USS LCI(L)-633

Evidence

15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).

1. [1]research packet 450-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS LCI(L)-633 (no name assigned)

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-pkt-450-packet-md

2. [2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSIL-633 ex USS LCI(M)-633 / LCI(G)-633 / LCI(L)-633 (construction milestones, reclassification chain, campaign credits, awards strip, disposal, full specifications, photo captions) - history credited to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry', Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1995 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/15/150633.htm header block, awards strip, campaign table, specifications block, photo captions (verified live via firecrawl 2026-09-30)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: LCI-351-class Landing Craft Infantry (Large); laid down 10 May 1944 at New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber, NJ; launched 13 June 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-633, 19 June 1944, LT. Frank Baumholtz, USNR, in command; reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-633 on 31 December 1944; reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Mortar) LCI(M)-633 on 30 April 1945; reclassified Landing Ship Infantry Large LSIL-633 on 14 November 1949. Assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LCI Flotilla Twenty-One (CDR. L. B. Balliere, USNR), LCI Group Sixty-One (LCDR. W. T. Dom, USNR), LCI Division One Hundred Twenty-Two. Campaign credits: Iwo Jima operation - assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19-26 February 1945 (table labels the hull 'LCI(L)-633'); Okinawa Gunto operation - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March-14 June 1945 (labels 'LCI(G)-633 / LCI(M)-633'). Occupation service in the Far East 19 November 1945 - 2 April 1946. Decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register in 1951; sold 13 February 1951; fate unknown. Two battle stars. Awards strip: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2 stars); World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Medal (Asia clasp). Spec block: 246 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; 158' 5.5" length; 23' 3" beam; 16 kts max / 14 kts continuous; complements LCI(L) 4 officers + 24 enlisted, LCI(G) 5 + 65, LCI(M) 4 + 49; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; 75 t. cargo; 2" plastic splinter protection on gun turrets, conning tower, pilot house; LCI(L) armament five single 20mm; LCI(G) armament two 40mm, four 20mm, six .50 cal, ten Mk7 rocket launchers; LCI(M) armament one 40mm forward, four 20mm, three 4.2" chemical mortars in wooden-walled sandboxes on the well deck with No. 2 Troop Compartment converted to magazine; propulsion two sets of four General Motors diesels, four per shaft, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp; fuel 869 bbl diesel. Photo captions: a 17 February 1945 National Archives photo (80-G-K-3527) shows the hull at Iwo Jima in company with LCI(FF)-627 (Flotilla Three flagship), photographed from USS Halligan (DD-584), with USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) in frame; a second photo shows her as LCI(M)-633 underway circa August 1945. Radio call sign NPLK.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1944-1951

   Population

   New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); commissioned crew (1944-46); embarked troops (up to ~188 per spec) and embarked Mortar Support Unit/Division TWO staff (1945)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation whose history credit is a veteran-association book (Turner Publishing, 1995), itself secondary; the milestone dates are corroborated by uboat.net (except laid-down, which differs) and by the hull's own NARA records for the 1945 combat period. Internal inconsistencies to flag: the campaign table styles the Iwo Jima credit '(LCI(L)-633)' although the hull's own fire-support records and action report for 19 February - 1 March 1945 are already on 'LCI(M) 633' letterhead, and NavSource's own reclassification line puts LCI(G) from 31 December 1944; the photo caption styles her 'LCI(M)-633' at Iwo Jima 17 February 1945. The 'LCI Group Sixty-One' assignment also does not match the group commander named in the hull's April and May 1945 reports (LCI(L) Group 62, then LCI Group 55) - variances carried in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-01

3. [3]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII, USS LCI(L)-633 (LCI(L)-633), LCI 351 class registry entry [other_primary]

   Locator

   uboat.net ship/21698.html characteristics table and history lines (verified live 2026-09-30)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Independent registry corroboration: LCI(L)-633, Landing Craft Infantry of the LCI 351 class; built by New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp. (Barber, New Jersey); laid down 16 May 1944; launched 13 June 1944; commissioned 19 June 1944; 'Reclassified as LCI(G), Landing Craft Guns, on 31 December 1944'; 'Reclassified as LCI(M), Landing Craft Mortar, on 30 April 1945'; sold on 13 February 1951.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1944-1951

