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www.coastguardpics.com
Landing Craft Infantry Large played an extremely important mission during WWII. If I am not mistaken 28 of these vessels
were Coast Guard manned. Their general characteristics are:
Length: 158' 6" oa
Beam: 23' 3"
Draft: 2' 8" (forward), 5' 3" (aft -- beaching condition)
Displacement: 216 tons (light); 234 tons (beaching condition); 389 tons (full load)
Propulsion: 8 x GM diesels; twin shafts (4 diesels per shaft); 1,600 hp; twin variable-pitch propellers
Range: 4,000 @ 12 knots
Top Speed: 15.5 knots
Complement: 3 officers, 21 enlisted
Troops: 188
Cargo capacity: 75 tons
Initial armament: 4 x 20mm (single-mount): 1 forward, 1 amidships, 2 aft; 2 x .50 caliber; 2" plastic splinter armor
on gun shields, conning tower, and pilot house.
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Click on any image to enlarge
Troops boarding LCIs at Bizerte, Tunisia, for the invasion of Sicily. All part of flotilla 4 and 10.
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LCI(L)-87
c 1944/45
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| Sean M. Connor collection |
Coast Guard Commander W.H. "Jack" Dempsey while in Europe inspected the Coast Guard-manned LCI(L)-68. Sean Connor's
Grandfather, Machine Mate 2nd Class Fred Ahearn is second to the left of Commander Dempsey.
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| Sean M. Connor collection |
Contributors Grandfather, MM2 Fred Ahern with buddies aboard LCI68. Coast Guard caption dated Nov 7, 1944 reads:
BATTLE-SCARRED LCIS BRING HOME COAST GUARD INVASION VETERANS FROM EUROPE
Plainly happy to "hit the beaches" of America, after fighting on the beachheads of Sicily, Italy and Normandy,
these three-invasion Coast Guardsmen arrived at an undisclosed East Coast port after an apochal roundtrip voyage over the
stormy Atlantic. They went out and returned aboard Coast Guard-manned LCI(L)s. Seated, left to right: Coast Guardsman Murray
Hollins, of AUGUSTA, ME.; Max Ashinofsky, of NEW YORK CITY; William Lynch of BROOKLYN, N.Y.; Fred Ahern, of SOUTH BOSTON,
MASS.; standing, left to right: Rudolph Kramer, of NEW YORK, CITY; Walter Jackson of OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.; Leslie Blakeney,
of DECATUR, ILL.; Thomas Prestridge, of SHREVEPORT, LA. and Ray Maleski, of YONKERS, N.Y.
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| Sean M. Connor collection |
MM2 Fred Ahern USCG(right) with shipmate aboard LSI(L)-68
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The LCI(L)-86 earned six battle stars for her service in World War II. All LCI(L)s of Flotilla 10 were retroactively awarded
the Coast Guard Unit Commendation for their service in the invasion of Normandy.
To read the citation, click here.
If you have any photos of CG manned LCI's, particularly LCI(L)-68, that you wish to share, please contact me. Thanks
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