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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(M)-638
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USS LCI(L)-638 (1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Mike - Kilo
NPMK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


LCI(L)-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 24 May 1944, at New Jersey Ship Building Corp., Barber, N. J.
  • Launched 20 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-638, 26 June 1944, LTjg. K. L. Bush USNR in command
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Mortar) LCI(M)-638, 30 April 1945
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-638 / LCI(M)-638 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Twenty-One, CDR. L. B. Balliere, USNR;
    LCI Group Sixty-One, LCDR. W. T. Dom, USNR;
    LCI Division One Hundred Twenty-One and participated in the following campaigns::

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 26 February 1945
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 14 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(M)-638 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    19 November 1945 to 21 March 194622 to 25 March 1946
    26 March to 15 April1946 

  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Large) LCI(L)-638 14 November 1949
  • Decommissioned in November 1953
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-638 / LCI(M)-638 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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
    LCI(L) Complement
    4 Officers
    24 Enlisted
    LCI(M) Complement
    4 Officers
    49 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 gun mounts, 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(M) Armament
    one single 40mm gun mount, forward
    four 20mm gun mounts
    three 4.2" chemical mortars mounted in three 4ft x 4ft wooden walled 2" x 6" high sand boxes on the well deck with the three tripod mortar tubes in position to fire forward over the bow, No. 2 Troop Compartment (under well deck) converted to a magazine
    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 Source
    LCI(M)-638 70k USS LCI(M)-638 under way, date and location unknown. Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-445
    1015045520
    132k From right to left:
    USS LCI(G)-455
    USS LCI(G)-41
    USS LCI(M)-638
    USS LCI(L)-1012
    USS LCI(L)-640
    USS LCI(M)-673 and
    USS LC(FF)-679 moored in a nest in San Diego Bay, circa early 1946.
    Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter, the "Elsie Item", March 2019.
    Ardie Hunt

    The history for USS LCI(L)-638 / LCI(M)-638 is from USS LCI "Landing Craft Infantry", Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1995. (ISBN 1-56311-262-0)
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Bush, K. L., USNR26 June 1944 - ?

    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 8 January 2021