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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Painting by Rev. Joel Osborne
Lost due to enemy action, 6 June 1944 at Omaha Beach

LCI(L)-85


USS LCI(L)-85 was manned by the US Coast Guard
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - Coast Guard Unit Commendation
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Individual Awards

Silver Stars - LTjg Coit T. Hendley CO LCI 85 - Gene Oxley S2/c CG Press Release
Bronze Star - LTjg Arthur Farrar XO LCI 85
Purple Hearts - 4 WIA, Normandy - LTjg. Arthur Farrar, (XO) - Charles O. McWhirter, CQM - Alfred E. Hahn S2/c - Gordon R. Arneberg RM3/C
Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX., (date unknown);
  • Launched (date unknown);
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-85, with a Coast Guard crew, 26 January 1943, LTjg. Coit Hendley, USCGR, in command
  • During WWII LCI(L)-85 was assigned to the European Theater, Coast Guard LCI Flotilla Four and participated in the:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation
    Tunisian operations, 1 June to 9 July 1943     		Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 June 1944

  • Final Disposition, sunk by enemy action at Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • LCI(L)-85 earned four battle stars and the Coast Guard Unit Commendation for World War II service
    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
    Complement 2 officer, 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 knots; and 110 tons of fuel
    Armament four single 20mm guns one forward, one amidship, two aft, later added two .50 cal machine guns
    Fuel Capacity 130 tons, lube oil 200 gal.
    Propulsion two sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600, twin variable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-85 71k LCI(L)-85 number two 20mm gun crew at anti-aircraft practice. Note the "Charlie Noble" smoke exhaust stack disassembled to give a free field of fire. Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", January 2007 issue Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-14 94k LCI(L)-85 along with the rest of LCI Flotillas Two and Four ready to sail to North Africa with the Third Infantry Division. Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-85 71k LCI(L)-85 with LCI(L)-229 in the foreground and LCI(L)-322 in the background, moored at Bizerte, Tunisia, date unknown. Valerie Vierk for her father Herbert Nolda USS LCI(L)-85 and USS LCI(L)-92
    LCI(L)-85 32k LCI(L)-85 during a practice landing at Slapton Sands, UK
    USCG photo, date unknown.    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office Web Site
    LCI(L)-85 73k LCI(L)-85 underway in rough weather, date and place unknown. Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-85 112k LCI(L)-85 battered by enemy fire after approaching Omaha Beach, prepares to evacuate her troops to Samuel Chase (APA-26). LCI(L)-85) sank shortly after this photograph was taken. LCI(L)-85 was one of four Coast Guard LCI's that were destroyed on D-Day.
    USCG photo.    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office Web Site
    LCI(L)-85 146k LCI(L)-85 listing after hitting a mine and taking 25 German artillery hits on Omaha Beach on "D-Day", 6 June 1944 at Normandy. She is coming alongside Samuel Chase (APA-26) to evacuate her crew. A short time later she capsized and sank. Note wartime censors have painted out the landing craft's number.
    US National Archives photo # 26-G-06-10-44(4) a US Coast Guard photo in from the US Coast Guard collection at the US National Archives.    		 Photo courtesy Elmer Carmichael BM2/c and the US Navy Historical Center
    LCI(L)-85 100k The mortally damaged LCI(L)-85, her decks littered with the dead, lays alongside the attack transport Samuel Chase (APA-26). Her crew managed to disembark the survivors before sinking. Note how the censor scratched off the dead soldier's face.
    USCG photo, 6 June 1944.    		 US Coast Guard Historian's Office Web Site
    LCI(L)-85 66k Another view of the listing and sinking LCI(L)-85, alongside the attack transport Samuel Chase (APA-26) just before she sank.
    USCG photo 220-18.    		 John H. Kellers GM3/c USS LCT-539
    View Coast Guard Press Release "Indianapolis Coast Guardsman has three ships shot out from under him in one morning -- and loses only seat of pants"
    The history for LCI(L)-85 is from "The Coast Guard At War, Transports and Escorts, Volume II"
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    US Coast Guard Unit Commendation Flotilla 10 - Group 29 - Division 27
    USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association
    US Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS LCI(L)-85
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 March 2007