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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-89


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Hotel - Golf
 NDHG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom. left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 6 June 1944) - Coast Guard Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

USS LCI(L)-89 was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 26 October 1942, at Consolidated Steel Corp., Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 30 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-89, 3 February 1943, LT. Edison M. Fabian, USCGR in command
  • During World War II LCI(L)-89 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater:
    Mediterranean LCI Flotilla Four; LCI Group Twenty-Nine flagship;
    Normandy LCI Flotilla Ten and participated in the following campaigns:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation
    Tunisian operation, 1 June to 9 July 1943     		Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943
    Proceeding to England in November 1943, she underwent maneuvers off southern England, departing for Normandy June 5, 1944
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • From 7 June to 20 July 1944, USS LCI(L)-89 directed traffic off the coast off Normandy
  • From 21 July to 15 August 1944 she was engaged in ferrying troops from Weymouth, to the Normandy coast
  • From 15 August to 16 September 1944 she escorted landing craft from England to France
  • USS LCI(L)-89 departed Falmouth, England for Charleston, S.C, 5 October 1944, arriving 27 October 1944
  • From 27 November to 21 December 1944 underwent overhaul and crew training
  • Designated LCI Group 104, 21 December 1945 and proceeded to Little Creek, for amphibious training at Solomons Island until 1 January 1945
  • Departed Norfolk, 2 January 1945 for San Diego, via Key West and Canal Zone, arriving, 1 February 1945
  • Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, USS LCI(L)-89 departed for San Diego, via Key West and Canal Zone, 2 January 1945, arriving 1 February 1945
  • USS LCI(L)-89 underwent amphibious training and ships' repair at the Naval Repair Base until 20 April 1945
  • Departed San Diego, 20 April 1945, for Saipan via Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok and Guam, arriving 1 June 945 for submarine escort duties
  • Departed Saipan for Eniwetok, 2 July 1945, for inter-island ferry duty until 25 November 1945
  • Departed Eniwetok via Pearl Harbor for San Diego, arriving 19 December 1945.
  • Decommissioned, 7 March 1946, at San Diego, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 3 November 1947, for disposal
  • USS LCI(L)-89 earned four battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 236 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 knots; 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 860 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)-89 471k USS LCI(L)-89 underway in July 1943, location unknown.
    Photo from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter Elsie Item, July 2011 issue.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-89 175k USS LCI(L)-89 underway, date and location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office    		 Mike Green
    LCI(L)-89 110k USS LCI(L)-89 crew photo just prior to leaving for Normandy, early June 1944 Wayne Caldwell USS LCIL)-89 / USS LCI(L)-320
    LCI(L)-89 123k USS LCI(L)-89 and USS LCI(L)-492 wait in a British port to load troops for the Invasion of Normandy, circa May-June 1944.
    US Army photo # USA C-1113    		 Gerd Matthes
    LCI(L)-89/93 105k USS LCI(L)-89 and USS LCI(L)-93 waiting to load US Army soldiers to carry them to the Normandy beachhead, circa 5 June 1944 Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-492 250k USS LCI(L)-90 USS LCI(L)-83, USS LCI(L)-85 and USS LCI(L)-492 in a British port while loading troops for D-Day (Normandy), circa 4-5 June 1944.
    Photo from USS LCI National Association's newsletter "The Elsie Item", March 2010 issue    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-89 76k USS LCI(L)-89 underway in the English Channel, circa June 1944 Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-89 86k On the bridge USS LCI(L)-89 off the Normandy beachhead, 6 June 1944. Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 82k The Normandy Invasion fleet as seen from USS LCI(L)-89 off the Normandy beachhead, 6 June 1944. Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 74k BM1/c William D. Elder aboard USS LCI(L)-89. The flags displayed on the conning tower behind BM1/c Elder signify the 89’s participation in the invasions of Sicily and Salerno, and the stars signify the seven crew members of a B-24 that the ship rescued after the bomber went down in the ocean off of Cape Bon, Tunisia. Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 81k USS LCI(L)-89 crew members (left to right) Wayne Leidy, Bill Elder and Bob Herring servicing one of the ships' 20mm gun mounts. Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 624k USS LCI(L)-89s' 1943 Thanksgiving menu. Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 1263k Newspaper article about BM1/c William D. Elders' service aboard USS LCI(L)-89 Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 550k USS LCI(L)-89 and flotilla officers, date and location unknown.
    Front row (l to r) John Gernet, Stuart McLaren (Engineering Officer of 89), (first name not remembered) Nelson (Flotilla Engineering Officer) Standing (l to r): LT. John Daughtery (Commanding Officer of 89), (first name not remembered) Scott. Absent from photo is the Flotilla Commander LCDR Hobson.    		 Tim McLaren for his father LTjg. Stuart McLaren, USCG LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 551k "Belle of the Beach" painted on the conning tower of USS LCI(L)-89 Tim McLaren for his father LTjg. Stuart McLaren, USCG LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 21k USS LCI(L)-89's first stowaway puppy "Blackout" boarded the ship on his own at Falmouth, England, while the ship was preparing for the Normandy invasion. The first Blackout rode out the D-Day invasion on USS LCI(L)-89 and had to be "reassigned" to an Army platoon at a temporary air strip in France after the sea air started affecting his hide.
    US Coast Guard photo.    		 Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 55k USS LCI(L)-89 crew photo including "Blackout" being held by LT. Piper. Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 204k "Blackout" in his lifejacket ready for sea aboard USS LCI(L)-89. The lifejacket was made for him by BM1 Bill Elder.
    US Coast Guard photo and a photo that appeared in the "Philadelphia Inquirer", September 17 1944.    		 Submitted by Jim Finkler for William D. Elder, BM1/c USCG USS LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 133k
    LCI(L)-89 353k USS LCI(L)-89's second stowaway puppy. As Stuart McLaren tells the story, the dog belonged to the base commander at San Diego and "in-voluntarily" stowed away when they headed to the South Pacific. "Blackout" was a morale booster for the 89 crew and was sometimes loaned to other ships in the flotilla. When the 89 approached the dock in San Diego when they returned, the dog jumped off and took off running. He obviously knew he was home. Tim McLaren for his father LTjg. Stuart McLaren, USCG LCI(L)-89
    LCI(L)-89 367k USS LCI(L)-89 underway probably in the Marianas, circa 1945. Tim McLaren for his father LTjg. Stuart McLaren, USCG LCI(L)-89
    There is no DANFS history for USS LCI(L)-89 available at NavSource
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Fabian, Edison M.3 February 1943 - ?
    02LT. Daughtery, Johnno dates
    03LTjg. Levin, Harold J.no dates
    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
    US Coast Guard Historian's Office - LCI(L)-89
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 28 March 2014