Allied Warships

USS LCI(L)-446 (LCI(L)-446)

Landing Craft Infantry of the LCI 351 class

NavyThe US Navy
TypeLanding Craft Infantry
ClassLCI 351 
PennantLCI(L)-446 
Built byNew Jersey Shipbuilding Corp. (Barber, New Jersey, U.S.A.)  
Ordered22 Mar 1943 
Laid down3 Jun 1943 
Launched6 Aug 1943 
Commissioned19 Aug 1943 
End service 
History 

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Notable events involving LCI(L)-446 include:


10 Jun 1944
Around 1430K/10, a convoy departed Langemak Bay (Megum Island anchorage) for Humboldt Bay (Hollandia).

This convoy was made up of the (troop) transports; Charles M. Russell (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), David C. Shanks (American, 12097 GRT, built 1943), Edward Lander (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Esso Pittsburgh (American (tanker), 11236 GRT, built 1943), I.N. van Nuys (American, 7207 GRT, built 1944), James H. Lane (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), James M. Clements (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Lewis L. Dyche (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Sea Pike (American, 7949 GRT, built 1943) and Yunnan (British, 2812 GRT, built 1934).

Also the landing craft USS LCI 444 (Lt. F.C. Gebhart, USNR) and USS LCI 446 (Lt.(jg) H.T. Coller, USNR) were with the convoy as were ten PT boats from MTB Squadron 9, these were; USS PT-126, USS PT-154, USS PT-155, USS PT-156, USS PT-157, USS PT-159, USS PT-160, USS PT-161, USS PT-162 and USS PT-187.

The convoy was escorted by the destroyer escorts USS Witter (Cdr. A.C. Davis, USNR, SO of the escort), USS Bowers (T/Lt.Cdr. F.W. Hawes, USN), USS Foreman (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Manston, USNR), destroyer HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J.S. Mesley, RAN) and minesweeper HMAS Strahan (Lt.Cdr. L.D. Williams, RANR).

Around 1650K/10, the Yunnan parted company with the convoy to return to Langemak Bay.

Around 1800K/10, the transport Tarakan (Dutch, 8183 GRT, built 1930) joined the convoy.

Around 2210K/10, the transports Jean P. Chouteau (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943) and Hanyang (British, 2865 GRT, built 1940) joined the convoy. They were escorted by the patrol vessel USS PC 1123 (Lt. W.R. Plage, USNR) which also joined the convoy.

Around 0520K/12, the James M. Clements parted company with the convoy to proceed to Aitape escorted by USS PC-1123.

The convoy arrived at Humboldt Bay around noon on the 13th. (1)

5 Aug 1944
Around 1800K/5, HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J.S. Mesley, RAN), HMAS Cootamundra (T/Lt. George Alfred Johns, RANR(S)) and HMAS Glenelg (T/Lt. L. Robson, RANR(S)) departed Langemak Bay to escort a convoy of 14 LCI's to Humboldt Bay. An additional two LCI were to be detached to Aitake while en-route. HMAS Glenelg was to be detached to escort these two LCI's.

The LCI's in question were from LCI(L) Flottilla 22. The following LCI's were part of this convoy USS LCI(L)-224, USS LCI(L)-328, USS LCI(L)-333, USS LCI(L)-357, USS LCI(L)-360, USS LCI(L)-429, USS LCI(L)-433, USS LCI(L)-435, USS LCI(L)-445, USS LCI(L)-976, USS LCI(L)-977 and USS LCI(L)-979.

Around two hours after sailing four more LCI(L)'s joined the convoy, these were USS LCI(L)-436, USS LCI(L)-446, USS LCI(L)-968 and USS LCI(L)-970 joined.

Two of the LCI(L)'s soon straggled from the convoy, being unable to keep up, these were USS LCL(L)-328 and USS LCL(L)-970. HMAS Glenelg was detached around 2030K/5 to escort these two vessels to Aitape.

While doing so around 1934K/6, HMAS Glenelg obtained a promising A/S contact. She attacked with depth charges and then commenced to hunt the supposed submarine while the two LCI(L)'s continued on unescorted to Aitape.

Around 2100K/6, HMAS Cootamundra was detached from the main convoy to take over the escort of the two LCI(L)'s for Aitape where they eventually arrived around 1200K/7.

Around 2300K/6, HMAS Vendetta, now the sole escort of the remaining 14 LCI(L)'s, obtained an A/S contact. Several attacks were made but no definitive result could be observed.

The main convoy of 14 LCI(L)'s arrived at Humboldt Bay around 1300K/7. HMAS Vendetta remained on A/S patrol until the last LCI(L) had entered and then entered the Bay herself. (2)

Sources

  1. Report of proceedings of HMAS Vendetta for June 1944 + War diaries for June 1944 from USS Witter, USS Bowers, USS Foreman and MTB Ron 9
  2. Report of proceedings of HMAS Vendetta for August 1944

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