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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-59
ex
 Landing Craft Utility - LCU-776 (1956 - 1966)
 Landing Craft Ship - LSU-776 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank - LCT(6)-776 (1943 - 1949)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Presidential Unit Citation
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation (1 July 1971 - 30 April 1972) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (12)
Fourth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation - Vietnam Campaign Medal
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6):
  • Laid down, 26 November 1943, at Mount Vernon Bridge Co., Mount Vernon, OH.
  • Launched, 30 December 1943
  • Delivered, 31 December 1943
  • During World War II LCT(6)-776 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign;

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Date
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 June 1944
  • Redesignated Landing Ship Utility LSU-776 in 1949
  • Redesignated Landing Craft Utility LCU-776, 15 April 1956
  • Redesignated Harbor Utility Craft (S-P) YFU-59 in 1966
  • During the Vietnam War YFU-59 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, 1 January 1973
  • LCT(6)-776 earned one battle star for World War II service and as YFU-59 earned twelve campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in July 1973 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS)
    LCT 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 Contributed
    By
    LCT(6)-776
    LCT-776 66k LCT(6)-776 either abandoned or disabled in mid-channel off the beaches at Normandy, 7 June 1944. She was possibly taken in tow by HM LCT-861 and returned to Portsmouth, U,K. Photo taken from HM LCT-861. Tony Chapman, Official Archivist/Historian LST and Landing Craft Association (Royal Navy)
    LST-357 105k LCT(6)-776 loaded on the deck of USS LST-357 delivering supplies to the beach on Tinian, Marianas Islands, circa late 1945.
    Photo from Frank Piet.    		 John Clingman
    YFU-59
    LCT-776
    1018077603    		 66k In the background YFU-59 is moored in the Small Craft Repair Facility, Da Nang, South Vietnam, 13 November 1969. Gary Mcintosh on his 20th birthday. Gary Mcintosh
    YF-866 844k Kodiak (YF-866), YFU-59 and YFU-57 at Nha Be, South Vietnam, 5 February 1972. © Richard Leonhardt
    LCT-776 42k Seabee Team 0321 loads out equipment over the beach at Ham Tan, Binh Tuy Province as the last Seabee Team in Vietnam prepares to leave. YFU 59 transported the equipment to Vung Tau where it was prepared for shipment to 31NCR (Port Hueneme, CA.) for overhaul. A Seabee Team was a specialized 13 man team...1 officer (ENS. of LTjg.) and 12 enlisted. The number designation indicates (03) their parent battalion was MCB-3 (21) indicates they were the 21st Team fielded by MCB-3. During the early days of the Vietnam War, Seabee Teams served primarily the Special Forces building their base camps...from 1967 on they were primarily served a Civic Action role building for and training construction trades in local villages and hamlets.
    Photo from Seabee Team Deployment Completion Report.    		 Terry Lukanic
    There is no history for LCT(6)-776 / LSU-776 / LCU-776 / YFU-59 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
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Brownwater Navy in Vietnam Web Book
    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
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    Last Updated 7 January 2022