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USS LCI(R)-644
ex
 USS LCI(L)-644 (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - November - Tango
 NPNT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 31 May 1944, at New Jersey Ship Building, Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 29 June 1944,
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-644, 7 July 1944
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Rocket) LCI(R)-644, 15 March 1945
  • During WWII USS LCI(L)-644 / LCI(R)-644 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    LCI Flotilla Sixteen, CDR. C. E. Coffin USN (27);
     LCI Group Forty-Six, LCDR, A. F. Eckelmeyer USNR;
     LCI Division Ninety-Two and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 25 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 29 March to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS LCI(R)-644 performed occupation duty in the Far East from 5 September to 7 October 1945
  • Decommission, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(L)-644 / LCI(R)-644 earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 1 April 1946, for disposal
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 216 t.(light), 234 t.(landing); 389 t.(loaded)
    Length 158' 5 1/2"
    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
    3 Officers
    21 Enlisted
    LCI(R) Complement
    3 Officers
    31 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
    four single 20mm guns one forward, one amidship, two aft
    two .50 cal machine guns
    LCI(R) Armament
    one 40mm bow mounted gun mount
    four 20mm guns
    two .50 cal machine guns
    six 5" rocket launchers
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 935 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(L)-697 70k USS LCI(L)-644 at San Diego, date unknown. Other ships in the photo include USS LCI(L)-789 and USS LCI(L)-697. Mike Owens for his father-in-law William. R. Beattie MoMM USS LCI(L)-697
    LCI(L)-644 15k USS LCI(R)-644 off Okinawa, date unknown.
    US National Archives image.    		 Bill Brinkley
    LCI(L)-644 60k USS LCI(R)-644 off Okinawa with rockets filling her Mk 7 launchers abaft the forward 40mm gun, abaft the forward 20mm guns at the fore end of her deckhouse, and just forward of the after 20mm gun. The battleship in the background is USS Nevada (BB-36), recognizable by her funnel extension. Of the two LCIs present in the photo only USS LCI-1020 (off Nevada's bow) can be identified.
    US Navy photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    LCI(L)-1024 60k USS LCI(R)-644 underway in column with other LCIs, date and location unknown. Patrick Burrow for his father Dean Burrow F1/c USS LCI(L)-1024
    LCI(L)-1024 71k USS LCI(R)-644 and USS LCI(R)-650 and several unidentified LCI(R)s firing rockets, probably at Okinawa, date unknown. Patrick Burrow for his father Dean Burrow F1/c USS LCI(L)-1024
    LCI(L)-1024
    1015102450    		 98k Chart of all LCI(R) rocket targets which bombarded the North and South flanks of the main amphibious landing on L-Day of Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. These LCI(R)s belonged to Flotilla SIXTEEN (CDR C.E. Coffin, Jr), referred to as Task Group 52.20, and comprised of 6 Task Groups, each in turn comprised of 6 LCI(R)s (for 36 LCIR)s total):
    South Flank:
    52.20.1 - USS LCI(R)-642, USS LCI(R)-650, USS LCI(R)-707, USS LCI(R)-771, USS LCI(R)-772, USS LCI(R)-1077;
    52.20.2 - USS LCI(R)-651, USS LCI(R)-708, USS LCI(R)-1028, USS LCI(R)-1029, USS LCI(R)-1030, USS LCI(R)-1078;
    In Reserve:
    52.20.3 - USS LCI(R)-643, USS LCI(R)-644, USS LCI(R)-645, USS LCI(R)-646, USS LCI(R)-769, USS LCI(R)-770.
    North Flank:
    52.20.4 - USS LCI(R)-647, USS LCI(R)-648, USS LCI(R)-649, USS LCI(R)-762, USS LCI(R)-763, USS LCI(R)-764;
    52.20.5 - USS LCI(R)-785, USS LCI(R)-1024, USS LCI(R)-1026, USS LCI(R)-1068, USS LCI(R)-1069, USS LCI(R)-1070;
    52.20.6 - USS LCI(R)-704, USS LCI(R)-705, USS LCI(R)-706, USS LCI(R)-765, USS LCI(R)-766, USS LCI(R)-767;     		LCDR. Gary Frogner, USN Ret. for his father ENS. Louis Frogner, USNR Engineering Officer LCI(R)-1024
    The history for USS LCI(L)-644 / LCI(R)-644 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 15 January 2021