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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

HMC LCI(L)-249
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HM LCI(L)-249


LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down in 1942, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched in 1942
  • Transferred to the United Kingdom under terms of the Lend-Lease Act
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LCI(L)-249, 24 December 1942
  • Turned over to the Canadian Navy for the Invasion of Normandy
  • Commissioned into the Canadian Navy as HMC LCI(L)-249, 4 December 1943, LT. John E. O'Rourke RCNVR (Temp.) in command
  • During World War II HM LCI(L)-249 / HMC LCI(L)-249, 1st Canadian LCI Flotilla, (Royal Navy LCI Flotilla 260) served in the European-Africa Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    HM LCI(L)-249 Campaigns and Dates HMC LCI(L)-249 Campaign and Dates
    Salerno landings, 8 to 21 September 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943  

  • Decommissioned by the Canadian Navy, 3 September 1944
  • Returned to US Naval custody in January 1948
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the State Department for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold, 21 March 1949, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 236 t.(light), 264 t.(landing), 419 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
    4 officers
    24 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
    five single 20mm guns, one bow mounted, one each port and starboard forward of wheelhouse, one each port and starboard aft of wheelhouse
    on some LCIs two .50 cal machine guns were added
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 860 Bbls
    lube oil 200 gal
    Propulsion
    two sets of 4 General Motors 6051 series 71 Diesel engines, 4 per shaft
    single General Motors Main reduction gears
    two Diesel-drive 30Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin variable pitch propellers, 2,320shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-278 1054k British LCI Flotilla loading troops of the Seaforth Highlanders, probably for the Sicily operation in July 1943. LCI(L)s present include:
    HM LCI(L)-278
    HM LCI(L)-249
    HM LCI(L)-299 and
    HM LCI(L)-132
    Jerry Gilmartin MMC(SW) USN Ret. Secretary AFMM LCI 713,
    Curator PT-658 Save the PT Boat Inc,
    courtesy Dennis Blocker LCI National Association Historian
    LCI(L)-278 49k Looking forward from the bridge area of HM LCI(L)-249, date and location unknown. Jerry Gilmartin MMC(SW) USN Ret. Secretary AFMM LCI 713,
    Curator PT-658 Save the PT Boat Inc,
    courtesy Dennis Blocker LCI National Association Historian
    LCI(L)-278
    NARA # 82362
    477k HM LCI(L)-249 at Salerno, 10 September 1943. Italian civilians bring a small boat to British sailors to keep their feet dry as small group of Italian soldiers look on. Jerry Gilmartin MMC(SW) USN Ret. Secretary AFMM LCI 713,
    Curator PT-658 Save the PT Boat Inc,
    courtesy Dennis Blocker LCI National Association Historian
    LCI(L)-278 536k
    LCI(L)-278 528k
    LCI(L)-278 528k
    LCI(L)-278 846k Unidentied Canadian naval officer assigned to HMC LCI(L)-249, date and location unknown.  
    LCI(L)-278
    1015024907
    41k HMC LCI(L)-249 crew member Able Seaman William J. Gunter, Royal Canadian Navy,manning the twin 20mm Oerlikons on the bow. Ardie Hunt

    The history for LCI(L)-249 was extracted from
    The RCN's Part in the Invasion of France
    , a Royal Canadian Navy History document.

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The Nauticapedia - The Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy Present Off the Normandy Beaches on June 6/7/1944 (The D-Day Landings)
    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 January 2021