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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-39


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Papa - Charlie
 NZPC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 26 October 1942, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
  • Launched, 1 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-39, 9 February 1943
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-39 was initially assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle Theater, LCI Flotilla 1 and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 West Coast of Italy operations
    Anzio-Nuttuno advanced landings, 22 January to 6 February 1944
    Elba and Pianosa landings, 17 June 1944
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943 Invasion of Southern France, 15 August to 9 September 1944

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-39 earned four battle stars for WWII service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 10 October 1947, for disposal, fate unknown
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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)-39 58k USS LCI(L)-39 moored, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    LCI(L)-39 72k USS LCI(L)-39 moored, date and location unknown. Lawrence W. Smith
    LCI(L)-39 127k USS LCI(L)-39 dry docked at Palermo, Sicily, date unknown. Lawrence W. Smith
    LCI(L)-39 82k Moroccan troops aboard landing craft at Porto Vecchio, Corsica, going to Elbe, 16 June 1944;
    USS LCI(L)-39,
    USS LCI(L)-237 and
    USS LCI(L)-221    		 Ed Storey
    LCI(L)-237
    1015023706    		 223k Another view of Moroccan troops aboard landing craft at Porto Vecchio, Corsica, going to Elbe, 16 June 1944 USS LCI(L)-39,
    USS LCI(L)-237,
    USS LCI(L)-221
    and not visible, USS LCI(L)-76
    U.S Army Pictorial Service photo # MM-44-1451    		 Thierry de Villeneuve la Colette
    LCI(L)-20 115k HMS LCI(L)-274
    USS LCI(L)-20 and
    USS LCI(L)-39
    beached while landing assault troops at Anzio, 22 January 1944. USS LCI(L)-20 suffered a direct hit by a German bomb aft of midships and was abandoned. Photo courtesy Gordon Smith QM1/c USS LCI(L)-43 to the USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-39 114k USS LCI(L)-39 in Anzio harbor unloading men, with USS LST-352 alongside unloading vehicles, date unknown. Robert Hurst
    LCI-943 114k LCIs moored at Bizerte, Tunisia, circa May 1944 (from left to right):
    USS LCI(L)-952,
    USS LCI(L)-39,
    USS LCI(L)-592,
    USS LCI(L)-595,
    USS LCI(L)-943,
    USS LCI(L)-529,
    USS LCI(L)-47, and
    USS LCI(L)-526    		 Photo by Robert W. Van Keuren CO USS LCI(L)-665
    LCI(L)-39 1793k USS LCI(L)-39,
    USS LCI(L)-48,
    USS LCI(L)-44 and
    USS LCI(L)-188, load French Colonial 9th Infantry Division troops at Porto Vecchio, Corsica, 16 June 1944, for the Invasion of Elba, 17 June 1944. Note the censorship of the radars.
    US Army Signal Corps photo # SC 329865, by Gann, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    The history for USS LCI(L)-39 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 23 February 2024