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USS LCI(G)-346
ex
 USS LCI(L)-346 (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Victor - November
 NJVN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima) - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
 Individual Awards

Navy Cross (LT. Harry L. Gruver, USNR, CO LCI(G)-346)
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 31 October 1942, at Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, TX.
  • Launched 3 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-346, 25 January 1943
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Guns) LCI(G)-346, 15 June 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-346 / LCI(G)-346 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LCI Flotilla 3 (CDR M.J. Malanaphy) Group 8 (LCDR Nash) and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Marshall Islands operations
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation; Iwo Jima, 17 February to 16 March 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 20 June to 15 July 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 17 to 21 July 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 26 April 1945
    Tinian capture and occupation, 24 to 28 July 1944 .

  • Decommissioned, circa February-March 1946, at New Orleans, LA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold, 1 December 1946. fate unknown
  • LCI(L)-346 / LCI(G)-346 received five battle stars for World War II service in addition to the Presidential Unit Citation for operations at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945 and the Navy Unit Commendation as a member of LCI(G) Flotilla 3 (31 January to 28 July 1944) for Occupation of Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls in the Marshall Islands and Capture and occupation of Saipan, Guam and Tinian in the Marianas
    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(G) Complement 5 Officers, 65 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 .50cal machine guns
    LCI(G) Armament two 40mm guns, four 20mm guns, six .50cal machine guns, ten MK7 rocket launchers
    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
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(G)-346 130k USS LCI(G)-346 underway date and location unknown. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LSM-242 97k USS LSM-242 and USS LST-809 with USS LCI(G)-346 secured to her port side, beached at Iwo Jima, circa 19 February 1945 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LCI(G)-346 158k USS LCI(G)-346 stands off Iwo Jima with a Japanese POW on board to use the ships PA system to urge Japanese soldiers on the island around the foot of Mount Suribatchi to surrender. The POW is sitting under the 20mm gun conning tower deflector. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 174k USS LCI(G)-346 stands off Iwo Jima while Japanese POW urges Japanese soldiers on the island around the foot of Mount Suribatchi to surrender. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-345/346 79k USS LCI(G)-346 and USS LCI(G)-345 entering ABSD-1 at Guam after the Iwo Jima landings, circa May 1945. LCI(G)-346 sustained several hits and lost her mast. USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association
    Courtesy Leonard Martin USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(L)-348 138k USS LCI(G)-346 and USS LCI(G)-348 departing USS ABSD-1 at Guam, Marianas Islands. These were initial Central Pacific conversions, recognizable by the square gun tub forward of the bridge. They had two single 40 AA mm guns forward plus three 20 mm in the usual positions atop the superstructure and right aft), six 0.50" Cal. machine guns, and ten Mk 7 rocket launchers. USS LCI(L)-346 was a press boat for the Iwo Jima operation, rushing copy from war correspondents aboard ships to a communication ship that radioed it home.
    US Navy photo. Text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 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(G)-346 173k USS LCI(G)-346 underway after completing repairs at Guam in May/June 1945. Photo was taken from USS LCI(G)-348. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 81k USS LCI(G)-346 conning tower art. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 149k USS LCI(G)-346 's Commanding Officer LTjg Jerrold Bromberg. LTjg. Bromberg relieved the first CO LT Harry L Gruver after the Iwo Jima campaign, circa June 1945. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 127k USS LCI(G)-346 's Engineering Officer LTjg John Paul Lockard, and Ralph Gallant MoMM1/c, circa July 1945, off Iwo Jima. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 69k USS LCI(G)-346 engineers, 1945 off Iwo Jima.
    Those that can be identified include:
    Back Row (4th Row) left to right - Roger Isaccs Em3/c - Elmer Purzel EM3/c - Frank F. Dragan CMoMM Third Row - Ralph E. Gallant MoMM1/c - John J. Poteat EM3/c - Ralph Owens F1/c
    Second Row - Lloyd Dean MoMM1/c - Manual Moreno F1/c - Martin Naylor MoMM2/c
    Front Row - John E Birkes MoMM3/c - John P. Lockard Ltjg Engineering Officer     		Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 125k USS LCI(G)-346 partial crew photo, 1945 off Iwo Jima.
    Back Row (left to right) - Paul Moyer - John Siler - George C. Martin GM1/c
    Front Row - unknown GM3/c - Leonard Stevenson GM3/c - (?) Smisel GM3/c.    		 Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 49k USS LCI(G)-346 partial crew photo, July 1945.
    Back Row (left to right) - John E. Birkes MoMM3/c - Manual Moreno F1/c - Leonard Stevenson GM3/c
    Front Row - Martin Naylor MoMM2/c - Ralph E. Gallant MoMM1/c - Lloyd Dean MoMM1/c - Frank Cattcrn MoMM3/c.    		 Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 67k USS LCI(G)-346 Ralph E. Gallant MoMM1/c - Edward Chernetsky SH1/c and Leonard Stevenson GM3/c. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 116k USS LCI(G)-346 two crew photos, 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(G)-346 116k
    LCI(G)-346 122k
    LCI(G)-346 231k USS LCI(G)-346 bridge 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
    The history for USS LCI(L)-346 / LCI(G)-346 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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 28 August 2009