   Population

   construction trades (1944); commissioned crew (1944-46)

   Limitations

   Secondary registry - corroborates builder, launch, commissioning, reclassification dates, and sale date; its laid-down date (16 May 1944) conflicts with NavSource (10 May 1944) - variance carried in gaps. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-02

4. [4]NARA, hull-authored action report: 'LCI(M)-633 - Rep of ops in the invasion of Iwo Jima, Bonin Is, 2/19-26/45', NAID 139923772 (RG 38, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories; microfilm Roll A1466; 11 digitized images, all read) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 139923772, digitized images 0437-0447 (Roll A1466): letter, Part 1-8 narrative, ordnance expenditure table, damage/casualty statements, signature block, Enclosures A-1 to A-5 (Fire Support Records, 19-23 February 1945)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Primary-source combat record authored by this hull (letterhead 'U.S.S. LCI(M) 633', report dated 1 March 1945, serial 07, signed Frank C. Baumholtz, LT., USNR): she sortied Saipan 1600, 15 February 1945 as flagship of Task Unit 52.6.2 in Task Organization 51.14 (Tractor Group Able), detached 0500 on 19 February for Iwo Jima (H Hour 0900). She was the designated reference vessel for the LCI(M) mortar bombardment under Commander Amphibious Forces Pacific Fleet's 'Tentative Plans for Delivery of 4.2 Mortar Fire from LCI(M)'s' (serial 01094, 20 December 1944) - on Plan ABLE runs she held the reference point (763-674, target area 132 Baker 'far side of Suribachi') and did not fire, while leading Mortar Support Units 2 and 5 to 1,000 yards inshore of the line of departure through boat lanes under enemy machine-gun fire. On Plan BAKER runs she fired concentrated 4.2-inch mortar barrages at 3,200 yards (up to 6 rounds per gun per minute) and 40mm/20mm strafing; a shell destroyed part of her starboard raft and machine-gun fire raked the ship. She ran nightly harassing-fire stations, daylight smoke-screen duty off the transport area under repeated air attack, and salvage duty; expended 387 rounds 4.2-inch mortar, 559 rounds 40mm, 1,311 rounds 20mm; mortar tie rods broke under sustained fire and were repaired by ship's force. Recorded damage: 'very slight damage to equipment on stern of ship' from machine-gun fire and shrapnel; 'no personnel casualties aboard this ship.' She departed with the convoy 26 February (D+7) and anchored Saipan 2 March 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-02-15 to 1945-03-02

   Population

   crew plus embarked Mortar Support Unit TWO staff (Lt. Comdr. S. J. Kelley); the report records zero personnel casualties aboard

   Limitations

   Hull-authored primary document - strongest source type in this record; establishes her role as mortar-force flagship/reference vessel at Iwo Jima D-Day through D+7, her chain of command (TU 52.6.2 flagship; via CTG 52.6, Commander Amphibious Support Force 52, ComPhibsPac, Fifth Fleet, CINCPAC), ammunition expenditure, minor battle damage, and zero personnel casualties for the period. Contains no asbestos or material content. The LCI(M) letterhead (dated 19 February - 1 March 1945 in the report and its fire-support records) precedes NavSource's printed LCI(M) reclassification date of 30 April 1945 - designation variance carried in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-03

5. [5]NARA, hull-authored action reports: NAID 83519101 'LCI(M)-633 - Rep of opers in the invasion of Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands, 4/1-10/45' (Roll A1729, 8 images, all read); NAID 101750218 'Rep of opers in the occupation of the Okinawa Gunto, 4/11-30/45' (Roll A1760, 3 images, all read); NAID 101750222 'Rep of opers in the occupation of the Okinawa Gunto, 5/1-31/45' (Roll A1760, 7 images, all read) - RG 38 WWII War Diaries series [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 83519101 images 0104-0111; NAID 101750218 images 0253-0255; NAID 101750222 images 0258-0264 - letterheads, narratives, ordnance/casualty/damage parts, fire-support record enclosures

