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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-488


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Tango - Charlie
 NQTC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

LCI(L)-488 was leased to the United Kingdom
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, September 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, October 1943
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-488, 30 October 1943
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-488 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944
  • Decommissioned, and leased to the United Kingdom, 20 November 1944
  • Returned to US Navy custody, 13 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the State Department and sold, 13 February 1948
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-488 received one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 246 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 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
    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)-488 78k LCI(L)-488 underway, probably during builders trials, date and place unknown. Kathryn V. Esau Hilton and Don Hilton in memory of John Jacob Esau, Cox. USNR USS LCI(L)-488
    LCI(L)-87 215k USS LCI(L)-488 and USS LCI(L)-87 beached, probably at Slapton Sands, England, during the spring of 1944 while preparing for the Invasion of Normandy.
    US Coast Guard photo from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office    		 Mike Green
    The history for USS LCI(L)-488 is from USS LCI "Landing Craft Infantry", Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1995. (ISBN 1-56311-262-0)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) Photo Index
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 30 January 2009