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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(G)-441
ex
 USS LCI(L)-441 (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Zulu - Whiskey
 NKZW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Iwo Jima)
Second Row - Presidential Unit Commendation - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Individual Awards

Navy Cross (LTjg. Forrest W. Bell, USNR, CO LCI(G)-441)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 30 April 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 20 July 1943
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-441, 7 August 1943
  • Designation changed to Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-441, 15 June 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-441 / LCI(G)-441 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI(G) Flotilla Three and
     LCI(G) Flotilla Six, CDR. CDR. A. R. Montgomery USN;
     LCI Group Sixteen, LCDR. R. S. Richabaugh, USNR;
     LCI Division Sixteen and participated in the following campaigns;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 to 26 February 1944
    Capture and occupation of Tinian
    24 July to 1 August 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 20 June to 16 July 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 17 to 21 July 1944     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 17 to 21 February 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(G)-441 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 4 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold, 13 December 1946, fate unknown.
  • USS LCI(L)-441 / LCI(G)-441 received four 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 amidships, 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 General Motors Diesel engines, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600
    twin variable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-441
    1015044105    		 144k USS LCI(L)-441 beached on Coronado Island, CA., circa October 1943, while assigned to the Training Command Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet.
    Colorized frame from a short film called "The LCI (L) Description and Employment" National Archives I.D. 13007, Local ID 80-MN-4308A, Dept. of the Navy. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Naval Observatory.    		 Dvid Upton
    LCI(G)-449 65k LCI(G)'s of Flotilla 3 Group 8 form a column as they prepare to attack Iwo Jima in support of UDT operations, 17 February 1945. Closest to furthest;
    USS LCI(G)-474 (sunk during the operation),
    USS LCI(G)-438,
    USS LCI(G)-449,
    USS LCI(G)-441 and
    USS LCI(G)-457    		 Dennis Blocker II for his grandfather Cliff Lemke S1/c USS LCI(G)-449
    LCI(L)-441 245k USS LCI(G)-441 approaching USS Nevada (BB-36) to transfer her dead and wounded. LCI(G)-441 was hit by Japanese artillery at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945.
    US National Archives photo #80-G-307124, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, from the USS LCI National Association's newsletter, "Elsie Item", February 2015 issue    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-441 40k An after action photo of USS LCI(G)-441, one of the eleven ships of LCI Flotilla three, Group 8, which were all hit while giving covering fire for Underwater Demolition Teams checking out Iwo Jima's beaches for the invasion on 19 February 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Vaughn Hampton
    LCI(L)-441 172k USS LCI(G)-441, alongside USS Nevada (BB-36) recovering the dead (S1/c J.R. Scott of Macon, GA. killed at his GQ station) and wounded crew members after being hit by enemy fire off the invasion beaches of Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 65317    		 Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-441 1318k USS LCI(G)-441, transferring dead and wounded to USS Nevada (BB-36) after the 17 February 1945 action at Iwo Jima protecting the UDTs reconnoitering the seven landing beaches prior to the 19 February landings.
    Photo from photo from the USS LCI National Association's 2009 calendar is a US Navy photo from the US National Archives, courtesy Dennis Blocker    		 Ardie Hunt
    The history for USS LCI(L)-441 / LCI(G)-441 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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 27 October 2023