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Three hull-authored reports cover the Okinawa campaign. (a) Invasion report, dated 11 April 1945, serial 09: flagship of Mortar Support Division TWO, sortied Leyte 1215 on 25 March 1945 under ComLST Flotilla TWENTY-NINE Movement Order 1-45 (derived from ComPhibsPac OpPlan A1-45) in Task Organization 51.14.2 (Tractor Group Easy); detached 0515 on 1 April (L-Day, How Hour 0830); led mortar barrages at 3,200 then 2,800 yards and 40mm/20mm strafing ahead of White 2 beach under ComPhibGroup TWELVE Attack Order A1202-45. A 40mm casing exploded in a jammed gun; S1c W. H. Collins (935-37-51) suffered slight facial burns and shell-casing fragments in the right hand - the campaign's only casualty aboard. Expenditure on L-Day: about 500+124 rounds 4.2-inch mortar (Plans Baker and Charlie), 224 rounds 40mm, 684 rounds 20mm; replenished from LST-731 and repaired at Kerama Retto by ARS-33. (b) 11-30 April report, serial 012: at Kerama Retto under CTU 52.9.5 and off Okinawa under CTU 52.9.4 as flagship of TU 52.23.2 (LCI(M)s 1011, 1012, 757, 1023 present); 12 April - fired 56 rounds 20mm at a Japanese Tojo passing 100 yards astern (the plane was downed by area barrage); 17 April - enemy plane dropped a torpedo at LCI(M)-1012 that exploded just off her stern about 400 yards from this ship's bow; 18 April - a suicide plane crashed in the water near LCI(M)-1023 about 1,200 yards off; 28 April 2000-2150 - rendered fire-fighting assistance to USS Pinkney (APH-2), hit by a suicide plane; 29 April detached to Okinawa station. No ship damage; the Collins casualty remains the only personnel casualty recorded. (c) May report, serial 013 dated 3 June 1945: flagship of TU 52.23.2 (LCI(M)s 1011, 1012, 1023, 1010, 632), Lt. Comdr. S. J. Kelley now embarked as Commander LCI Group FIFTY-FIVE; AA screening 1,000-1,500 yards seaward of the transport area and nightly smoke duty under repeated flash-red conditions; 15 May - mortar fire missions off Naha expending roughly 800 rounds 4.2-inch mortar plus 240 rounds 40mm and 114 rounds 20mm; 18 May - escorted 10 LCVPs to a target area to pick up about 30 survivors from a damaged destroyer; no casualties in May; SC-2 radar used for reference-vessel station keeping.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-03-25 to 1945-05-31

   Population

   crew plus embarked MSD-2 staff (Lt. Comdr. S. J. Kelley); one documented casualty - S1c W. H. Collins, 1 April 1945

   Limitations

   Hull-authored primary documents - establish her Okinawa role (MSD-2 flagship), the Collins 40mm casualty (which explains the RG 24 casualty file unit at NAID 124042274), near-miss kamikaze/torpedo events, fire-fighting assistance to USS Pinkney (APH-2) on 28 April 1945, the 15 May Naha bombardment, and the 18 May destroyer-survivor escort (the report does not name the destroyer; the event is consistent with USS Longshaw DD-559's loss off Naha but the identification is unconfirmed - see gaps). Chain-of-command detail shows ComLCI(L) Group SIXTY-TWO in April and ComLCI Group FIFTY-FIVE in May, both under ComLCI(L) Flotilla TWENTY-ONE - conflicting with NavSource's 'LCI Group Sixty-One' (gaps). No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-04

