January - February 1943

January 28, 1943
LCI 35 Commissioned

The LCI (L) 35 was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, NJ.  The Muster Roll for the LCI (35) noted that the initial crew were received aboard on January 25, 1943 at the Amphibious Training Base NNYD, Portsmouth, VA, but the first entry in the LCI 35 Deck Log was made on January 28, 1943.

January 28 - February 6, 1943

The LCI 35 was commissioned at 1100 on Thursday January 28, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From this date until Saturday February 6th the crew loaded parts, ammunition, food, and other supplies and completed degaussing operations before getting underway for Solomons, MD.

February 7 - 8, 1943

Underway for Solomons, MD

On Sunday February 7th, after running aground on a small sand bar and pulling itself off, the LCI 35 got underway passing through the Delaware Canal, Baltimore, and Cove Point, before arriving at Solomons, MD at 1700 on Monday February 8th and docking at Pier 8.

February 9 - 28 , 1943

Trial Run - Training Exercises - Repairs

On February 9th, the LCI 35 made a trial run and the crew practiced manning battle stations. The next day LCI 35 sailed to Cove Point where she joined 6 other LCIs already there and participated in maneuvers. However, while returning to the Amphibious Training Base at Solomons on February 11th, the LCI 35 needed some assistance from a Navy tugboat after getting stuck on a sand bar before she was able to return to Pier 10 at Solomons. On February 12th the LCI 35 left Solomons and met the rest of the Flotilla in the Chesapeake Bay and proceeded to Baltimore, MD where she docked alongside LCI 32 at the Pratt Street Pier. The LCI 35 stayed in Baltimore until Sunday February 14th when she returned to Little Creek, VA docking at Pier 1.

Note: The first group of LCIs to cross the Atlantic Ocean under Commander Lorenzo Sherwood Sabin, Jr. got underway on February 15th in very cold and stormy weather--The weather reported in the Deck Log of LCI 35 on February 14th indicated that the weather was cloudy and the water was very rough.

For the rest of February the LCI 35 crew continued with general and routine duties, had repairs made to the ship*, took on supplies and ammunition, and practiced beach landings.

* The LCI 35 had 2 separate incidents with LCI 32 during this month. The first occurred on February 17th after both ships successfully completed beaching exercises and were heading back to Little Creek, VA. While LCI 35 was letting a ferry pass in the jetties, LCI 32 was at the same time trying to retract from being aground on a sandbar finally pulling loose at the exact moment the LCI 35 passed her stern. LCI 32 rammed LCI 35's port bow and LCI 35 indicated that they could not avoid the collision.

Less than a week later on February 22nd while docking at St. Helena Berth 113, the LCI 35 from a standstill ran full speed ahead into the LCI 32. This incident occurred when a misunderstanding occurred in the LCI 35 engine room and the LCI 32 was only 2 feet ahead of LCI 35. Although no damage was noted for the LCI 32, a small hole in the port bow of the LCI 35 was noted in the Deck Log.