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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(G)-538
ex
 USS LCI(L)-538 (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Alpha - Yankee
 NWAY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 13 December 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 14 January 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-538, 20 January 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-538 / LCI(G)-538 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following action/campaign

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Convoy UGS-38, 20 April 1944 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-538, 15 July 1945
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-538 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Admiral Farragut Academy, 1946
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 216 t.(light), 234 t.(landing); 389 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
    3 Officers
    21 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
    four single 20mm guns one forward, one amidship, two aft
    two .50cal machine guns
    LCI(G) Armament
    two 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 General Motors Diesel engines, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600
    twin variable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-1 2633k Troops prepare to board their ships for the Normandy invasion from LCVPs in an English harbor, circa 4 June 1944. USS LCI(L)-403 along with USS LCI(L)-538 (center) and USS LCI(L)-537 are nested together in the center of the harbor waiting their turn to load troops. 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
    LCI(L)-538 59k USS LCI(G)-538) at rest and underway, date and location unknown. LCI(G)-538) represented the closest possible approach to an LCS(L). Because the program was stopped with the end of the war, she was probably the only LCI(G) of her type completed.
    US Navy photos from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    LCI(L)-538 93k
    The history for USS LCI(L)-538 / LCI(G)-538 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
    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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 13 September 2019