6. [6]NARA, hull-authored war diaries: 'LCI(G)-633 - War Diary, 1/1-31/45' NAID 139860203 (Roll A1406, 5 images, all read); 'LCI(G)-633 - War Diary, 2/1-28/45' NAID 139913015 (Roll A1454, 5 images, first two read); 'LCI(G)-633 - War Diary, 3/1-31/45' NAID 633409018 (Roll A1547, 4 images, all read) - RG 38 WWII War Diaries series [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 139860203 images 0291-0295 (Jan, incl. signature Frank C. Baumholtz, LT., USNR); NAID 139913015 images 0091-0095 (Feb; images 0091-0092 read); NAID 633409018 images 0580-0583 (Mar)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Three monthly war diaries on 'U.S.S. LCI(G) 633' letterhead document the conversion-era and transit record. January 1945 (diary dated 1 February): on 1 January she was at Middle Loch, Pearl Harbor, flagship of Mortar Support Unit #2 with Lt. Comdr. S. J. Kelley aboard; 2-3 January simulated 4.2-inch mortar bombardment exercises at Maui (42 rounds expended; on Plan Able runs the reference ship does not fire); 5-11 January MSU #2 (51.14.6) formed with LCI(G)s 633, 1011, 1012, 757, 760, 1023; 11-18 January ship-to-shore training at Maalaea Bay and Kahoolawe; 13-14 January mortar exercises with MSUs 1, 2, 5 - LCI(G)-757 collided with the reference vessel, denting 633's port quarter; 19-31 January underway westward. February (diary dated 1 March): departed Pearl Harbor 1 February as flagship of TU 51.14.6 (Mortar Support Unit 2) in TG 51.14 Tractor Group Able (Cdr. Phil Niekum Jr., USN(Ret)), via Eniwetok (3-5 February) to Saipan (anchored inner harbor 10 February, berthed inshore for night smoke-screen duty); remainder of month covered by the Iwo Jima action report. March (diary dated 1 April): 1-2 March underway Iwo Jima to Saipan; 3 March Lt. Comdr. Kelley returned aboard as Commander Mortar Support Group TWO; sortied Saipan for Leyte under ComLST Flot 21 movement order (ComPhibsPac OpPlan A1-45); steering casualties 6 and 8 March repaired underway; arrived Leyte 9 March, anchored San Pedro Bay; reported to Commander Amphibious Group TWELVE 10 March; rehearsals at Leyte 14-24 March; sortied for Okinawa 25 March - 'remainder of month covered in action report.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-01-01 to 1945-03-31

   Population

   crew plus embarked MSU-2/MSG-2 staff; construction/training personnel during the undocumented conversion period

   Limitations

   Hull-authored monthly summaries - establish the mortar-conversion configuration in operational use by 1-3 January 1945 (4.2-inch mortar exercises, MSU-2 flagship at Pearl Harbor) before any printed reclassification date, the Pearl Harbor-Saipan-Iwo Jima transit, and the Leyte staging. All three diaries carry 'LCI(G) 633' letterhead while the action reports carry 'LCI(M) 633' - the ship's administrative and operational designations diverged through spring 1945 (see gaps and the correction row ev-09). The June-December 1944 period (commissioning, shakedown, transit to Pearl Harbor, physical conversion) is not covered by located hull-authored documents. No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-05

7. [7]NARA catalog holdings for this hull: muster rolls 'LCI(L) 633' NAID 120287213 (32 images), 'LCI(G) 633' NAID 120287250 (65 images), 'LCI(M) 633' NAID 120287246 (3 images), all RG 24 Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships; 'LCI (G) 633' NAID 124042274, a file unit in RG 24 World War II Casualty Reports (1942-1945), NOT digitized (paper); plus unit-level records that name the hull - 'LCI(L) Flotilla 21 - Muster Rolls' NAID 120302264, 'LCI(L) Group 61 - Muster Rolls' NAID 120302261, COM LCI(L) FLOT 21 war diaries (NAIDs 139921296 2/45, 139968825 3/45), COM LCI(L) GR 62 war diaries (139921318 2/45, 139968831 3/45), COM LCI(L) GR 55 Okinawa report 5/45 (NAID 140041816), COM MORTAR SUPPORT DIV 2 Okinawa report 6/1-13/45 (NAID 77514662), COMTASK-GROUP 52.23 Okinawa report 4/1-10/45 (NAID 139973608) [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov/id/120287213, /id/120287250, /id/120287246, /id/124042274, /id/120302264, /id/120302261, /id/139921296, /id/139968825, /id/139921318, /id/139968831, /id/140041816, /id/77514662, /id/139973608

