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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(G)-472
ex
USS LCI(L)-472 (1943 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Quebec - Alpha
NQQA

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 (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippine Liberation Medal

LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down, 22 August 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.

Launched, 24 September 1943

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-472, 2 October 1943, LT. A. H. Rudge USNR in command (May 1945)

Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-472, 15 June 1944

During World War II USS LCI(L)-472 / LCI(G)-472 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LCI Flotilla Thirteen (the Black Cats) (1944)
LCI Flotilla Six, CDR. A.R. Montgomery USN; (May 1945)
LCI Group Eighteen, LCDR. E.L. Yates;
LCI Division Thirty-Four and participated in the following campaigns

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 14 July to 5 August 1944	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landing, 9 January 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 October 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 1 June 1945

Decommissioned, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, 1946

Sold, 22 November 1946

USS LCI(G)-472 earned four battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Specifications:
Displacement 246 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

LCI(L) Complement

4 Officers

24 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

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

LCI(G) Armament

two 40mm AA gun mounts

four 20mm AA gun mounts

six .50cal machine guns

ten MK7 rocket launchers

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 800 Bbls

lube oil 200 gal

Propulsion

two sets of 4 General Motors 6051 series 71 Diesel engines, 4 per shaft

two Diesel-drive 30Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

twin variable pitch propellers, 2,320shp

Size	Image Description	Source
119k	USS LCI(G)-472 coming alongside *USS New Mexico* (BB-40)** for fuel and water. This happy event generally meant a little fresh food and ice cream. The LCI sailors also enjoyed a brisk trade in Japanese military gear and native items for good things like food, candy bars, and fountain pens with the ship bound BB sailors. US Navy photo from the USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association 2006 calendar.	Ardie Hunt
927k	USS LCI(G)-472 of the Black Cat Flotilla, receiving supplies while alongside *USS New Mexico* (BB-40)** off San Antonio Island in the Bismarck Archipelago, 13 July 1944. US Navy photos from the collections of the US National Archives.	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, and Ardie Hunt
297k
270k
83k	USS LCI(G)-472 laying smoke at Okinawa on L plus 2 days (3 April 1945) to protect the anchored ships from kamikazes. The smoke covered ships were safe from the suicide attacks. Photo courtesy of Bill Ringle and the National Archives. US Navy photo now in the US National Archives from the USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association 2007 calendar.	Ardie Hunt
61k	From right to left: USS LCI(G)-462 USS LCI(G)-454 USS LCI(M)-756 USS LCI(G)-542 USS LCI(G)-464 USS LCI(G)-528 USS LCI(G)-472 USS LCI(G)-565 and USS LCI(M)-951 nested together while moored to a buoy at San Diego, CA., in the summer of 1946. Photo from the USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association 2004 Calendar, courtesy Max Wright, USS LCI(G) 80 and USS LCI(G)-462.	Black and White image - Ardie Hunt Colored image - Mark C. Lea in honor of his grandfather Keith F. Lea CO LCI(G)-542
244k