The vessels were officially named "Landing Craft, Infantry (Large)" (LCI(L)) and offered more passenger-hauling capability than the then-presently-used British Landing Craft Assault (LCA) ships. Three versions of the basic concept was delivered - one with a squared-off conning tower, another with a rounded conning tower design and side-mounted ramps, and the third with a rounded conning tower and bow-mounted ramp.
Variants of these went on to include: the LC(FF) Flotilla Flagship which was developed to ferry flag officers, staff, and crew; the LCI(G) Gunboat which carried 3 x 40mm Bofors AA guns, up to 6 x 0.50 caliber heavy machine guns, and 10 x Mk 7 rocket launchers for supporting amphibious operations at range; LCI(M) Mortar as a mortar carrier seating 3 x 4.2" M2 mortars for ship-to-shore bombardment; LCI(R) Rocket was similar in scope but carried 6 x 5" rocket launchers instead.
The LCI(S) was a British-produced development made specifically for local manufacture - known as the "Landing Craft Infantry (Small)" - and relied on wood construction by Fairmile with Hall-Scott gasoline engines. The LCS(L) was also locally-built in Britain and operated as support vessels with increased armament but only ten of these were constructed. The LCS(L) Mk III / LSSL was the Landing Craft Support (Large) model built by the United States as gun platforms - one hundred thirty of this form appeared before the end of the war.
LCI(L) vessels were first used during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July of 1943 and their value was such that they headlined all future amphibious assault operations throughout the rest of the war. The vessels were used in the famous "D-Day" invasion landings of Normandy the following year (June 1944) in which the British fielded 130 such ships while the Americans brought along 118 during the beach assault. At least thirty were constructed for the Soviet Union and eight were delivered to Free French forces. The importance of these landing ships in the war could not be overlooked - they were used in every major theater of the war and proved so crucial in the retaking of North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific that, in many ways, they stood as the true movers and shakers of the Grand War - as valuable as any one aircraft, tank, or gun fielded in the conflict.
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