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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-218


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Victor - Delta
 NBVD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal

USS LCI(L)-218 was transferred to the United Kingdom in October for the duration of World War II
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large): Laid down in 1942 at George Lawley & Sons Corp., Neponset, MA.
  • Launched in 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-218, 18 November 1942
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-218 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation
    Tunisian operations, 27 March to 9 July 1943     		West coast of Italy operations-1944
    Anzio-Nettuno advanced landing 22 January to 1 March 1944
    Sicilian occupation
    9 to 15 July 1943     		Invasion of Normandy
    6 to 25 June 1944
    Salerno landings
    9 to 21 September 1943     		 

  • Decommissioned, and leased to the United Kingdom, 28 October 1944
  • Returned to US Naval custody, 2 April 1947
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-218 earned five battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the State Department for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold, 13 February 1948, 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 Contributed
    By
    LCI(L)-218 13k From left to right:
    USS LCI(L)-217,
    USS LCI(L)-218,
    USS LCI(L)-219 and
    USS LCI(L)-215 nested together while moored in North Africa, circa 1943.
    Black and white photo courtesy of Shane Miracle in memory of his grandfather who served aboard USS LCI(L)-217. Color version courtesy Ken Adair, Sr.    		 Robert G. Morrissey
    LCI(L)-218 75k
    LCI(L)-218 1976k From left to right, front row:
    USS LCI(L)-218,
    USS LCI(L)-35,
    USS LCI(L)-14,
    USS LCI(L)-326,
    USS LCI(L)-88,
    USS LCI(L)-91 and
    USS LCI(L)-229
    From left to right back row:
    USS LCI(L)-2,
    USS LCI(L)-90,
    USS LCI(L)-320,
    USS LCI(L)-16,
    USS LCI(L)-3,
    USS LCI(L)-213,
    USS LCI(L)-321,
    USS LCI(L)-4,
    USS LCI(L)-86,
    USS LCI(L)-212,
    USS LCI(L)-217,
    USS LCI(L)-8,
    USS LCI(L)-83 and
    USS LCI(L)-94, massed at Bizerte, Tunisia, 6 July 1943 while loading troops for the invasion of Sicily. Note the Army troops loading onto LCI(L)-14.
    US Army Signal Corps photo # 176486, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Dave Kerr
    LCI(L)-218 208k Cropped from photo # 1015021802
    LCI(L)-218,
    LCI(L)-35,
    LCI(L)-14,
    LCI(L)-320,
    LCI(L)-16,
    LCI(L)-3, and
    LCI(L)-213 at Bizerte, Tunisia, 6 July 1943 in preparation for the invasion of Sicily.
    Photo from Time Life Books, The Italian Campaign appeared in the The Elsie Item, Issue # 46, October 2003.    		 Ardie Hunt courtesy Stan Galik, for his father Stanley Galik, SC2/c, USS LCI(L)-35
    LCI(L)-9 95k From left to right:
    LCI(L)-218,
    USS LCI(L)-35,
    USS LCI(L)-231,
    USS LCI(L)-9,
    HM LCI(L)-104,
    USS LCI(L)-215,
    USS LCI(L)-213 and
    USS LST-197 at Pozzuoli Bay, Port of Nisida in February 1944, after the Anzio operations. The LCIs had proceeded to Pozzuoli Bay after various exercises and then proceeded to beach on "Ranger" beach during the Anzio operation in January 1944. Note: COMFLOTONE commodore's barge near the open doors LST-197.    		 Tim Hummel for his father Roy D. Hummel MoMM2/c USN, USS LCI(L)-9 Flotilla 11 and Stan Galik, for his father Stanley Galik, SC2/c, USS LCI 35, courtesy Guiseppi Peluso
    The history for LCI(L)-218 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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 2 February 2018