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 LC(FF)-486
ex
USS LCI(L)-486 (1943 - 1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Sierra - Lima
NQSL

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):

Laid down, 12 September 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.

Launched, 19 October 1943

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-486, 25 October 1943, LTjg. Glenn H. Johnson USNR in command (May 1945)

USS LCI(L)-486 was redesignated Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship) USS LC(FF)-486, 31 December 1944

During World War II USS LCI(L)-486 / LC(FF)-486 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LC(FF) Flotilla Twenty-Three, LCDR. R. H. Brazeal;
LC(FF) Group Sixty-Eight, LT. O. G. Howell;
LC(FF) Division One Hundred Thirty-Five

Following World War II USS LC(FF)-486 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 4 October to 22 December 1945

Grounded by Typhoon Louise at Okinawa, 9 October 1945

While the ship was damaged during the Typhoon, no crew members were lost. However, crew member, Don Bonar, recalls "that when the storm was over they would send someone to get the mail periodically. One time they went to get the mail and a storm came up quickly and the sailor who left never returned. It was believed that he drowned. He also met a man recently who was in the same area at the same time as he was. The other man said that after the storm his job was to help clear the harbor of debris and a mass of floating bodies from the storm."

Decommissioned, date unknown, at Buckner Bay, Okinawa

Struck from the Naval Register, 21 January 1946

Transferred to the State Department, May 1947, for disposal

Final Disposition, 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

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 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

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 130 tons

lube oil 200 gal

Propulsion

two sets of four General Motors Diesel engines, four per shaft, BHP 1,600

twin variable pitch propellers

Size	Image Description	Source
42k	USS LCI(L)-486 beached with two LSMs, date and location unknown.	Ted Gstalder to honor his father Jack (John) Gstalder QM2/c USS LCI(L)-486
48k
142k	USS LC(FF)-486 grounded on a reef during Typhoon Louise at Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 9 October 1945	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486
114k		Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486
131k	USS LC(FF)-486 crew photo, date and location unknown.	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
92k	USS LC(FF)-486 Black Gang, February 1946.	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
89k	Four USS LC(FF)-486 crew members in front of the ship's conning tower displaying the ships logo, date and location unknown. From left to right; unknown Seaman, Edwards, Fireman, Jack Gstalder QM2/c and Barton, Signalman SM/2c.	Ted Gstalder to honor his father Jack (John) Gstalder QM2/c USS LC(FF)-486. Names provided by Allen M. Johnson USS LC(FF)-486
141k	Three USS LC(FF)-486 crew members in front of the ship's conning tower, date and location unknown. From Left to right Don Bonar EM2/c, Walt Reeser MMoM1/c, Jack Gstalder QM2/c.	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
43k	Three USS LC(FF)-486 crew members, date and location unknown.	Don Perry for his father Lloyd Cole Perry USS LC(FF)-486.
85k	Eight USS LC(FF)-486 crew members, date and location unknown. Front row from left to right; Decker, Don Bonar EM/2c, Robert Bosco S2/c. Back row let to right; J. J. Pollack CPO, Gilbert, Jack Gstalter QM/2c, Reeser MM/2c, and unknown.	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
108k	Seven USS LC(FF)-486 crew members, date and location unknown. Front row from left to right; Tate, Russo PHM, Charles Populo SM2/c. Back row left to right; Case, Jack Gstalder QM/2c, unknown, unknown.	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
107k	USS LC(FF)-486 LTjg. Allen M. Johnson at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, circa October-November 1945	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
76k	USS LC(FF)-486 Chief Petty Officer J. J. Polack at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, circa October-November 1945	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
86k	USS LC(FF)-486 Seaman Second Class Robert Bosco at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, circa October-November 1945	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.
72k	USS LC(FF)-486 Charles Populo SM2/c at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, circa October-November 1945	Rick Bonar for his father Don Bonar EM2/c USS LC(FF)-486.