Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-88


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Golf - Zulu
 NDGZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom. left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (6 June 1944)
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)

USS LCI(L)-88 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 20 October 1943, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 20 December 1942)
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-88, 2 February 1943, LT. William B. Cole USCGR in command
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-88 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, LCI Flotilla 4, Capt. M. E. Imlay, USCG in command, (Flotilla 10 at Normandy) and participated in the following campaigns:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    North African occupation
    Tunisian operation, 1 June to 9 July 1943     		Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943
    USS LCI(L)-88 proceeded to England in November 1943 for training in preparation for the Invasion of Normandy
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 June 1944
    USS LCI(L)-88 was damaged off the coast of France on D-day, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • USS LCI(L)-88 departed England 24 October 1944, for Charleston, S.C. for availability and overhaul at US Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Departed Charleston, 5 December 1944, for Little Creek, VA. for amphibious training at Solomon Island, MD. until 13 December 1944
  • Departed Norfolk, 26 December 1944, for San Diego via Key West and Canal Zone
  • Arriving at San Diego USS LCI(L)-88 was attached to Ship Training Group, Naval Repair Base, San Diego.
  • USS LCI(L)-88, LTjg. John R. Allums, John R. USCGR, in command, was reassigned to the Asiatic Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Thirty-Five, CDR. H. J. Wuensch USCG;
    LCI Group One Hundred Three (flagship) LCDR. B. A. Walliser USCGR;
    LCI Div Two Hundred Five
  • Departed San Diego, 3 April 1945, for Okinawa via Peal Harbor, Eniwetok, Guam, Ulithi, Leyte, arriving, 29 May 1945 at Hagushi, Okinawa and participated in the following campaigns during and after the war:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto - 29 May - 30 June 1945
    USS LCI(L)-88 anchored at Tanabaru Wan, Okinawa, 31 May 1945 to make smoke for USS West Virginia (BB-48), USS New Orleans (CA-32) and USS Portland (CA-33).
    6 June 1945 USS LCI(L)-88 proceeded to Kerema Rhetto escorting USS LCI-(L)-90 damaged by Japanese suicide planes
    USS LCI(L)-88 returned to Nagagusuki Wan to again make smoke, being at general quarters on numerous occasions as red alerts were sounded.
    11 June, 1945, the LCT area was under attack by Japanese planes, USS LCI(L)-88 continued to make smoke and kept almost continually at general quarters
    Following the conclusion of World War II USS LCI(L)-88 departed Okinawa for Wakayama, Japan, 8 September 1945 for mine destruction and occupation duty
    		Minesweeping operations - Pacific
    Wakanoura-Kii (Honshu Area), 11 to 27 September 1945
    Klondike (East China Sea-Ryukyus area) 27 to 31 October 1945

  • Following WWII USS LCI(L)-88 was assigned to Occupation service and Minesweeping operations from 2 September to 26 November 1945
  • USS LCI(L)-88 departed Sasebo, Japan for Galveston, TX., 25 November 1945, via Guam, Pearl Harbor, San Diego and Canal Zone, arriving 19 February 1946
  • Decommissioned, 9 April 1946, at Orange, TX.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, transferred to the Maritime Commissioned, 19 March 1947, for disposal
  • USS LCI(L)-88 earned six 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)-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)-14 94k USS LCI(L)-88 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)-88 57k "USS LCI(L)-88 beached during the invasion of Sicily. James Leon Pendleton, a crewmember, related to his son, James Dustan Pendleton that as the ship went in toward the beach they dropped the stern anchor and played out a cable to be used to winch the ship back out of shallow water after disembarking their infantry. A German shell hit the water near the cable and parted it. The loose cable passed over the ship and landed from stern to bow causing the ship hit the beach at full speed running high up into the sand. The infantry immediately debarked down the ramps while the crew attempted to get the ship out to sea. According to Mr. Pendleton, it felt as if every German gun was targeting their ship. When the order to abandon ship was issued the crew left running ashore hiding in empty foxholes left by the infantry and finally ending up below a bridge a few hundred yards off the beach. In another photo taken aboard USS LCI-88 with Jack Dempsey, James Pendleton is seen wearing his Coast Guard flat hat issued when he enlisted. He walked aboard seagoing tug USCGC Carrabasset (WAT-55) in 1942 in his civvies and never went to boot camp, there wasn't time. he left the service in 1945 as a First Class Boatswains mate." James D. Pendleton
    LCI(L)-496 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
    LCI(L)-496 117k
    LCI(L)-496 134k
    LCI(L)-88 211k USS LCI(L)-88 underway off the coast of Normandy, circa June 1944 Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-88 67k Aboard USS LCI(L)-88, standing in the foreground, Chief Ralph Gault, USCG, wearing the khaki working uniform, poses with part of his deck hands and former World Boxing Champion, Commander Jack Dempsey Ken Davey
    LCI(L)-88 121k Four sailors aboard USS LCI(L)-88 sport unusual haircuts.
    Photo from USS LCI National Association's newsletter Elsie Item, March 2010 issue.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCS(L)(3)-107 2356k USS LCI(L)-88 moored inboard of USS LCS(L)-107 while tied up alongside two Japanese Imperial Navy submarines (probably IJN Submarine I-400 and IJN Submarine I-14). Both submarines were capable of launching aircraft.Photo was taken at Sasebo, Japan. in November 1945. John Grey
    The history for USS LCI(L)-88 is from "The Coast Guard At War, Transports and Escorts, Volume II"
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Cole, William B. USCGR2 February 1943 - ?
    02LT. Rigg, Henry K. USCGRno dates
    03ENS. Marchl, William G. USCGRno dates
    04LTjg. Allums, John R. USCGR2 March 1945 - 27 February 1946
    05LTjg. Marchl, William G. USCGR27 February - 9 April 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    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
    US Coast Guard Historian's Office - LCI(L)-88
    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 8 June 2012