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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(M)-356
ex
USS LCI(G)-356 (1944 - 1945)
USS LCI(L)-356 (1943 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Xray - Xray
NHXX

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - Iwo Jima) - Navy Unit Commendation
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal

LCI(L)-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down, 13 April 1943, at George Lawley & Sons Shipbuilding Corp., Neponset, MA.

Launched, 27 May 1943

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-356, 12 June 1943, LT. E.B. Wicklander, USNR in command (May 1945)

Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Guns), LCI(G)-356 31 December 1944

Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Mortar), LCI(M)-356 30 April 1945

During World War II USS LCI(L)-356 / LCI(G)-356 / LCI(M)-356 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LCI Flotilla Fourteen, CAPT. T. W. Rimer;
LCI Group Forty-Two, LCDR. A. H. Conners USNR; and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Iwo Jima operations Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 3 March 1945 (as *LCI(G)-355*)	Okinawa Gunto operations Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 14 June 1945 (as *LCI(G)-355* and *LCI(M)-355*)

Decommissioned, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS LCI(G)-356 / LCI(M)-356 earned two battle stars for service in WWII in addition to the Navy Unit Commendation for service at Okinawa, 18 May 1945

Final Disposition, sold, 20 January 1947, 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(M) Complement

4 Officers

49 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 guns

four 20mm guns

six .50cal machine guns

10 MK7 rocket launchers

LCI(M) Armament

one single 40mm gun, forward

four 20mm guns

three 4.2" chemical mortars mounted in three 4ft x 4ft wooden walled 2" x 6" high sand boxes on the well deck with the three tripod mortar tubes in position to fire forward over the bow, No. 2 Troop Compartment (under well deck) converted to a magazine

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 869 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

Size	Image Description	Source
398k	USS LCI(M)-356 crew photos. Photos by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson
366k		Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson
67k	USS LCI(L)-356 entering or leaving a floating dry dock at Noumea, New Caledonia, 28 September 1943	Bill Brinkley
108k	USS LCI(L)-356 in the dry dock at Noumea, New Caledonia. Looking down into the dock from the drydock wall. Note the damaged propeller on the floor of the dock. Photos by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c
91k	USS LCI(L)-356 in the dry dock at Noumea, New Caledonia. CPO inspecting the installation of the new port propeller. Photos by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c
82k	View from USS LCI(G)-356 off the invasion beachhead at Iwo Jima, circa 19 February to 3 March 1945. Photos by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c
97k	USS LCI(G)-356 probably off the invasion of Iwo Jima, circa 19 February to 3 March 1945. Photos by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c
218k	USS LCI(M)-356 alongside the grounded and burning *USS Longshaw* (DD-559), 18 May 1945. Longshaw** had run aground off Napa Airfield at Okinawa and was destroyed by Japanese shore batteries. USS LCI(M)-356 was alongside removing the dead and wounded while fighting the fires. Photos by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c
516k		Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c
99k	USS LCI(M)-356 off the invasion beachhead at Okinawa while firing mortars, circa 26 March to 14 June 1945, Photo by David M. Nelson RM/2c USS LCI(M)-356	Robert Morrissey, courtesy David T. Nelson RM2/c