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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LCI(L)-979


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Zulu - Kilo
 NYZK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
  • Laid down, 21 March 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 14 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LCI(L)-979, 10 May 1944
  • During World War II USS LCI(L)-979 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western New Guinea operations
    Morotai landings, 15 September 1944     		Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines
    Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 16 October to 29 November 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS LCI(L)-979 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following period:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    8 September to 16 December 19458 September to 16 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register in 1946
  • USS LCI(L)-979 earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold, 7 November 1946
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 236 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 knots; 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
    Diesel 860 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)-979
    1015097901    		 171k USS LCI(L)-979 underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from USS LCI National Association's newsletter, the "Elsie Item", March 1998.    		 Ardie Hunt
    LCI(L)-979
    1015097902    		 284k USS LCI(L)-979 lands the US Army Troop B, 2nd Brigade, 7th Cavalry. Regiment., 1st Cavalry Division., on Babatngon Beach, Leyte Island in the Philippine Islands, 24 October 1944.
    US National Archives Identifier 80662408, US Army Signal Corps photo # 260679    		 David Upton
    LCI(L)-731 78k Decommissioned LCI's moored at Naval Station Long Beach, CA., circa 1946. Ships that can be identified include LCI(L)-881, LCI(L)-731, LCI(L)-980, LCI(L)-979, and LCI(L)-637.
    Photo by The Inman Co., Long Beach, CA.    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    The history for USS LCI(L)-979 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 by David W. Almond and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 5 February 2021