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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LCI(L)-439 / LCI(G)-439

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down (date unknown) at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.

Launched, (date unknown)

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-439, 6 August 1943

Designation changed to Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-4397, 15 January 1944

During World War II LCI(L)-439 / LCI(G)-439 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Marshall Islands operation; Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944	Luzon operation; Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
Marianas operation; Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 28 July 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation; Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 1 June 1945
Leyte operation; Leyte landings, 20 October 1944	.

Decommissioned (date unknown)

Struck from the Naval Register in 1946

Final Disposition, sold, 2 December 1946, fate unknown

LCI(L)-439 / LCI(G)-439 received five battle stars for World War II service in addition to the Navy Unit Commendation as a member of LCI(G) Flotilla 3 (31 January to 28 July 1944) for Occupation of Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls in the Marshall Islands and Capture and occupation of Saipan, Guam and Tinian in the Marianas

Specifications:
Displacement 246 t.(light), 264 t. (landing), 419 t.(loaded)
Length 158' 5 1/2"
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
LCI(L) Complement 4 Officers, 24 Enlisted
LCI(G) Complement 5 Officers, 65 Enlisted
LCI(L) Troop Capacity 6 Officers, 182 Enlisted
LCI(L) 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 kts; and 110 tons of fuel
LCI(L) 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
LCI(G) Armament three 40mm guns, four 20mm guns, six .50cal machine guns, ten MK7 rocket launchers
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
	70k	*LCI(L)-439* crew members being initiated into "Neptune's Realm", while crossing the Equator in the Pacific, late 1943. Photo courtesy of Milton Schnitzlein.. Photo from the LCI National Association's Newsletter "The Elsie Item", January 2007 issue.		Ardie Hunt
	69k	From left to right ; *LCI(G)-78,* LCI(G)-407, LCI(G)-473, LCI(G)-366 LCI(G)-77 LCI(G)-948 LCI(L)-38 LCI(G)-546 LCI(G)-440 LCI(G)-439 moored in a nest at Pearl Harbor, July 1945. Photo from the LCI National Association's Newsletter "The Elsie Item", June 1996 issue.		Ardie Hunt

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 9 March 2007