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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Lost to enemy action in January 1969,

Contributed by ENCS Jerry Patterson USN Ret. LCU-1624

Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-62
ex
 Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-21 (? - 1966)
 Landing Craft Utility - LCU-973 (1956 - ?)
 Landing Craft Ship - LSU-973 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank - LCT(6)-973 (1943 - 1949)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (January 1969)
Second Row -Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Fourth Row - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal - Vietnam Campaign Medal
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (8 KIA January 1969)
Landing Craft Tank (Mark 6) / YFU-1 Class Harbor Utility Craft:
  • Laid down, 30 November 1943, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Launched, 2 February 1944
  • Delivered, 4 February 1944
  • During World War II LCT(6)-973 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCT Flotilla Fifteen
     LCT Group Forty-three and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Western New Guinea operation
    Morotai Landings, 15 September 1944
  • Following World War II LCT(6)-973 was assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East from 1 September 1945 to 15 February 1946
  • Placed out of service, date unknown
  • Laid up in reserve
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Utility LSU-973 in 1949
  • Reclassified Landing Craft Utility LCU-973, 15 April 1956
  • Reclassified Harbor Utility Craft YFU-21, date unknown
  • Redesignated Harbor Utility Craft YFU-62, 1 March 1966
  • Reactivated for service in Vietnam, date unknown
  • During the Vietnam War YFU-62 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     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 April to 30 June 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 July to 1 November 1968
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 1 April 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November 1968 to January 1969

  • Final Disposition, sunk by enemy detonated mine on the Cua Viet River just east of Dong Ha, South Vietnam in January 1969 with the loss of 8 US Navy personnel
  • LCT-973(6) earned one battle star for World War II service and as YFU-62 earned six campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 143 to 160 t.(lt), 309 to 320 t.(fl)
    Length 119' 1" (o.a.)
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft 5' (max)
    Speed 10 kts.
    Range 700 nautical miles at 7 kts.
    Complement 14
    Cargo Capacity 150 short tons
    Armament 2 single 20mm AA gun mounts, 4 .50 cal. machine guns
    Armor 20lbs wheelhouse, 10lbs gun shield
    Propulsion 3 Grey Marine Diesels, 3 propellers, Shaft horsepower 225 per shaft

    Photo from the U.S. Nationql Archives and Records Administration - picyl.com
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LCT-973
    1018097306    		 99k Marines stand by a 350-gallon-per-minute fuel pump while waiting for a fuel boat to arrive on the Cua Viet River, South Vietnam. In the background is harbor utility craft YFU-62 and the US Army hopper dredge USACE Hyde, 1 March 1967. John Spivey
    LCT-973 46k The hulk of YFU-62 after being destroyed by a command detonated mine enemy mine on the Cua Viet River, just east of Dong Ha, South Vietnam in January 1969 with the loss of 8 US Navy personnel. Photo taken in August 1969 from YFU-79. Photo by Tom Lanagan YFU-79
    LCT-973 42k The hulk of YFU-62 after being destroyed by a command detonated mine enemy mine on the Cua Viet River just east of Dong Ha, South Vietnam in January 1969 with the loss of 8 US Navy personnel. Photos by Steven Wetzler BM2 Craftmaster YFU-57
    LCT-973 58k
    LCT-973 33k The hulk of YFU-62 after being destroyed by a command detonated mine enemy mine on the Cua Viet River just east of Dong Ha, South Vietnam in January 1969 with the loss of 8 US Navy personnel. Photo by Rick Sherley
    LCT-973 67k YFU-62 sunk in Cua Viet River with (SCFR) Small Craft Repair Facility, Danang diving/salvage craft LCM8-912 alongside for survey and body recovery. 1969 Photo by Rick Sherley
    There is no history for LCT(6)-973 / LSU-973 / LCU-973 / YFU-62 available at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Brownwater Navy in Vietnam Web Book
    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
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 21 June 2024