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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(R)-73
ex
 USS LCI(G)-73 (1944 - 1945)
 USS LCI(L)-73 (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Bravo - Sierra
 NDBS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 28 September 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 8 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-73, 2 January 1943;
  • USS LCI(L)-73 was redesignated Landing Craft Guns LCI(G)-73, 15 June 1944;
  • USS LCI(G)-73 was redesignated Landing Craft Rockets LCI(R)-73, 10 July 1945;
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-73 / LCI(G)-73 / LCI(R)-73 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Eastern New Guinea operation
    Lae occupation, 4 to 6 September 1943, 9 to 13 September. 1943
    Finschhafen occupation, 22 September 1943
    Saidor occupation, 1 to 28 February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landing, 4 to 18 January 1945
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 26 to 27 December 1943     		Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Nasugbu. 31 January to 2 February 1945>
    Western New Guinea operation
    Toem-Wakde-Sarmi area operation, 19 May 1944
    Biak Island operation, 27 to 28 May 1944, 16 June 1944
    Noemfoor Island operation, 2to 7 July 1944
    Cape Sansapor operation, 30 July to 4 Aug. 1944
    Morotai landings, 15 September 1944     		Borneo operation
    Balikpapan operation. 26 June to 7 July 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 12 October to 29 November 1944
    Ormoc Bay landings, 7 December 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS LCI(R)-73 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    29 September to 5 December 194529 September to 5 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 6 March 1948
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-73 / LCI(G)-73 / LCI(R)-73 earned seven battle stars for World War II service in addition to the Navy Unit Commendation for:
    (a) Western New Guinea
    (b) Leyte landing
    (c) Ormoc Bay landing
    (d) Lingayen landing
    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(R) Complement
    3 Officers
    31 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 .50 cal machine guns
    LCI(R) Armament
    one 40mm bow mounted gun mount
    four 20mm guns
    two .50 cal machine guns
    six 5" rocket launchers
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 935 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 Contributed
    By
    LCI(L)-34/73/430 89k USS LCI(L)-73, USS LCI(L)-34 and USS LCI(L)-430 moored, date and location unknown. Bill Brinkley
    LCI(R)-31 1240k USS LCI(G)-73 landing infantry on the beach during the Saidor occupation, as part of the Eastern New Guinea operation, circa 1 to 28 February 1944.
    US Army Signal Corps photo.    		 Dave Kerr
    LCI(R)-73 63k USS LCI(G)-73 underway off Morotai, 15 September 1944. Note she has been reconfigured as an LCI(R).
    US National Archives image    		 Bill Brinkley
    LCI(R)-73 174k USS LCI(R)-73 underway as a unit of the 7th Amphibious Group, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 National Association of
    USS LCS(L) 1-130
    LCI(R)-73 202k Artwork by Peter Bull depicting USS LCI(R)-73 along with USS LCI(R)-34 and USS LCI(R)-31 firing rockets in the Pacific.
    Photo and text from "Landing Craft, Infantry And Fire Support" by Gordon L. Rottman    		 Robert Hurst
    LCI(R)-31 97k USS LCI(R)-31, USS LCI(R)-34 and USS LCI(R)-73 along with three unidentified LCIs beached at Townsville, Australia while loading troops, probably for the Borneo operation in June 1945. Peter Dunn
    LCI(R)-31 73k USS LCI(R)-73 partial crew photo, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy John Hoffman, USS LCI-73.
    Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", June 2006 issue    		 Ardie Hunt
    The history for USS LCI(L)-73 / LCI(G)-73 / LCI(R)-73 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 May 2014