Builder: Brown Shipbuilding Corporation, Orange, Texas
Commissioned: 10 February 1943
Decommissioned: 7 March 1946
Disposition: Sold on 12 December 1946, fate unknown.
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.
Commanding Officers
LT Andrew Duncan, USCGR
LTJG Charles W. Rinaca, Jr., USCGR
LTJG Thomas L. Keane, USCG
LTJG Robert M. Hoffman, USCGR
History: Flotilla 4 / 10 / 35, Group 104, Division 207
The Coast Guard-manned USS LCI(L)-324 was placed in commission on 10 February 1943 under the command of LT Andrew Duncan, USCGR. Departing Orange, Texas, after outfitting for Norfolk, Virginia, late in March, 1943, she departed almost immediately for Port Lyautey, Morocco, North Africa, arriving April 18, 1943, and proceeded to Lake Bizerte, Tunisia, where in June 1943, she prepared for the coming invasion of Sicily.
On July 10, 1943, as a member of Coast Guard LCI(L) Flotilla 4 she landed troops on Sicily. Approximately two months later on September 9, 1943, she landed troops at Salerno. Late in October 1943, she left Lake Bizerte for Plymouth, England, via Gibraltar and was assigned to LCI(L) Flotilla 10. During the months that followed, prior to the invasion of France, the 324 engaged in intensive training for the forthcoming invasion of Normandy.
She departed Salcombe, England on June 5, 1944, for Northern France and on June 6, 1944, unloaded troops on Utah Beach. For some two weeks thereafter, she transported troops from England to the northern coast of France after which she directed small boat operations in Utah Beach. On July 21, 1944, and for 3-1/2 months thereafter, the 324 resumed transportation of troops between England and France and escorted LCTs over the same route.
On October 5, 1944, the 324 departed Dartmouth, England for the United States, arriving at Jacksonville, Florida 21 days later. Here she underwent major overhaul at the Gibbs Shipyard and a new crew and officers were placed aboard before her departure on December 8, 1944. She then proceeded to Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina, then to the Amphibious Training Base, Little Creek, Virginia, and from there to the Amphibious Training Base, Solomons Island, Maryland, for further overhaul, provisioning and training. Departing Norfolk, December 31, 1944, she proceeded to San Diego, California via Key West and the Canal Zone, and reported January 28, 1945 to Commander, Training Command, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet for training and final availability at the Naval Repair Base, San Diego, California. Departing April 20, 1945, for Pearl Harbor she proceeded thence to Eniwetok and Guam arriving May 29, 1945. She was shortly thereafter ordered to Saipan where she reported June 1, 1945, for local patrol duty, air-sea rescue work and escorting the Japanese fishing fleet in the Saipan-Tinian Area.
This assignment terminated July 4, 1945, when she was ordered to Eniwetok. Here she reported July 8th and from then until November 9, 1945, she operated a ferry service between Eniwetok and surrounding atolls. On that date she departed for home arriving at San Pedro December 19, 1945, via Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Pearl Harbor and San Diego. Here she was decommissioned on March 7, 1946.
The LCI(L)-324 earned four 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.
Sources
LCI(L) file, Coast Guard Historian's Office.
United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard At War. V. Transports and Escorts. Vol. 2. Washington: Public Information Division, Historical Section, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, May 1, 1949, pp. 117-130.