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USS LCI(R)-763
ex
 USS LCI(L)-763 (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Quebec - Hotel
 NQQH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 8 May 1944, at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR.
  • Launched, 28 May 1944
  • Commissioned as USS LCI(L)-763, 8 June 1944, LTjg. H.H. Goff USNR in command
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Infantry (Rocket) LCI(R)-763, 15 March 1945
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-763 / LCI(R)-763 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Sixteen, CDR. C. E. Coffin USN (27);
     LCI Group Forty-Seven LCDR, G, T, McKnight USNR;
     LCI Division Ninety-Three and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 March to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(R)-763 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 3 January 1946
  • Grounded during typhoon "Louise," 9 October 1945, at Buckner Bay Okinawa
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register in January 1946
  • USS LCI(R)-763 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the State Department in November 1947, for disposal
  • Final disposition, sold in November 1947
    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(R) Complement
    3 Officers
    31 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 .50 cal machine guns
    LCI(R) Armament
    one 40mm bow mounted gun mount
    four 20mm guns
    two .50 cal machine guns
    six 5" rocket launchers
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 935 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
    USS LCI(L)-763
    LCI(L)-763 223k USS LCI(L)-763 commissioning crew photo, 8 June 1944 at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR. Note; Nunzio Joseph Viviano, Momm1/c, USNR immediately to the right of the officer at the top of the ladder. Deborah V.C. Ronsani for her Grandfather Nunzio Joseph Viviano, Momm1/c, USNR USS LCI(L)-763
    LCI(L)-763 80k USS LCI(L)-763 officers, 8 June 1944 at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR. Second from the left is the Executive Officer ENS. William E. Stimmel. Deborah V.C. Ronsani for her Grandfather Nunzio Joseph Viviano, Momm1/c, USNR USS LCI(L)-763
    LCI(L)-763 79k Commanding Officer of USS LCI(L)-763 reads his orders placing the ship in commission, 8 June 1944 at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR. Deborah V.C. Ronsani for her Grandfather Nunzio Joseph Viviano, Momm1/c, USNR USS LCI(L)-763
    LCI(L)-763 24k USS LCI(L)-763 disembarking her troops, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    USS LCI(R)-763
    LCI(L)-763 68k Some of USS LCI(R)-763's crew make like pirates displaying a flag taken from a Japanese suicide boat at Okinawa in October 1945.
    Photo from USS LCI National Association's newsletter, "The Elsie Item", Issue # 46, October 2003. Photo courtesy Bob Schmelzer, USS LCI(R)-763    		 Ardie Hunt.
    LCI(L)-1024
    1015102450    		 98k Chart of all LCI(R) rocket targets which bombarded the North and South flanks of the main amphibious landing on L-Day of Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. These LCI(R)s belonged to Flotilla SIXTEEN (CDR C.E. Coffin, Jr), referred to as Task Group 52.20, and comprised of 6 Task Groups, each in turn comprised of 6 LCI(R)s (for 36 LCIR)s total):
    South Flank:
    52.20.1 - USS LCI(R)-642, USS LCI(R)-650, USS LCI(R)-707, USS LCI(R)-771, USS LCI(R)-772, USS LCI(R)-1077;
    52.20.2 - USS LCI(R)-651, USS LCI(R)-708, USS LCI(R)-1028, USS LCI(R)-1029, USS LCI(R)-1030, USS LCI(R)-1078;
    In Reserve:
    52.20.3 - USS LCI(R)-643, USS LCI(R)-644, USS LCI(R)-645, USS LCI(R)-646, USS LCI(R)-769, USS LCI(R)-770.
    North Flank:
    52.20.4 - USS LCI(R)-647, USS LCI(R)-648, USS LCI(R)-649, USS LCI(R)-762, USS LCI(R)-763, USS LCI(R)-764;
    52.20.5 - USS LCI(R)-785, USS LCI(R)-1024, USS LCI(R)-1026, USS LCI(R)-1068, USS LCI(R)-1069, USS LCI(R)-1070;
    52.20.6 - USS LCI(R)-704, USS LCI(R)-705, USS LCI(R)-706, USS LCI(R)-765, USS LCI(R)-766, USS LCI(R)-767;     		LCDR. Gary Frogner, USN Ret. for his father ENS. Louis Frogner, USNR Engineering Officer LCI(R)-1024
    LCI(L)-763 1861k USS LCI(R)-763 hard aground at Okinawa after Typhoon Louise hit the Buckner Bay anchorage, 9 October 1945 Donn Cuson
    LCI(L)-763 91k USS LCI(R)-763 hard aground at Okinawa as a result of Typhoon Louise hitting Buckner Bay, Okinawa, 9 October 1945.
    Photo from USS LCI National Association's newsletter, "The Elsie Item", Issue # 46, October 2003. Photo courtesy Bob Schmelzer, USS LCI(R)-763    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-763 266k USS LCI(R)-763 hard aground at Okinawa as a result of Typhoon Louise. Photo taken from USS LST-49 Riley Requa MoMM3/c USS LST-49
    LCI(L)-763 93k USS LCI(R)-763 hard aground in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, after Typhoon Louise ravaged that port 9 October 1945. Photographed in November 1945. Considered not worth salvaging because of the end of World War II, this ship was stricken from the Navy List in January 1946 and sold in November 1947.
    US Navy photo # NH 105657 from the collections of the US Navy and Heritage Command, collection of Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton (1915-1990), donated by his daughter, Barbara Gratton Stillwater, 2008.    		 US Navy History and Heritage Command
    LSM-137 1009k In the foreground USS LSM-137 is hard aground at Buckner Bay, Okinawa after Typhoon Louise passed over the bay on 9 October 1945. Other ships that are identifiable in this photo include; USS LCI(R)-763, USS LCI(G)-727 and LCT-1231. Donn Cuson
    The history for USS LCI(L)-763 / USS LCI(R)-763 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 January 2021