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

Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-63
ex
 Landing Craft Utility - LCU-989 (1956 - 1966)
 Landing Craft Ship - LSU-989 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank - LCT(6)-989 (1944 - 1949)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Oscar - Charlie - Xray
 NOCX
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 - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific 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) / YFU-1 Class Harbor Utility Craft:
  • Laid down, 30 October 1943, at US Navy Yard, Mare Island, CA., 31 December 1943
  • Launched, 24 February 1944
  • Delivered 28 February 1944
  • During World War II LCT(6)-989 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCT Flotilla Thirteen, LCDR. L. L. Tower, USN (21)
     LCT Group Thirty-Eight, LT. K. R. A. Gross, USNR and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation;
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June to 20 July 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 July to 15 August 1944
  • 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
  • Redesignated Harbor Utility Craft YFU-63, 1 March 1966
  • During the Vietnam War YFU-63 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 and sold for scrapping, 1 July 1971
  • LCT(6)-989 earned one battle star for World War II service and as YFU-63 earned twelve campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    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-989 241k An Australian Army 52 ton Centurion tank of the First Armored Regiment (1AR) is being unloaded from YFU-63, 12 September 1968. The tank, one of eleven that arrived at the outskirts of Baria, capital of Phuoc Tuy Province, were being used to expand the 1AR presence in South Vietnam.
    Australian War Memorial, Photo No. EKT/68/0173/VN    		 Mike Green
    LST-1076 100k YFU-60, and YFU-63 along with six unidentified LCU/YFUs and USS Page County (LST-1076) at the LCT/LCU Landing, Port of Cua Viet, South Vietnam, October 1968. Photo by Art Moore BU2 USN
    There is no history for LCT(6)-989 / LSU-989 / LCU-989 / YFU-63 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 13 June 2019