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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by ENCS Jerry Patterson USN Ret. LCU-1624

Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-56
ex
 Landing Craft Utility - LCU-646 (1956 - 1966)
 Landing Craft Ship - LSU-646 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank - LCT(6)-646 (1944 - 1949)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Juliet - Victor
 NJJV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 6 June 1944, Normandy)
Second Row - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Third Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Fourth Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (12)
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation - Vietnam Campaign Medal

YFU-56 was transferred to Cambodia
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6) / YFU-1 Class Harbor Utility Craft:
  • Laid down, 4 January 1944, at Bison Shipbuilding Corp, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
  • Launched, 27 January 1944
  • Delivered, 30 January 1944
  • During World War II LCT(6)-646 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation , 3 May to 30 June 1945
  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LCT(6)-646 came under the command of:
    LCT Flotilla Twenty-Nine, LCDR E. D .Gasson USNR;
     LCT Group Eighty-Five, LT. G. S. Renfield USNR
  • Redesignated Landing Craft Utility LSU-646 in 1949
  • Redesignated Landing Craft Utility LCU-646, 15 April 1956
  • Reclassified Harbor Utility Craft YFU-56, 1 March 1966
  • During the Vietnam War YFU-56 participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967     		Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 February to 8 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 June to 31 October 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 1 April 1968     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 April to 30 June 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    1 May to 30 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 July to 1 November 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969     		Consolidation I
    1 July to 30 September 1971
  • Placed out of service, date unknown
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, loaned/leased to Cambodia, 1 June 1972
    LCT MK6 Specifications:
    Displacement 143 to 160 t.(lt), 309 to 320 t.(fl)
    Length 119' 1" (ovl.)
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft
    limiting 3' 9"
    maximum navigation 5'
    Speed 10 kts.
    Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
    Complement
    1 officer
    12 enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
    Armament
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    four .50 cal. machine guns
    Armor
    wheelhouse 20lbs
    gun shields 10lbs
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 80 Bbls
    Propulsion
    three Grey Marine 6-71 Diesel engines
    two Diesel-drive 10Kw 120V. D.C. Ships' Service Generators
    three propellers, 675shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    LCT-646
    LST-853 156k USS LST-853 with LCT(6)-646 secured to her main deck. LST-853 loaded LCT-646 at Seattle, WA. on 10 March 1945 and launched the LCT on 11 may 1945 at Okinawa.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NM 84669 courtesy D. M. McPherson, 1976.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    YFU-56
    LCT-646 25k YFU-56 underway off the coast of Chu La, South Vietnam, 1969. Tom Lanagan YFU-79
    There is no history for LCT(6)-646 LSU-646 / LCU-646 / YFU-56 available at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    World War II LCT Flotillas
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Craft Tank (LCT) Photo Index Back To The Yard and District Craft Type Index Back To The Harbor Utility Craft (YFU) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 29 June 2018