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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-344

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Uniform - Victor
NJUV

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 - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)

LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down, 26 October 1942, Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.

Launched, 2 December 1942

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-344, 18 January 1943

During World War II USS LCI(L)-344 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, 5 to 6 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 Morotai landings, 15 September 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, date unknown

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 1 April 1948, for disposal

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS LCI(L)-344 earned six battle stars for World War II service

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
90k	USS LCI(L)-344 at anchor, 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
429k	USS LCI(L)-344 as a part of *LCI Flotilla Seven* loads Australian troops for the invasion of Lae, New Guinea, September 1943.	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
70k	"Between two sisters, the USS LCI 226 lies tied up to a dock at Oro Bay on coast of New Guinea between USS LCI(L)-344, outboard, and USS LCI(L)-338, inboard. U.S. troops who took part in the capture of Salamaua crowd the upper deck." Photo caption from March 27, 1944 issue of "Life" magazine. Story by John Hersey. The story covered the history of USS LCI(L) 226 from commissioning on 14 December 1942 to the landings at Cape Gloucester, New Britain on 26 December 1943. Life Time photo, by O. Landon Miles	Ardie Hunt for his father Arden L. Hunt SM3/c USS LCI(R)-226, 20 July 1944 to 13 April 1945).

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 28 August 2009