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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(M)-803
ex
USS LCI(G)-803 (1944 - 1945)
USS LCI(L)-803 (1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Mike - Echo
NWME
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - Okinawa)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal

Personnel Awards

Purple Heart (J.P. Yotka at Okinawa)
LCI(L)-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 27 July 1944, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Company, Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 26 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-803, 2 September 1944, at New York City, N.Y., LTjg. Howard N. Houston USNR in command
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-803, 31 December 1944
  • Reconfigured as a Landing Craft Infantry (Mortar), by Craig Shipbuilding Corp., San Pedro, CA., 7 December 1944 through 6 January 1945
  • Designation changed to LCI(M)-803, 30 April 1945
  • During World War II USS LCI(G)-803 / LCI(M)-803 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Five CAPT. T. W. Rimer USNR;
    LCI Group Forty-One, LCDR. R. F. Hunnicutt USNR;
    LCI Division Eighty-One and participated in the following campaign:
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(M)-803 performed occupation duty in the Far East from 9 to 25 September 1945 and China service from 30 September 1945 to 12 January 1946
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(G)-803 / LCI(M)-803 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal, 10 July 1947
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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
    LCI(L) Complement 4 Officers, 24 Enlisted
    LCI(G) Complement 5 Officers, 65 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 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
    LCI(G) Armament two 40mm guns, four 20mm guns, six .50cal machine guns, 10 MK7 rocket launchers
    LCI(M) Armament one single 40mm gun, forward, four 20mm guns, 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
    Tutuila 40k USS LCI(M)-803 along with
    USS LCI(R)-705
    USS LCI(M)-802
    USS LCI(R)-647
    LCT-1213 and an unidentified vessel alongside USS Tutuila (ARG-4), date and location unknown.
    Russ Padden

    USS LCI(L)-803 / LCI(G)-803 / LCI(M)-803 history
    Commanding Officers
    01LTjg. Houston, Howard N., USNR2 September 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

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    This page is created by David Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 11 August 2017