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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-981


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Alpha - Echo
 NZAE
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 (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down 21 March 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.
  • Launched 14 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-981, 15 May 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-981 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai landings, 15 September 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Nasugbu, 31 January 1945 and 5 February 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 16 to 29 November 1944
    Ormoc Bay landing, 7 and 8 December 1944     		Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines
    Palawan Island landings, 28 February to 10 March 1945
    Mindanao Island landings, 12 July 1945
    Luzon operation
    Mindoro landings, 12 to 18 December 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS LCI(L)-981 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    8 to 19 September 194529 September to 16 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • Sold, 13 November 1946
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-981 earned five battle stars for World War II service.
    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
    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 kts; 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 800 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
    Briareus
    09251208    		 285k USS Briareus (AR-12) moored at Espiritu, 20 or 21 July 1944, with USS George (DE-697) alongside while undergoing a seven-day tender availability. LCIs outboard of George are from right to left; USS LCI(L)-683
    USS LCI(L)-980
    USS LCI(L)-981
    USS LCI(L)-607
    Briareus had a long tour of duty at Espiritu from 11 Mar to 26 Sept 1944.
    Photo from the USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) cruise book.    		 John Chiquoine
    LCI(L)-981 201k USS LCI(L)-981 getting underway at Shanghai while transporting Chinese troops to Formosa, circa 29 September to 16 December 1945.
    US Navy photos from the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Jerry Gilmartin MMC(SW) USN Ret. Secretary AFMM LCI 713, Curator PT-658 Save the PT Boat Inc, courtesy Dennis Blocker LCI National Association Historian
    The history for USS LCI(L)-981 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 24 July 2020