In the grand scale of the conflict that was World War II, the student of history has much to ponder. Most often one’s attention is drawn to the major battles and campaigns, centering on the well-known names of admirals and generals. As it concerns naval history, this broad view of major characters and events leaves out an important part of the war, that of the individual ship or unit. In like manner, the capital ships are the objects of much attention as the decisive players in an engagement. Left in the backwater of our memories are the countless thousands of smaller ships and lower ranked officers and men who made great sacrifices and, in many cases, tipped the scales of the battle. This book details the exploits of a group of such naval combatants and their contributions in the Pacific Theater of the war. Collectively I have labeled these ships as the LCI gunboats which include the LCI(G)s, LCI(M)s, LCI(R)s, and LCS(L)s.
Many of these ships were converted in the war zone while others were converted soon after being completed at the builder’s yards. Identifying the ships with these designations can be problematic because there was often a delay in changing their official designation from LCI(L) to a (G), (R), or (M) after conversion. In many cases this took several months, even though the physical changes and assignments of the ships had been effected. To avoid confusion, I have used the designations LCI(G), (R), and (M) from the time they were converted and put into use rather than when they officially received that designation.
Another problem with a work such as this is the concern with repetition. Numerous islands were invaded in the Pacific; many were minor adjuncts to major island assaults. In most cases the gunboats operated in a similar manner. They were in action a few days prior to the actual landing of troops, providing close-in fire support for Navy Underwater Demolition Teams and Marine Reconnaissance units. In other cases they accompanied minesweepers, destroying mines cut loose by the ships and providing fire support near shore. When the actual invasion took place, LCI(G)s, (R)s, and M(s), along with the newer LCS(L)s, made their initial runs just prior to the landing of troops and then remained close to the beaches, firing over the heads of troops as they landed. At that point they remained in the area firing on enemy targets identified by the men ashore and working in conjunction with spotter teams placed on board the gunboats. At night they provided harassing fire. As the fighting moved away from the beach, the mortar gunboats with their longer range mortars laid down barrages on enemy positions that direct fire 40mm and 20mm guns could not reach. Many of these were on the reverse slopes of hills and ridges. Toward the end of the war, a longer range rocket came into use and the LCI(R)s were used to great advantage. As the fighting progressed, the need for fire support by the gunboats lessened and they spent much of their time making smoke screens to cover ships from aircraft attacks and salvaging equipment disabled near the beach. In island assault after assault the pattern was basically the same. Therefore, rather than providing an exhaustive list of actions similar in most ways, I have elected to cover those of major importance, as well as those that had unique aspects. While many ships performed courageous and notable tasks in the island invasions, I thought it best to leave out some of the actions to improve readability.
As a result, the story is not “complete” in that many events have been set aside to provide a better view of the big picture. This in no way denigrates the contributions of countless ships and brave crews, but there is a practical limit to how many can be listed. As a result, I believe that the text presents a significant understanding of the ships involved in the actions of the Navy’s amphibious forces in the Pacific.
Ranks given are contemporaneous with the event under discussion. Thus Richmond Kelly Turner is described as a Rear Admiral during the invasion of Kwajalein Atoll and, in later events, is described as a Vice Admiral, as those ranks were held at the time the action took place.
Finally, it should be noted that all works must have their limits. The subject of this book is amphibious gunboats that were based on the LCI(L) hull. This included the LCI(G), LCI(R), LCI(M), and the LCS(L). On many missions involving covering the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) or in beach assaults, other ships such as the PGMs, PCs, LCS(S)s and others were involved in the battle as well. Barge interdiction usually involved the amphibious gunboats working in conjunction with PT boats. The gunboats were not in the war alone; they were an integral part of a fleet from the largest to the smallest and they played an important role.
This book might give the impression that the LCI gunboats won the war but they had much assistance. However, to write a book covering each and every type of vessel found in the assault or in any of the other duties to which the gunboats were assigned would take many volumes. Accordingly, I have had to limit my work to those four types. Most certainly other ships are mentioned, but the focus in this book is on the LCI gunboats.
The primary documents used in this work show a variety of style. Gunboats may be described as USS or U.S.S. In cases where I cite specific reports, I have not modified them to make them consistent but have placed them in notes exactly as they were written. It should be noted that plurals of the ships at that time were usually written using an apostrophe s, which in today’s grammar indicates the possessive. I have also kept these as they were in the original source wherever I have quoted from it. Therefore it is not uncommon to see references in the quoted material to LCI(G)’s 345, 346, etc. It is not clear if this was accepted general usage in the American language at that time, a grammatical error, or if it was simply a form used in Navy reports.
Authors do not operate in a vacuum. The task of finding various materials is daunting and requires the assistance of experts found in each research facility. As the bulk of the research was done at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, I was able to lean on the staff experts in each of the sections. In the Photographic Section, Holly Reid, Rutha Beamon, Sharon Cully, and Theresa Roy were able to supply their expertise in the search for numerous illustrations, many of which were hidden in various collections. Barry Zerby of the Textual Research Section was frequently able to lead me to material that was otherwise difficult to find.
I must also acknowledge the great and generous assistance of an old friend, who constantly keeps me aware of materials that have escaped my attention. Ron MacKay Jr., who serves as the historian for the LSM-LSMR Association, has made numerous contributions to my attempts to cover gunboat history. His friendship and contributions to my work are most valued.
In our Internet age, various websites have proven valuable for their content as well as providing contacts with individuals interested in naval history. Gary Priolo, of the NavSource.org website, has been most helpful in putting me in contact with a number of individuals who have information on my subject. I am indebted to him for his generous assistance.
In spite of constant checking and re-reading, it is not uncommon for errors to slip through. To avoid mistakes in the text one has to rely on the expertise of friends to double check the manuscript. I am greatly indebted to John Rooney and my wife, Lucille Rielly, who loaned their skills in proofreading the manuscript and offering valuable suggestions and corrections. However, the final responsibility for any work rests with the author.