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USS LCI(R)-646
ex
 USS LCI(L)-646 (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - India - Yankee
 NVIY
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 (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 2 June 1944, at New Jersey Ship Building Corp. Barber, N.J.
  • Launched, 3 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-646, 10 July 1944
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Rocket) LCI(R)-646, 15 March 1945
  • During World War II USS LCI(R)-646 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    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 campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 30 June 1945
  • Following World War II USS LCI(R)-646 performed occupation duty in the Far East from 2 to 25 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, at Tomkinsville, Staten Island New York in February 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LCI(R)-646 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 8 January 1947
  • Registered in 1947 as the passenger vessel Normandy in New York City
  • Registered in 1954 as Gotham in New York City
  • Name changed in 1956 to Knickerbocker II
  • Name changed in 1961 to Day Line II
  • Name changed in 1963 to Circle Line VI
  • Exempt from documentation in 1967
  • 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
    USS LCI(L)-646 / LCI(R)-646
    LCI(L)-646 83k USS LCI(R)-646 at anchor in Leyte Gulf in 1945. Joe R . Fennie USS LCI(R)-646
    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
    Commercial Service
    LCI(L)-646
    1015064602    		 125k Ex-USS LCI(R)-646 in commercial service as the sightseeing boat Normandy, circa 1947-1954, moored pierside at New York City.
    USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association, Newsletter June 1999    		 John Spivey
    LCI(L)-646
    1015064603    		 71k Ex-USS LCI(R)-646 in commercial service as the sightseeing boat Knickerbocker II, circa 1956-1961, moored pierside at New York City.
    USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association, Newsletter June 1999    		 John Spivey
    The history for USS LCI(L)-646 / LCI(R)-646 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
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    This page is created by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 10 November 2023