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

Harbor Utility Craft - YFU-66
ex
 Landing Craft Utility - LCU-1203 (1956 - 1966)
 Landing Craft Ship - LSU-1203 (1949 - 1956)
 Landing Craft Tank - LCT(6)-1203 (1944 - 1949)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Delta - Juliet
 NCDJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - 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, 22 July 1944, at Bison Shipbuilding Corp, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
  • Launched, 29 July 1944
  • Delivered, 3 August 1944
  • LCT(6)-1203 placed in service, date unknown
  • During World War II LCT(6)-1203 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LCT Flotilla Thirty-Four, LCDR. H. A. Shuler, USNR
    LCT Group One Hundred, LT. G. J. Gauthier, USNR and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and Occupation of Okinawa Gunto, March to June 1945
  • Following World War II LCT(6)-1203 was assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 1 March 1945
  • Redesignated Landing Ship Utility LSU-1203 in 1949
  • Redesignated Landing Craft Utility LCU-1203, 15 April 1956
  • Reclassified Harbor Utility Craft YFU-66, 1 March 1966
  • During the Vietnam War YFU-66 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 July 1972
  • LCT(6)-1203 earned one battle star for World War II service and as YFU-66 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(6)-1203
    LSM-111 71k USS LSM-111 and LCT(6)-1203 beached at Okinawa in the fall of 1945. Submitted by Jon Strupp for
    Thomas Malke USS LSM-111
    LST-809
    1016080903    		 226k USS LST-809 with LCT(6)-1203 loaded as deck caago entering San Francisco Bay, circa 1946. Note the Golden Gate Bridge in the background to the left and the Homeward Pennant flying from her mainmast.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 79562 from Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    YFU-66
    LCT-509 72k YFU-66 and YFU-54 beached at Dong Ha, South Vietnam while off loading Army 175-mm howitzers where they provided fire support for US Marine operations in 1967.
    Photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1967.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    There is no DANFS history for LCT(6)-1203 / LSU-1203 / LCU-1203 / YFU-66 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 25 October 2024