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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-488


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Tango - Charlie
NQTC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal



USS LCI(L)-488 was leased to the United Kingdom in November 1944 for the duration of World War II
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, September 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, October 1943
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-488, 30 October 1943
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-488 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

  • Decommissioned, and leased to the United Kingdom, 20 November 1944
  • Returned to US Navy custody, 13 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-488 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the State Department and sold, 13 February 1948
  • 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
    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 kts; and 110 tons of fuel
    Armament
    five single 20mm gun mounts, 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)-488
    1015048804
    TL 116142169
    236k USS LCI(L)-488 underway, probably during builders trials in October 1943 off the coast of New Jersey.
    TimeLife_images 116142169, 116142161, and 116142167 by Wallace Kirkland. TimeLife. Life Magazine.
    1015048804, 1015048806, 1015048806, David Upton
    1015048801 Kathryn V. Esau Hilton and Don Hilton in memory of John Jacob Esau, Cox. USNR USS LCI(L)-488
    LCI(L)-488
    1015048805
    TL 116142161
    321k
    LCI(L)-488
    1015048806
    TL 116142167
    227k
    LCI(L)-488
    1015048801
    78k
    LCI(L)-87 215k USS LCI(L)-488 and USS LCI(L)-87 beached, probably at Slapton Sands, England, during the spring of 1944 while preparing for the Invasion of Normandy.
    US Coast Guard photo from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office
    Mike Green
    LCI(L)-488 83k USS LCI(L)-488 landing infantry at Normandy, June 1944. Ron Reeves
    LCI(L)-488
    1015048803
    156k Ensign flown from USS LCI(L)-488 on D-Day at Omaha Beach Landing.
    US Naval History and Heritage Accession photo # NHHC 1978-74-A
     

    The history for USS LCI(L)-488 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

    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 July 2021