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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-343


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Uniform - Mike
NJUM
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 (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)


LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 13 October 1942, at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.
  • Launched, 12 November 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-343, 8 January 1943
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-343 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Eastern New Guinea operation
    Lae occupation, 4 to 6 September, and 9 to 13 September 1943
    Finschhafen occupation, 22 September 1943
    Saidor occupation, 2 and 3 January 1944
    Western New Guinea operations
    Biak Island operation, 27 and 28 May 1944
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Cape Gloucester, New Britain - 26 and 27 December 1943
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 12 October to 29 November 1944
    Hollandia operation,, 21 to 25 April 1944 Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Nasugbu, 31 January 1945

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold, 2 December 1946, fate unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-328 earned six battle stars for service in WWII
    Specifications:
    Displacement 216 t.(light), 234 t.(landing), 389 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 3 officer, 21 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 four single 20mm guns one forward, one amidship, two aft, later added two .50 cal machine guns
    Fuel Capacity 130 tons, lube oil 200 gal.
    Propulsion two sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600, twin variable pitch propellers

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    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-343 40k USS LCI(L)-343 beached, date and location unknown. Charles Wilkie
    LCI(L)-343 153k USS LCI(L)-343 crew, date and location unknown. 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
    LCI(L)-343 118k

    The history for USS LCI(L)-343 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
    Fleet Reserve Association

    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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 August 2009