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA holds digitized muster rolls for all three of this hull's wartime designations - 'LCI(L) 633' (32 images), 'LCI(G) 633' (65 images), 'LCI(M) 633' (3 images) - naming the enlisted complement across the LCI(L), LCI(G), and LCI(M) eras. A separate undigitized file unit 'LCI (G) 633' in RG 24's World War II Casualty Reports series (1942-1945) exists at College Park - consistent with the single documented casualty (S1c Collins, 1 April 1945) but contents unknown; it may also hold other casualty paperwork. Unit-level corroboration: muster rolls exist for LCI(L) Flotilla 21 and LCI(L) Group 61 (the group NavSource assigns her to), and war diaries/reports exist for COM LCI(L) Flotilla 21, COM LCI(L) Group 62, COM LCI Group 55, COM Mortar Support Division 2 (her embarked staff), and CTG 52.23 - the organizations her own reports chain through.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Population

   enlisted crew named in muster rolls (1944-46); casualty-report subjects

   Limitations

   Archival leads: muster-roll images were not read - image counts and catalog dates verified only. The casualty file unit is undigitized and its contents are unverified - it is the most promising open personnel-condition lead. The group/flotilla diaries were located but not read; they would corroborate group assignment and add operational context. No asbestos content asserted or expected in these series.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-06

8. [8]NARA Special List 44, List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 - 'by Ship Numbers' transcription PDF (NARA, author Sarah Swanson, 2015) [other_primary]

   Locator

   sl-44-ship-number.pdf (archives.gov/files/research/military/logbooks/), two rows 'LCI(L)(G)(M)-633 6/19/1944 2/28/1945' and 'LCI(L)(G)(M)-633 4/1/1945 6/30/1945' verified by text extraction; the hull is not on the archives.gov navy-online digitized deck-log index

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Special List 44's numbered-vessel inventory lists two logbooks for this hull filed under the combined heading 'LCI(L)(G)(M)-633': coverage 6/19/1944 - 2/28/1945 (beginning on her commissioning date) and 4/1/1945 - 6/30/1945 (PDF text extraction verified). March 1945 is not covered by either listing, and no post-June-1945 row exists though she served into 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1944-06-19 to 1945-06-30 (log coverage, minus March 1945)

   Population

   crew and embarked troops/staff within the logged periods

   Limitations

   The inventory establishes that logbooks for this hull exist in NARA custody - not their contents; the RG 24 logbook pages are an undigitized archival lead. The one-month gap (March 1945) between the two listed volumes is unexplained - the March book may be filed elsewhere, bound in another volume, or not retained; the 6/30/1945 end is a coverage boundary, not a decommissioning marker (she served into 1946).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-07

9. [9]U.S. Naval Academy, Nimitz Library Special Collections, MS 415 'World War II Ship Action Reports, 1942-1945' finding aid - 'U.S.S. LCI (M)-633 (Landing Craft - Infantry), May 1945. Nansei Shoto (Okinawa) operations. Box 11 Folder 129' [other_primary]

   Locator

   USNA MS 415 finding aid, entry 'U.S.S. LCI (M)-633 ... May 1945 ... Box 11 Folder 129' (verified live via firecrawl)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   A second-repository copy of this hull's May 1945 Okinawa operations report is held in the Naval Academy's World War II Ship Action Reports collection (MS 415, Box 11 Folder 129) - duplicating NARA NAID 101750222.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-05

   Population

   crew (May 1945 reporting period)

   Limitations

   Catalog-level verification only (finding aid lists the folder); the physical copy was not examined. Confirms a second institutional holding of a hull-authored document. No asbestos content expected.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-08

10. [10]Shipbuilding History (T. Colton data), New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp. Barber NJ yard table [other_primary]

    Locator

    shipbuildinghistory.com New Jersey Shipbuilding Barber NJ yard table, LCI(L) 633 row (verified live 2026-09-30)

