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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LC(FF)-988
ex
USS LCI(L)-988 (1944)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Alpha - Yankee
NZAY

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Iwo Jima) - China Service Medal (extended) - 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 March 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX.

Launched, 25 April 1944

Commissioned USS LCI(L)-988, 22 May 1944, LT. A.M. Shirey Jr., USNR in command (May 1945)

USS LCI(L)-988 was redesignated Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship) LC(FF)-988, 31 December 1944

During World War II USS LC(FF)-988 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LCS Flotilla Three, (flagship) CAPT. Theodore C. Aylward, USN
LCS Group Seven and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 26 February 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 25 March to 30 June 1945

LC(FF)s were reorganized into a separate Flotilla sometime in 1945 with USS LC(FF)-988 being assigned to:
LC(FF) Flotilla Twenty Three, LCDR. R. H. Brazeal USN;
LC(FF) Group Sixty-Nine, LT. T.T. Brooks USN;
LC(FF) Div One Hundred Thirty-Eight

Following World War II USS LC(FF)-988 was assigned to Occupation and China Service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
2 September to 7 December 1945	8 to 10 December 1945

Decommissioned, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

Sold, 28 December 1946

USS LC(FF)-988 earned two battle stars for World War II service

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

Size	Image Description	Source
326k	USS LC(FF)-988, flagship of Gunboat Support Group 52.5, 12-18 January, near Maui, Hawaiian Islands during a rehearsal for the Iwo Jima invasion which took place in February 1945. Photo from USS LCI National Associations newsletter, "Elsie Item", September 2017 issue.	Ardie Hunt
185k	USS LC(FF)-988 grounded in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, after Typhoon Louise passed over in October 1945.	Scott Madole
279k
250k
216k	*LCS Flotilla Three* officers in their wardroom aboard USS LC(FF)-988, Thanksgiving Day, 1945. LT. Raymond C. Madole is on the left.	Scott Madole
27k	USS LC(FF)-988 at anchored at Aomori Wan, Japan while serving as flagship for *LCS Flotilla 3. She is with USS LCS(L)(3)-36* and USS LCS(L)(3)-35 (cropped from photo). Source - Diary entry of Clarence Libby USS LCS(L)(3)-36 contributed by Kevin Libby "arrived at Hokido this morning early, came through mine fields and channel last night and early this morning. Hokido is about 550 miles from Yokohama. We are to make landings here for occupation when we left Yokohama for this place we were joined by another group, making a total force of 21 L.C.S.’s and three L.C.I.’s, L.C.S.’s are NO. 11, 12, 13, 14,16,17,18,19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 38, 39, 40, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113,. L.C.I’s are 485, 536, 988." September 27th diary entry indicated *LCS(L)(3)-36* anchored in Aomori Wan harbor. Photo courtesy on behalf of Mrs. Francis M. Zachara.	Michael Hollis
304k	USS LC(FF)-988 crewmen trying their hand at fishing, late 1945. From left: Chief Radar Tech. WM. H. Bell, Ensign J.W. Fanz, Chief Signalman J.J. Hrazdil, and Ship's cook W.H. Porter, holding mascot dog Trixie. Photo from the November 2016 issue of the USS LCI National Association's newsletter "Elsie Item".	Ardie Hunt