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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-83


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Foxtrot - Zulu
 NDFZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row - Coast Guard Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4)
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
- World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Individual Awards

Silver Star (LTjg George F. Hutchinson, CO, LCI 83)

USS LCI(L)-83 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
LCI(L)-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 12 October 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 13 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-83, 23 January 1943, with a Coast Guard crew, LT. George F. Hutchinson, Jr. USCGR in command
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-83 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, Coast Guard Flotilla 4 (Flotilla 10 at Normandy) and later reassigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    North African occupation, 1 June to 9 July 1943 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 29 May to 30 June 1945
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Minesweeping operations - Pacific: (Mine Destruction Unit)
    Tsushima Straits (Kyushu-Korea area), 25 October to 1 November. 1945
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943  
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944  

  • Damaged after striking a mine off the Normandy beaches on 17 June 1944. USS LCI(L)-83 departed the United Kingdom 5 October 1944, arriving at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C. were she remained there until 1 December 1944
  • When assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS LCI(L)-83 came under the command of:
    LCI Flotilla Thirty-Five, CDR. H.J. Wuensch, USCG;
     LCI Group One Hundred Three , LCDR. B.A. Walliser, USCGR
     LCI Division Two Hundred Five
  • USS LCI(L)-83 departed for Okinawa via Key West, Canal Zone, San Diego and Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, Guam and Ulithi, arriving 28 May 1945
  • At Okinawa USS LCI(L)-83 was assigned to smoke screen duty for major war vessels bombarding the Naha area
  • Following World War II USS LCI(L)-83 performed occupation duty in the Far East until 26 November 1945 which included Minesweeping operations
  • On 11 September 1945, USS LCI(L)-83 reached Wakayama as part of the Mine Destruction Unit in Kii Suido. On 25 October 1945, she joined a Task Group engaged in destroying mines in the Korean Straits between Korea and Sentinel Island. A broken propeller shaft brought her back to Sasebo on 1 November 1945 where she remained until the 25th undergoing repairs
  • Decommissioned, 9 April 1946, at Galveston, TX.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal, 20 August 1947
  • USS LCI(L)-83 earned six battle stars for World War II service
  • 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
    Complement
    3 Officers
    21 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 kts; and 110 tons of fuel
    Armament
    four single 20mm guns one forward, one amidship, two aft
    two 50cal machine guns
    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)-218 1976k From left to right, front row:
    USS LCI(L)-218,
    USS LCI(L)-35,
    USS LCI(L)-14,
    USS LCI(L)-326,
    USS LCI(L)-88,
    USS LCI(L)-91 and
    USS LCI(L)-229
    From left to right back row:
    USS LCI(L)-2,
    USS LCI(L)-90,
    USS LCI(L)-320,
    USS LCI(L)-16,
    USS LCI(L)-3,
    USS LCI(L)-213,
    USS LCI(L)-321,
    USS LCI(L)-4,
    USS LCI(L)-86,
    USS LCI(L)-212,
    USS LCI(L)-217,
    USS LCI(L)-8,
    USS LCI(L)-83 and
    USS LCI(L)-94, massed at Bizerte, Tunisia, 6 July 1943 while loading troops for the invasion of Sicily.
    US Army Signal Corps photo # 176486, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LCI(L)-83 86k Crew members of USS LCI(L)-83 pose with a famous member of Flotilla 10, former world-champion boxer Jack Dempsey, who, during WWII served as a Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. This photo was taken at the base harbor, Dartmouth, England, just prior to the D-Day Landings of 6 June 1944. Photo courtesy of Leroy Bowen, RM, USS LCI(L) 83. Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", January 2007 issue. Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-492 250k USS LCI(L)-83 USS LCI(L)-492, USS LCI(L)-85 and USS LCI(L)-89 in a British port while loading troops for D-Day (Normandy), circa 4-5 June 1944.
    Photo from USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", March 2010 issue    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-83
    1015008303    		 422k USS LCI(L)-83 and USS LCI(L)-325 were among the Coast Guard manned LCI(L)s visited by VADM.Russell R. Waesche, (front) Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, seen here going ashore at Dartmouth, England, in October 1944. Speaking briefly to the officers and crew of the LCIs, VADM Waesche praised their valiant services in three major invasions; (Sicily, Salerno and Normandy. Going ashore with the Commandant are: CAPT. A. C. Richmond, Senior Coast Guard Officer in London; CAPT. Miles H. Imlay, Commanding Officer of American LCI (L)s in the ETO; and CDR. Aden C. Unger, acting LCI(L) flotilla Ten commander.
    National Archives Identifier 205589417, Flotilla 10 Oct. War Diary, US Coast Guard Photo # 2801.    		 David Upton
    LCI(L)-83 32 USS LCI(L)-83 landing more men while troops of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division assemble on a narrow strip of "Omaha" beach before moving inland near Collville-sur-Mer on "D-Day", 6 June 1944. On 17 June 1944 LCI(L)-83 struck a mine upon landing and lay disabled on the beach, until her hull was patched and she was able to get underway.
    US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 189935 by Taylor. Photo is from the US Army Signal Corps. collection at the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center and Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    There is no DANFS history for USS LCI(L)-83 available at NavSource
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Hutchinson, George F., USCGR23 January 1943 - 4 December 1944
    02LTjg. Brauser, Lester Brauser, USCG4 December 1944 - 2 February 1946
    03ENS. Miller, George W. Miller, USCG2 February 1946 - 9 March 1946
    04LTjg. Ayres, Warren D. Ayres, USCGR9 March 1946 - 9 April 1946
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 11 June 2021