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Yard-table corroboration of builder: the New Jersey Shipbuilding construction list carries 'LCI(L) 633 - US Navy - Landing Craft - delivered Jun-44 - Struck 1951' amid the yard's LCI(L) run. Yard context per the same source: New Jersey Shipbuilding was an assembly line for LCIs on Arthur Kill in Barber, a community immediately east of Perth Amboy later absorbed into Perth Amboy and now called Maurer; yard management was taken over by Todd Shipyards in 1942 at the Navy's request, and the yard was closed after the war.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1944

    Population

    New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1944)

    Limitations

    Secondary compiled construction table (Colton data) - corroborates builder, June 1944 delivery, and 'Struck 1951'; the hull's yard hull-number column is blank for this row. No asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-09

11. [11]Amphibious Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Transport Doctrine (Sept. 1944), Ch. II characteristics table (HyperWar transcript); plus HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945' stub page for USS LCI(M)-633 (ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/LCIM/LCIM-633.html) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Transport Doctrine Ch. II characteristics table, LCI(L) 351-Up and LCI(G) 351-Up rows; HyperWar LCIM-633.html spec block

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    The Navy's wartime references define the types this hull passed through: the Sept. 1944 transport-doctrine characteristics table gives the LCI(L) 351-Up group (this hull's class) as 160' 3.75" length, 23' 3" beam, 257 tons, 12 knots, eight 225-HP diesel engines, five 20mm guns, splinter armor, crew 3 officers + 25 enlisted, troops 9 officers + 196 enlisted for short hauls, 32 tons cargo - and the LCI(G) 351-Up conversion row as 387 tons, three 40mm + four 20mm + ten Mk7 rocket launchers, crew 5 + 65, no troop capacity. The HyperWar LCI(M)-633 stub independently lists the mortar fit this hull's reports document: one 40mm, three 4.2-inch chemical mortars, four 20mm, complement 4 officers + 49 enlisted, eight GM diesels twin screws, 'converted from LCI(G)' - matching NavSource's LCI(M) complement figure exactly.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1944

    Population

    class-level crews and embarked troops (1942-45)

    Limitations

    Class/era documentation - describes the types, not this hull; no materials or asbestos content. Doctrine figures differ from NavSource's spec block (crew 3+25 vs 4+24; troops 9+196 vs 6+182 - variances in gaps). The HyperWar stub leaves builder and commissioning blank and duplicates published spec data only.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-10

12. [12]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block (diesel plant, no steam); Sept. 1944 transport-doctrine class characteristics (eight 225-HP diesels); hull-authored documents showing mortar conversion (ordnance, not propulsion); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos documentation (ev-12) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource specifications block; Transport Doctrine Ch. II LCI(L) 351-Up row; hull war diaries/action reports (mortar role); GAO HRD-80-2

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    A diesel-powered landing craft commissioned June 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard small diesel combatants of the period were diesel exhaust and muffler lagging, engine-space thermal insulation, gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, and adhesives or deck compounds. She carried no steam plant in any configuration - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply, and her asbestos footprint was materially smaller than a steam-driven ship's. The mortar conversion added three 4.2-inch mortars in wooden-walled sandboxes on the well deck and converted the No. 2 troop compartment to a magazine - ordnance changes with no new lagging pathway indicated by located sources. Embarked troops transited typically for 48 hours or less per doctrine; as a mortar-ship flagship she also carried an embarked squadron staff.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1944-1951

    Population

    New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); engine-room crew (1944-46); embarked squadron staff (1945); any disposal/shipbreaking workforce after the 1951 sale

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, conversion work package, or INSURV detail located for this hull (the undocumented June-December 1944 construction/transition period and the location of her mortar conversion are open leads). Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution for this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-11

13. [13]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403, verified 2026-09-30)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1944) and service era (1944-46).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved - gao.gov blocks automated fetch (HTTP 403, standing limitation confirmed across batches); content via product-page description.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-12

