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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LC(FF)-535
ex
 USS LCI(L)-535 (1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Alpha - Mike
 NWAM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 7 December 1943, New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 11 January 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-535, 15 January 1944,. LTjg. H. B. Sims, USNR in command
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Flotilla Flagship LC(FF)-535, 31 December 1944
  • During World War II USS LC(FF)-535 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LC(FF) Flotilla Twenty-Three CDR. Dennis L. Francis, USN;
     LC(FF) Group Sixty-Seven;
     LC(FF) Division One Hundred Thirty-Five and participated in the following campaigns:

    *Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 18 June 1945
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Laid up in Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LC(FF)-535 earned 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
    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-535 204k USS LCI(L)-535 beached at Virginia Beach, VA. during amphibious training exercises, subsequently converted to Flotilla Flagship USS LC(FF)-535 and became the LSM Flotilla Nine headquarters ship for Commander Dennis L. Francis, USN, during the Okinawa Operation 1945.
    Original photograph was provided to Ron MacKay Jr., courtesy PhM/1c Robert W. Cox. This photo is featured on page 68 the book, "The U.S. Navy's "Interim" LSM(R)s in World War II" by McFarland Publishing (2016).    		 Ron MacKay
    The history for USS LC(FF)-535 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
    CTG 52.21 (LSM Flot 9)'s Action Report IE SHIMA and Southeastern OKINAWA, 2 to 20 April 1945
    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 December 2018