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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(R)-1078
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USS LCI(L)-1078 (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Romeo - Tango
NZRT
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 Medal (with Asia clasp)


LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 1 July 1944, at Defoe Ship Building Co., Bay City, MI.
  • Launched, 15 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-1078, 20 July 1944
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Rocket), LCI(R)-1078, 15 March 1945.
  • During World War II LCI(L)-1078 / LCI(R)-1078 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Sixteen, CDR. C.E. Coffin USN (27);
    LCI Group Forty-Eight, LCDR. F. Thompson Jr.;
    LCI Division Ninety-Six and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II LCI(R)-1078 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from , 2 September to 24 November 1945.
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(R)-1078 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 12 February 1947
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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
    LCI(L)-1078 195k Overhead view of USS LCI(L)-1078 pierside at San Francisco Navy Yard , 29 December 1944, after completing her conversion to a rocket-firing support craft. The Mk 7 rocket launchers, which fired 4.5" rockets, are the frames visible at the break of her forecastle and abaft her forward 20 mm mounts. A fifth is visible on her port side, just forward of the after 20mm gun tub. These launchers could elevate between 25 and 40 degrees; maximum range was 1,100 yds. The frame above the launching rail held rounds ready to fire; it was fed by hand.
    Text and US Navy photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.
    Robert Hurst
    LCI(L)-1078 68k USS LCI(L)-1078, newly converted, but not yet redesignated, LCI(R)-1078 off San Francisco, 29 December 1944. Her Mk 7 launchers are barely visible. Note that the one just abaft the forward 20 mm gun has been raised to fire over it. The ship has no radar at all, just a "ski-pole" IFF transponder at her masthead
    Photo and text and US Navy photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.
    Robert Hurst
    and Robert Morrissey
    LCI(L)-1078 90k
    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

    The history for USS LCI(L)-1078 / LCI(R)-1078 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 15 January 2021