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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-970


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Xray - Tango
NYXT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4)- World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 8 March 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 31 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-970, 27 April 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-970 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following campaigns;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 5 to 29 November 1944
    Ormoc Bay landing, 7 and 8 December 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Nasugbu, 31 January 1945
    Luzon operation
    Mindoro landings, 12 to 18 December 1944     		Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Visayan Island landings, 26 March to 11 April and 15 to 20 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(L)-970 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    8 September to 1 October 19458 October to 16 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1951
  • USS LCI(L)-970 earned four battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold in 1951
  • 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
    LCI(L)-749
    1015074902    		 256k USS LCI(L)-970 and USS LCI(L)-749 loading troops of the US Army 77th Division, at Leyte, P.I., 7 December 1944 probably for the Ormoc Bay landing operation.
    US National Archives Identifier 80664807 - US Army Signal Corps photo #199457    		 David Upton
    LCI(L)-970 108k USS LCI(L)-970 and other Flotilla 15 ships unloading 31st Division troops at Morotai Island, 15 September 1944. Minimal opposition was fortunate as reefs blocked ships from getting close to the beach and the troops waded a long way to get to shore. Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-970 66k USS LCI(L)-970 disembarking 31st Division troops at Morotai Island, New Guinea, 15 September 1944. The troops are following Alligator amphibious tracked vehicles in landing. The landing craft were not able to get close to the shore, so the troops had to land in comparatively deep water.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. 017592    		 Mike Green
    The history for USS LCI(L)-970 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 29 January 2021