14. [14]Batch-5357 search ledger (this record): NavSource, uboat.net, NARA catalog (hull-authored action reports and war diaries read at image level, muster rolls, casualty file unit, unit diaries), NARA Special List 44 PDF, NARA online deck-log index, NHHC/DANFS, NavalCoverMuseum, shipbuildinghistory (Colton), HyperWar wartime doctrine and ship stub, USNA MS 415 finding aid, MARAD Vessel History Database, shipyards.json cross-check, NPS NRHP nomination (class-level), CourtListener v4 (throttled), Wikipedia redlink check, secondary web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-01 through -18

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming LCI(L)-633 / LCI(G)-633 / LCI(M)-633 / LSIL-633 was found in the public sources searched. The designation-specific web sweep (firecrawl, all four designations plus 'LCI-633 asbestos') returned no qualifying case, VA Board of Veterans' Appeals decision, or law-firm listicle naming this hull - marketing pages assert asbestos aboard LCI-class or amphibious ships generally without hull-level sourcing. MARAD's Vessel History Database holds no card for this hull (the only LCI present is LCI(G)-190). Class-level check: the published NRHP nomination for surviving sister LCI(L)-713 (NRIS 07000300, npgallery.nps.gov) was text-searched and contains zero occurrences of asbestos, abatement, or insulation content. CourtListener (authenticated, 2026-09-30): exact-phrase opinion searches "LCI(L)-633", "LCI(G)-633", and "LCI(M)-633" each returned count 0; the "LSIL-633" opinion query, the "LCI-633" asbestos-joined opinion query, and the "LCI-633" RECAP docket query were fleet-pacing throttled across roughly 80 minutes of spaced attempts - documented negative on the completed queries, open on the remainder.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    2026-09-30

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and small diesel landing craft carried materially less asbestos than steam-driven combatants, so a thinner record here is partly expected. The undigitized wartime logbooks (SL44), the undigitized casualty file unit (NAID 124042274), and the undocumented mortar-conversion work package are the open primary leads; the litigation search is a documented negative on three completed opinion queries and open on the throttled remainder. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-13

15. [15]Correction keyed to primary documents: hull-authored fire-support records dated 19 February 1945 and action report dated 1 March 1945 (NAID 139923772) carry 'U.S.S. LCI(M) 633' letterhead, while the same ship's February and March war diaries (NAIDs 139913015, 633409018) carry 'U.S.S. LCI(G) 633' letterhead [other_primary]

    Locator

    NAID 139923772 images 0437, 0443-0447 (LCI(M) letterhead, 19 Feb-1 Mar 1945); NAID 139860203 image 0291 and NAID 633409018 image 0580 (LCI(G) letterhead, submitted 1 Feb and 1 Apr 1945); NavSource campaign-table parentheticals

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    NavSource prints reclassification to LCI(G)-633 on 31 December 1944 and to LCI(M)-633 on 30 April 1945, and labels the Iwo Jima campaign credit '(LCI(L)-633)'. The primary record shows a different picture: she was physically converted to mortar configuration and operating as flagship of Mortar Support Unit #2 by 1-3 January 1945 (mortar exercises, January war diary); Pacific Fleet doctrine for '4.2 Mortar Fire from LCI(M)'s' was issued 20 December 1944; her Iwo Jima fire-support records and action report are on 'LCI(M) 633' letterhead (19 February - 1 March 1945); and her monthly war diaries retain 'LCI(G) 633' letterhead through the diary submitted 1 April 1945. The consistent reading: 'LCI(G)' remained her administrative designation into spring 1945 while the fleet operationally styled mortar-configured ships 'LCI(M)' from at least February 1945; the formal LCI(M) reclassification printed by NavSource (30 April 1945) postdates the operational use. Her designation at Iwo Jima was never LCI(L) - she fought there as a mortar ship.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1944-12 to 1945-04

    Population

    crew and embarked staff during the dual-designation period

    Limitations

    This is a designation-timeline correction, not a reclassification-date correction: the printed dates themselves are unverified against a primary directive (the BuShips/SECNAV reclassification letter was not located), so NavSource's 31 December 1944 and 30 April 1945 dates are carried as stated with the conflict disclosed, not replaced. The June-December 1944 conversion event (location, yard, scope) is undocumented in located sources - see gaps.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-633-lcil633-14