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.


Painting by Rev. Joel Osborne

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(G)-65
ex
USS LCI(L)-65 (1942 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - November - Whiskey
NCNW
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 and 24 October 1944) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts, Christian, Hurley E. (F1c. 552 85 05) -- KIA during bombing at Rendova, New Georgia -- 04 July 1943
Aiston, Lester Eugene (SC3c. 860 75 33) -- KIA by kamikaze at Leyte Gulf -- 24 Oct 1944
Walter Winfred Henry Jr. (S1c. 872 86 96 (V6) USNR -- WIA at Morotai -- 15 September 1944
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 18 August 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 4 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-65, 14 December 1942, LT C. R. Tompkins, USNR, in command
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Guns) LCI(G)-65, 15 June 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-65 / LCI(G)-65 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    Landing Force Flotillas-SoPacFor;
    LCI Flotilla Five;
    LCI Group Fourteen and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and DatesCampaigns and Dates
    Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of northern Solomon Islands, 28 April to 15 June 1944    		Treasury Islands-Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landings, 6 November 1943
    New Georgia Group operations
    Rendova-Vanguau occupation, 4 July 1943    		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 October to 29 November 1944
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai landing, 15 September 1944    		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 4 to 18 January 1945

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold, 7 February 1947, fate unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-65 / LCI(G)-65 earned six battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 246 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
    LCI(L) Complement
    4 Officers
    24 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
    five single 20mm gun mounts, 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
    LCI(G) Armament
    two 40mm AA gun mounts
    four 20mm AA gun mounts
    six .50cal machine guns
    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    		SizeImage DescriptionSource
    USS LCI(L)-65
    LCI(L)-2387kUSS 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, 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 foxholeson 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
    USS LCI(G)-65
    LCI(L)-65
    NARA 80-G-181441    		376kUSS LCI(G)-65 (near background) and USS LCI(G)-64 attack the area between White and Red Beach at Morotai, 15 September 1944 with other LCIs during the Western New Guinea operation.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-181441.    		Dean Reid, USS LCI(G) Affiliate, National USSLCI Association
    LCI(L)-65
    NARA 80-G-181441 (Cropped)    		219k
    LCI(L)-65273kStern view of USS LCI(G)-65 and USS LCI(G)-64, at left, underway at Morotai in September 1944 during the Western New Guinea operation. Based on deck log information the two LCI(G)s in front of LCI(G)-65 may be USS LCI(G)-23) and USS LCI(G)-70Dean Reid, USS LCI(G) Affiliate, National USSLCI Association
    From the collection of J.R. Reid USS LCI(G) veteran. Submitted by his son Dean Reid to Zach Morris Editor in Chief, LST Scuttlebutt Magazine

    LCI(G)-65
    1016006504
    USS LCI (G) 65 in drydock at Guam, date unknown    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006505
    USS LCI (G) 65 in drydock at Guam, date unknown    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006506
    (Left to right) Tony, Rusty, and S1c. James Victor Bell in the 3-inch 50 Cal gun tub    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006507
    PhM2c Jack Raymond Coleman and S1c Thomas Thomas    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006508
    PhM2c Jack Raymond Coleman doing some scrubbing
    LCI(G)-65
    1015006509
    SC3c J.R. Reid on the signal light    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006510
    SC3c J.R. Reid and GM3c Charles Carroll Dinkelman    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006511
    (Left to right) MoMM3c Donald John Faleide, SC3c. J.R. Reid, and S1c.(RdM) Lloyd Everette Reed Jr.    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006512
    (Left to right) SC3c J.R. Reid, MoMM3c Donald John Faleide, and MoMM2c Albert Ross Masters Jr. celebrating war's end    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006513
    MoMM3c Donald John Faleide and SC3c J.R. Reid at war's end.
    LCI(G)-65
    1015006514
    SC3c J.R. Reid    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006515
    SC3c. J.R. Reid leaning on a mop.    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006516
    S1c Thomas Thomas    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006517
    SC3c J.R. Reid.    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006518
    (Left to right) MoMM2c Edward Kasperek, MoMM2. Albert Ross Masters Jr., and SC3. J.R. Reid.
    LCI(G)-65
    1015006519
    SM3c Donald LeRoy Kergel and S1c Thomas Thomas    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006520
    SM3c Donald LeRoy Kergel.    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006521
    S1c(RdM) Lloyd Everette Reed Jr.    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006522
    (Standing, L to R) S1c(RdM) Lloyd Everette Reed Jr., Tex, and Tony. (Sitting, L to R) SM3. Donald LeRoy Kergel, S1c James Victor Bell, and Rusty    		LCI(G)-65
    1015006523
    (Left to right) S1c(RdM) Lloyd Everette Reed Jr., GM3c Charles Carroll Dinkelman, PhM2c Jack Raymond Coleman.
    The history for USS LCI(L)-65 / LCI(G)-65 is from USS LCI "Landing Craft Infantry", Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1995. (ISBN 1-56311-262-0)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Tompkins, C. R., USNR14 December 1942 - ?
    02LT. Ruben, Robert F., USNR? - 17 March 1944
    03ENS. Macaluso, Charles Joseph, USNR17 March 1944 - 4 December 1944
    04ENS. McKeon, W. J.4 December 1944 - 15 August 1945
    Courtesy Zach Morris
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Action Report, Rendova, New Georgia -- 04 July 1943
    Action Report, Morotai, -- 18 September 1944
    Action Report, Leyte Gulf -- 24 Oct 1944
    USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main PageBack To The Amphibious Ship Type IndexBack 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 5 April 2024