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USS LCI(G)-70
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USS LCI(L)-70 (1942 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Lima - Oscar
NCLO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, January 1945 enroute Lingayen Gulf)
Second Row - Presidential Unit Citation (2) (Bougainville Landings,5-10 November 1943 & Lingayen Gulf landings, 5-9 January 1945) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)

Personnel Medal

Purple Heart, 3-KIA, 6-WIA, (2-KIA and 6-WIA January 1945, enroute to Lingayen Gulf landings)

LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 15 September 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 25 October 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-70, 24 December 1942
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Guns) LCI(G)-70, 15 June 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-70 / LCI(G)-70 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns;
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia; Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 1 to 4 July 1943
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai landings, 15 September 1944
    Treasury-Bougainville operations
    Treasury Island landing, 1 to 6 November 1943
    Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 5 and 8 November 1943
    Luzon operation
    Mindoro landings, 12 to 18 December 1944
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 4 to 18 January 1945
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Green Islands landing, 15 to 19 February 1944
    Borneo operation
    Brunei Bay operation, 10 June 1945
    Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of northern Solomons. 28 April to 15 June 1944
     

  • Decommissioned in 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 26 February 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-70 / LCI(G)-70 was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations and earned seven battle stars for World War services
  • Final Disposition, sold, 3 December 1946, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 216 t.(light), 234 t. (landing), 389 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 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
    LCI(G) Armament
    two 40mm AA gun mounts
    four 20mm AA gun mounts
    six .50cal machine guns
    ten MK7 rocket launchers
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 800 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)-70
    LCI(L)-70 29k USS LCI(L)-70 beached with one ramp down, notice camouflage netting over the ship, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    USS LCI(G)-70
    LCI(L)-70 93k USS LCI(G)-70 at anchor, date and location unknown. Note 3"/50 cal gun mounted in gun tub. Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter The Elsie Item, December 1996 issue Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-70 102k A hole in the side of USS LCI(G)-70 from a torpedo hit. The torpedo bounced through the side and came to rest on her engines, killing one man. Photo from the USS LCI National Association's 2006 calendar. Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-70 102k The crew of USS LCI(G)-70 with the Japanese torpedo that did not explode after hitting them and ending up in the ships engine room. They took this picture as proof of their good fortune. (Charles (Rick) Hedderick RM1/c, front row fourth from the left) won the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his heroic action in helping to save the ship after the torpedo struck.) Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", December 2005 issue, courtesy, Leo Janetis USS LCI(G)-68 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-70 251k Part of the crew of USS LCI(G)-70 with the Japanese torpedo that did not explode after hitting them and ending up in the ships engine room. Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", March 2001 issue, courtesy, Leo Janetis USS LCI(G)-68 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-70 50k USS LCI(G)-70 crewmen Reulet and Tedesko with their two mascots "Seven" and "Zero". Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", March 2010 issue Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-70 342k Painting of USS LCI(G)-70 under attack by Japanese Kamikaze aircraft, 5 January 1945. The aircraft crashed through the mast, and into the 3"/50 cal. gun mount and crew on the bow. Painted by Joseph Ortiz in honor of his uncle Gilbert Ortiz USS LCI(G)-70

    The history for USS LCI(L)-70 / LCI(G)-70 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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 11 August 2017