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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LCI(L)-344

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippine Liberation Medal

LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down, (date and place unknown)

Launched (date unknown)

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-344, 18 January 1943

During World War II LCI(L)-344 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Eastern New Guinea operation;
(a) Lae occupation, 5 to 6 September 1943
(b) Finschhafen occupation, 22 September 1943
(c) Saidor occupation, 2 to 3 January 1944
Bismarck Archipelago operation;
(a) Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 26 to 27 December 1943
Hollandia operation, 21 to 25 April 1944
Western New Guinea operations;
(a) Biak Island operation, 27 to 28 May 1944
(b) Morotai landings, 15 September 1944
Leyte operation;
(a) Leyte landings, 12 October to 29 November 1944
Manila Bay-Bicol operations;
(a) Nasugbu 31 Jan. 1945

Decommissioned, (date unknown)

Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown)

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 1 April 1948, for disposal

Final Disposition, fate unknown LCI(L)-344 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 3 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		Contributed By
	70k	"Between two sisters, the *LCI 226* lies tied up to a dock at Oro Bay on coast of New Guinea between *LCI(L)-344, outboard, and LCI(L)-338*, inboard. U.S. troops who took part in the capture of Salamaua crowd the upper deck." Photo caption from March 27, 1944 issue of "Life" magazine. Story by John Hersey. The story covered the history of LCI(L) 226 from commissioning on 14 December 1942 to the landings at Cape Gloucester, New Britain on 26 December 1943. Life Time photo, by O. Landon Miles		Ardie Hunt for his father Arden L. Hunt SM3/c USS LCI(R)-226, 20 July 1944 to 13 April 1945).

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

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Last Updated 11 February 2005