Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Tags
Related Content
Topic
Document Type
Wars & Conflicts
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials

U.S. Naval Abbreviations

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - ST - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Navy Numbers

--L--

Note: Where the same abbreviation has more than one meaning, the several meanings have been arranged alphabetically. Abbreviations preceded by an asterisk (*), other than Navy numbers, may never be used singly; those preceded by the symbol for number (#) are the Bureau of Personnel Condensation Code for use in dispatch orders to personnel.

L -- First letter in the Navy aircraft designation, indicating a glider

 L -- Bell Aircraft Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)

 L -- Columbia Aircraft Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)

 L -- First letter of plane model designation signifying glider

 L -- Landplane

 L -- Langley Aviation Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)

 L -- legal Division (USCG)

 L -- Lewisite

 L -- Equipped with search light (suffix to plane designation)

 L -- Single Bank Vertical (aircraft engine)

 L -- Suffix to USNR line officer classification symbol denoting Limited General Service; As, (A)L is Limited General Service, Aviation Non-flying

 LA -- Lighter than Air

 LA -- Louisiana

 Lab -- Laboratory

 LAC -- Liberated Areas Committee

*LAIS -- Liaison

*LAN -- Landing

 LANCRA -- Landing Craft

*LANCRAB -- Landing Craft and Bases

 LanCraBNAW -- Northwest African Waters

 LanForASCU -- Landing Force Air Support Control Unit

 LANT -- Atlantic

 LantFlt -- Atlantic Fleet

 LantResFlt -- Atlantic Reserve Fleet

 LAT -- Latitude

 LAW -- Local Air Warning

 LB -- Landing Barge(s)

 L/B -- Light Bomber

 LB -- Photographic Laboratory Specialist(s)

 LB -- Pound

 LBD -- Twin-engine McDonnell, Navy special plane

 LBE -- Landing Barge, Emergency Repair

 LBE -- Landing Barge, Oiler

 LBE -- Navy transport glider (VLR) known as "Glomb"; manufactured by Gould

 LBK -- Landing Barge, Kitchen

 LBP-1 -- Twin-engine Piper, Navy glider

 LBS -- Landing Barge, Support

 LBT -- Chemical Laboratory Technician

 LBT -- Clinical Laboratory Technology

 LBT -- Navy transport glider (VLR), known as "Glomb"; manufactured by Taylorcraft

 LBV -- Landing Barge, Vehicle

 LC or  L/C -- Landing Craft

 LC -- Lines of Communications (Army)

 LCA -- Landing Craft, Assault

 LCC -- Landing Craft, Control

 LCC (1) -- Landing Craft, Control (Mark I)

 LCC (2) -- Landing Craft, Control (Mark II)

 LCC -- London Communications Committee

 LCDR -- Lieutenant Commander

 LCE -- Landing Craft, Emergency Repair

 LCEOP -- Landing Craft, Engine Overhaul Parties

 LCF -- Landing Craft, Flak

 LC(FF) -- Landing Craft, Flotilla Flagship

 LCFlotsPac -- Landing Craft, Flotilla, Pacific Fleet

 LCG(L) -- Landing Craft, Gun, (Large)

 LCGM -- Landing Craft, Gunboat

 LCGP -- Landing Craft, Group

 LCI -- Landing Craft, Infantry

 LCIDiv -- LCI Division

 LCIFlot -- LCI Flotilla

 LCI(G) -- Landing Craft, Infantry Gunboat

 LCIGrp -- LCI Group

 LCI(L) -- Landing Craft, Infantry, Large

 LCILFlot -- LCI(L) Flotilla

 LCI(M) -- Landing Craft, Infantry (Mortar Ship)

 LCI(R) -- Landing Craft, Infantry (Rocket Ship)

 LCM -- Landing Craft, Mechanized

 LCM(1) -- Landing Craft, Mechanized, Mark I

 LCM(2) -- Landing Craft, Mechanized, Mark II

 LCM(3) -- Landing Craft, Mechanized, Mark III

 LCM(6) -- Landing Craft, Mechanized, Mark VI

 LCMSO -- Landing Craft Material Supply Officer

 LCN -- Landing Craft, Navigation

 LCNT -- Link Celestial Navigation Trainer

 LCOCU -- Landing Craft, Obstruction Clearance Unit

 LCP -- Landing Craft, