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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Mallard (MHC-30)
ex
 Mallard (AMCU-30) (1952 - 1955) (1945)
 USS LSIL-963 (1949 - 1952)
 USS LCI(L)-963 (1944 - 1949)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Whiskey - Echo
 NYWE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large) / AMCU-7 Class Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator): :
  • Laid down, 25 February 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 20 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-963, 16 May 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-963 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operations
    Leyte landings, 16 October to 29 November 1944
    Ormac Bay landing, 7 and 8 December 1944     		Consolidation of the Southern Philippines
    Palawan Island landing, 28 February 1945
    Visayan Island landings, 26 March to 20 April 1945
    Luzon operations
    Mindoro landings, 12 to 18 December 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Nasugbu-31 January 1945 and 4 and 5 February 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(L)-963 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 8 September to 16 December 1945
  • Decommissioned in 1946
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Infantry (Large) LSIL-963, 28 February 1949
  • Named Mallard and reclassified a Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) (AMCU-30), 7 March 1952
  • Converted to a Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C., 15 December 1953 to 15 June 1954
  • Mallard was never recommissioned
  • Reclassified a Coastal Minehunter (MHC-30), 1 February 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 January 1960
  • USS LCI(L)-963 earned four Battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold, 30 June 1960 to Randolph Mattson
  • Resold, date unknown, to Tropicana Products Co., La Ceiba, Honduras, named MV Abaco-Merchand
  • 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
    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 knots; 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
    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
    LSM-54/65/LCI-963 38k USS LSM-65, USS LSM-54 and USS LCI(L)-963 preparing to beach at Nasugbu, Luzon, P.I., 31 January 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-K-3153 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    USS LCI(L)-963 / Mallard (AMCU-30), (MHC-30)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    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
    Minewarfare Association
    Association of Minemen
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) Photo Index Back To The Minewarfare Ship Type Index Back To The Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) - (AMCU) / Coastal Minehunter (MHC) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 13 September 2019