Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(G)-346
ex
 USS LCI(L)-346 (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Victor - November
 NJVN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima) - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
 Individual Awards

Navy Cross (LT. Harry L. Gruver, USNR, CO LCI(G)-346)
LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 31 October 1942, at Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, TX.
  • Launched 3 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-346, 25 January 1943
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Guns) LCI(G)-346, 15 June 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-346 / LCI(G)-346 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCI Flotilla Three CDR. R. Eikel Jr. USNR;
    LCI Group Nine, LCDR. C. J. Starkus USN (Ret);
    LCI Division Eighteen and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Marshall Islands operations
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation; Iwo Jima, 17 February to 16 March 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 20 June to 16 July 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 17 to 21 July 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 to 30 June 1945
    Tinian capture and occupation, 10 and 24 to 28 July 1944  

  • Decommissioned, circa February-March 1946, at New Orleans, LA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • LCI(L)-346 / LCI(G)-346 received five 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
  • Final Disposition, sold, 1 December 1946. 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
    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(G)-346
    1015034602     		288k USS LCI(G)-346 underway while serving as a press boat during the Iwo Jima campaign (17 February to 16 March 1945). News and pictures of the battle for Iwo Jima reached the US only a few hours after Marines had landed on the bleak island. One of the chief reasons for this speedy service was the LCI's assigned by the Navy to dash from ship to ship to pick up copy from war correspondents. Despite heavy Japanese fire, the press boats rushed the copy to a communications ship from which it was sent to Guam and San Francisco by radio or airplane. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret. USCG USS LCI(G)-346 and
    James Bass
    LSM-242 97k USS LSM-242 and USS LST-809 with USS LCI(G)-346 secured to her port side, beached at Iwo Jima, circa 19 February 1945 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LCI(G)-346 158k USS LCI(G)-346 stands off Iwo Jima with a Japanese POW on board to use the ships PA system to urge Japanese soldiers on the island around the foot of Mount Suribatchi to surrender. The POW is sitting under the 20mm gun conning tower deflector. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 174k USS LCI(G)-346 stands off Iwo Jima while Japanese POW urges Japanese soldiers on the island around the foot of Mount Suribatchi to surrender. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-345/346 79k USS LCI(G)-346 and USS LCI(G)-345 entering ABSD-1 at Guam after the Iwo Jima landings, circa May 1945. LCI(G)-346 sustained several hits and lost her mast. USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association
    Courtesy Leonard Martin USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(L)-348 138k USS LCI(G)-346 and USS LCI(G)-348 departing USS ABSD-1 at Guam, Marianas Islands. These were initial Central Pacific conversions, recognizable by the square gun tub forward of the bridge. They had two single 40 AA mm guns forward plus three 20 mm in the usual positions atop the superstructure and right aft), six 0.50" Cal. machine guns, and ten Mk 7 rocket launchers. USS LCI(L)-346 was a press boat for the Iwo Jima operation, rushing copy from war correspondents aboard ships to a communication ship that radioed it home.
    US Navy photo. Text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 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
    LCI(G)-346 173k USS LCI(G)-346 underway after completing repairs at Guam in May/June 1945. Photo was taken from USS LCI(G)-348. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 81k USS LCI(G)-346 conning tower art. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 149k USS LCI(G)-346 's Commanding Officer LTjg Jerrold Bromberg. LTjg. Bromberg relieved the first CO LT Harry L Gruver after the Iwo Jima campaign, circa June 1945. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 127k USS LCI(G)-346 's Engineering Officer LTjg John Paul Lockard, and Ralph Gallant MoMM1/c, circa July 1945, off Iwo Jima. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 69k USS LCI(G)-346 engineers, 1945 off Iwo Jima.
    Those that can be identified include:
    Back Row (4th Row) left to right - Roger Isaccs Em3/c - Elmer Purzel EM3/c - Frank F. Dragan CMoMM Third Row - Ralph E. Gallant MoMM1/c - John J. Poteat EM3/c - Ralph Owens F1/c
    Second Row - Lloyd Dean MoMM1/c - Manual Moreno F1/c - Martin Naylor MoMM2/c
    Front Row - John E Birkes MoMM3/c - John P. Lockard Ltjg Engineering Officer     		Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 125k USS LCI(G)-346 partial crew photo, 1945 off Iwo Jima.
    Back Row (left to right) - Paul Moyer - John Siler - George C. Martin GM1/c
    Front Row - unknown GM3/c - Leonard Stevenson GM3/c - (?) Smisel GM3/c.    		 Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 49k USS LCI(G)-346 partial crew photo, July 1945.
    Back Row (left to right) - John E. Birkes MoMM3/c - Manual Moreno F1/c - Leonard Stevenson GM3/c
    Front Row - Martin Naylor MoMM2/c - Ralph E. Gallant MoMM1/c - Lloyd Dean MoMM1/c - Frank Cattcrn MoMM3/c.    		 Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-345
    1015034504    		 503k USS LCI(G)-345
    USS LCI(G)-346
    USS LCI(G)-449
    USS LCI(G)-437
    USS LCI(G)-348
    USS LC(FF)-423
    alongside USS Seaward (IX-209) and LCT(6)-1314
    at anchor in the far distant background at Naval Station Guam in July 1945.
    TimeLife_image 115952714 by J. R. Eyerman. Life Magazine. For personal non-commercial use only.     		David Upton
    LCI(G)-346 67k USS LCI(G)-346 Ralph E. Gallant MoMM1/c - Edward Chernetsky SH1/c and Leonard Stevenson GM3/c. Ralph E. Gallant USN Ret / USCG USS LCI(G)-346
    LCI(G)-346 116k USS LCI(G)-346 two crew photos, date and location unknown. 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
    LCI(G)-346 116k
    LCI(G)-346 122k
    LCI(G)-346 231k USS LCI(G)-346 bridge crew, date and location unknown.
    Far right, Grover Barnes.    		 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
    The history for USS LCI(L)-346 / LCI(G)-346 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 and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 18 August 2023