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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LCI(L)-87


USS LCI(L)-87 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
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 - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Individual Awards

Capt. M.E. Imlay USCG (LCI Flotilla 4)
Silver Star (Normandy), Legion of Merit (Sicily and Salerno)
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down (date unknown) at Brown Ship Building Corp. Orange, TX.
  • Launched (date unknown)
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-87, 2 February 1943, with a Coast Guard crew, LT. John C. Whitbeck, USCG in command
  • Succeeding Commanding Officers
    LT. Luther E Smith, USCGR (30 November 1944 - 13 January 1945)
    LTjg. Albert B. Vernon, USCGR (13 January 1945 - 20 September 1945)
    LTjg. Fred L. Wadleigh, USCGR (20 September 1945 - 20 March 1946)
  • During World War II LCI(L)-87 was assigned to the European Theater
  • LCI(L)-87 was designated as LCI Flotilla 4 flagship (LCI Flotilla 10 at Normandy), Capt. M. E. Imlay, USCG in command, and participated in the:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation:
    Tunisian operation, 1 June to 9 July 1943     		Salerno landings, September and October 1943
    November 1943 to June 1944 training in England in preparation for the Invasion of Normandy
    Sicilian occupation, July and August 1943 Invasion of Normandy-Omaha Beach, 7 June to 4 July 1944

  • LCI(L)-87 was assigned to directing landing craft traffic and escorting landing craft from England to the northern coast of France from July through September 1944
  • LCI(L)-87 departed Falmouth England 5 October 1944, for Charleston, S.C.
  • Assigned to LCI Flotilla 30 while at Charleston during overhaul and repair
  • Departed Charleston, 14 December 1944 for Little Creek, VA. for amphibious training at Solomon Island, MD. until 18 December 1944
  • Departed Norfolk, 27 December 1944, for San Diego via Key West and Canal Zone
  • Arrived at San Diego, 27 January 1945 - attached to Ship Training Group, Naval Repair Base, San Diego.
  • LCI(L)-87 was reassigned to the Asiatic Pacific Theater, as LCI Flotilla 35 flagship
  • Departed San Diego for Peal Harbor, T.H. 20 April 1945, arriving Pearl Harbor, 1 May 1945
  • Departing Pearl Harbor, 18 May 1945, for Eniwetok
  • Arrived Eniwetok, 18 May 1945
  • Departed for Guam, 22 May 1945 - for off shore patrol and B-29 crew ditching practice
  • Returned, 1 August 1945 at Eniwetok - served as inter-island ferry
  • Departed Eniwetok, 24 November 1945, for San Pedro, CA. via Pearl Harbor and San Diego
  • Arrived San Pedro, 6 February 1946
  • Decommissioned, 20 March 1946, at San Pedro, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Final Disposition, transferred to the Maritime Commissioned, 2 February 1948, for disposal
  • LCI(L)-87 earned four battle stars 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)-87 105k LCI(L)-87 discharging troops, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Capt Jerry Mason USN
    LCI(L)-87 87k Coast Guard Flotilla 4, including LCI(L)-87 and LCI(L)-84 tied up in the background along with British landing craft, preparing to sail the English Channel and invade Nazi-occupied France. These landing craft landed US troops on Omaha Beach.
    USCG photo, date unknown.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    LCI(L)-84.87 76k LCI(L)-84 and LCI(L)-87 in an English port, date unknown. Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-87 84k LCI(L)-87 underway, date and place unknown.
    US Coast Guard Public Relations release
    Hail the Heroes of Three European Beach Invasions

    The anchor has hit the bottom in an American harbor as a Coast Guard-manned LCI(L) is home from three invasions in the European war theater. Greetings are gaily exchanged between the veterans lining the rail of the battle-scarred craft, and the two SPARS riding out on a Coast Guard patrol boat. The Flotilla of Coast Guard-manned LCI's hit the beaches of Sicily, Italy and Normandy and made an unprecedented round trip Atlantic voyage, for their size and type."
    US Coast Guard photo    		 Sean Connor in honor of his grandfather Frederick V. Ahern USS LCI(L)-65
    LCI(L)-87 91k Alex Bosmony on the beach at Guam in May 1945 with LCI(L)-87, LCI(L)-321 and an unidentified LCI in the background.
    Photo is from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", March 2002, photo courtesy of Alex Bosmony USS LCI(L)-87.     		Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-87 101k LCI(L)-87 crew photo, somewhere in the Pacific, May 1945.
    Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", March 2002, photo courtesy of Alex Bosmony USS LCI(L)-87.     		Ardie Hunt
    The history for LCI(L)-87 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
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS LCI(L)-87
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 12 May 2006