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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LC(FF)-627
ex
 USS LCI(L)-627 (1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Kilo - Kilo
 NPKK
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
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 8 May 1944, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 2 June 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-627, 9 June 1944, LTjg. M.G. Tammen USNR in command (May 1945)
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Flotilla Flagship LC(FF)-627, 31 December 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-627 / LC(FF)-627 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 an participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 17 to 19 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 25 March to 14 June 1945

  • Decommissioned in March 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LC(FF)-627 earned two battle stars for World War II service and the Presidential Unit Citation for operations at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945
  • 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
    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 130 tons, lube oil 200 gal.
    Propulsion
    two sets of 4 GM Diesels, 4 per shaft, BHP 1,600
    twin variable pitch propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCI(L)-627 58k USS LC(FF)-627 with CDR. Malanaphy aboard, rushes to the aid of the badly damaged USS LCI(G)-473 which was dead in the water and needed to be towed away from the beach at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945.
    US National Archives image.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-627 49k From right to left; USS LC(FF)-627, USS LCI(G)-442 and USS LCI(G)-422, coming into position for a rocket attack on the western Okinawa beaches on 1 April 1945.
    Action Report of LCI(G)-442, dated 27 July 1945:
    "1 April 1945: CTG 52.17 was aboard USS LC(FF)-627 which acted as guide until the line of departure was reached. CTU 52.17.2 aboard LCI(G)-442 then took command of Task Unit. USS LCI(G)-422 was the second ship in the column following astern of USS LCI(G)-442 and USS LCI(G)-565. This three column ship formation then proceeded to assault the beach firing their 40mm, 20mm and 4.5" rockets. After this initial assault the LVT's headed towards the beach in three waves."
    Photo from the USS LCI Association 2007 calendar, courtesy Bill Ringle. A US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Photo contributed by Ardie Hunt
    Caption contributed by Darrell Allison
    LCI(L)-627 70k USS LC(FF)-627, CDR. Michael J. Malanaphy's flagship of Flotilla Three, heads for her D-2 position at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945. Photographed from USS Halligan (DD-584).
    Also present are USS LCI(M)-633, Another LCI, an AGC and USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) at right.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-K-3527 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Photo - Robert Morrissey
    Caption Ardie Hunt and Mike Green
    The history for USS LCI(L)-627 / LC(FF)-627 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 13 September 2019