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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

USS 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 - 5 WIA, Normandy - LTjg. Arthur Farrar, (XO) - Charles O. McWhirter, CQM - Alfred E. Hahn S2/c - Gordon R. Arneberg RM3/C - George Lott Jr. SM

Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down in October 1942 at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.

Launched in 1943

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-85, with a Coast Guard crew, 26 January 1943, LTjg. Coit Hendley, USCGR, in command

During WWII USS LCI(L)-85 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, Coast Guard Flotilla 4 / 10, Group 29, Division 57 and participated in the following campaigns:

**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

USS 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

Size	Image Description	Source
71k	USS 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
94k	USS LCI(L)-85 along with the rest of LCI Flotillas Two and Four ready to sail from North Africa with the Third Infantry Division.	Bill Brinkley
71k	USS LCI(L)-85 with USS LCI(L)-229 in the foreground and USS 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
73k	USS LCI(L)-93 and USS LCI(L)-85, USS LCI(L)-92, USS LCI(L)-84 and USS LCI(L)-349 moored pierside and forward of two unidentified transports at the Pig Iron Battle Fleet Site, Oran, Algeria, October 1943. Photo by John R Smith Jr. USS LCI(L)-90.	Robert G. Morrissey
32k	USS LCI(L)-85 during a practice landing at Slapton Sands, UK USCG photo, date unknown.	US Coast Guard Historian's Office Web Site
73k	USS LCI(L)-85 underway in rough weather, date and location unknown.	Bill Brinkley
146k	USS LCI(L)-496, USS LCI(L)-85, USS LCI(L)-88, USS LCI(L)-90, USS LCI(L)-92, and USS LCI(L)-491, prepare for the Invasion of Normandy while in an English port, circa 5 June 1944. Images are from the DVD "D-Day Code Name: Overlord" with the permission of Denver Collins, Editor, Timeless Media Group, Eugene OR.	Robert Morrissey
117k		Robert Morrissey
250k	USS LCI(L)-85 USS LCI(L)-83, USS LCI(L)-492 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
112k	USS LCI(L)-85 battered by enemy fire after approaching Omaha Beach, prepares to evacuate her troops to *USS Samuel Chase* (APA-26). LCI(L)-85)** sank shortly after this photograph was taken. USS 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
146k	USS 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 *USS 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
100k	The mortally damaged USS LCI(L)-85, her decks littered with the dead, lays alongside the attack transport *USS 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
66k	Another view of the listing and sinking USS LCI(L)-85, alongside the attack transport *USS Samuel Chase* (APA-26)** just before she sank. USCG photo 220-18.	John H. Kellers GM3/c USS LCT-539