfire flare from the naval Battle of Kula Gulf. Photo from the USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association 2004 Calendar, courtesy Lou Plant SM1/c, USS LCI(L)-24. Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-63 153k 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
    LCI(L)-63 55k
    LCI(L)-63 59k
    LCI(L)-53 52k USS LCI(L)-63 and USS LCI(L)-61 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
    LCI(L)-63 105k USS LCI(L)-63 packed to the gills with USS Astoria (CL-90) sailors headed for liberty on Mog Mog, 30 January 1945.
    US Navy photo by Herman Schnipper USS Astoria.    		 Mighty Ninety - The Home page of USS Astoria (CL-90)
    The history for LCI(L)-63 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
    History of LCI Flotilla 22
    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