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Lost to enemy action (mine), 6 June 1944

USS LCI(L)-497


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Uniform - Zulu
 NQUZ
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-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down in 1943 at New Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched in 1943
  • Commissioned,USS LCI(L)-497, 13 November 1943
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-497 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 June 1944
  • Lost due to striking an enemy mine off Normandy, 6 June 1944
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-497 earned one battle star for World War II service
    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 Contributed
    By
    LCI(L)-87 87k USS LCI(L)-497, USS LCI(L)-87 and USS LCI(L)-84 tied up in the background along with Royal Navy landing craft, (LCA)s at Weymouth England preparing to sail the English Channel and invade Nazi-occupied France. These landing craft landed US troops on Omaha Beach.
    USCG photo, date unknown.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    LCI(L)-87 256k USS LCI(L)-497, USS LCI(L)-87 and USS LCI(L)-84 tied up in the background along with Royal Navy landing craft, (LCA)s at Weymouth England preparing to sail the English Channel and invade Nazi-occupied France. These landing craft landed US troops on Omaha Beach.
    USCG photo, date unknown.
    A US National Archives photo from the USS National LCI Association newsletter "The Elsie Item" April 2009 issue, Courtesy Dennis Blocker.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-87 931k USS LCI(L)-497 moored at Weymouth England while waiting in early June 1944 for the start of the invasion of France. LCVPs belong to the transport USS Thurston (AP-77).
    US Navy photos from the collections of the US National Archives.    		 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
    David Upton
    LCI(L)-497
    1015049710
    NARA 111-C-1237    		 341k
    LCI(L)-84
    1015008415    		 301k USS LCI(L)-84, USS LCI(L)-87 and USS LCI(L)-497 tied up in the background along with Royal Navy landing craft, (LCA)s preparing to sail the English Channel and invade Nazi-occupied France. These landing craft landed US troops on Omaha Beach.
    An Imperial War Museum, London, photo in the collections of the US National Archives    		 David Upton
    LCI(L)-497 258k USS LCI(L)-497 abandoned on Omaha Beach, Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944 after striking a mine while attempting to land her troops. Eugene Coughenour SM/1c USNR V6, USS LST-7
    LCI(L)-497 49k USS LCI(L)-497 abandoned on Omaha Beach at Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944 after striking a mine while attempting to land her troops.
    Photo is from the USS LCI National Association's Newsletter, "The Elsie Item" June 2002, courtesy of Steve Besse, USS LCI 420    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-497 90k USS LCI(L)-497 abandoned on Omaha Beach at Normandy, D-Day, 6 June 1944 after having struck a mine during landing operations. Tom Hunter, photo by his father Bruce Hunter RM1/c USS LCI(L)-193
    LCI(L)-497 67k USS LCI(L)-497 abandoned on Omaha Beach at Normandy, D-Day, 6 June 1944 after having struck a mine during landing operations. Jack N, Wolslegel
    LCI(L)-497 66k
    LCI(L)-497 300k USS LCI(L)-497 abandoned on Omaha Beach at Normandy, D-Day, 6 June 1944 after having struck a mine during landing operations. Keith Brooker
    LCT-25 123k USS LCI(L)-497 and LCT-25, along with other landing craft and pontoon causeways being battered by the Normandy storm on 21 June 1944, probably at "Omaha" Beach. LCT-25 is in the left center, sunk with her cargo of vehicles still on board. Beyond her is USS LCI(L)-497
    Photo from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the US National Archives. Photo #: SC 193921    		 Robert Hurst and
    Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-497 32k USS LCI(L)-497 loaded on a barge after being removed from Omaha Beach where she struck a mine on 6 June 1944. John H. Kellers, GM3/c LCT-539
    The history for USS LCI(L)-497 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
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association
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    Last Updated 4 March 2022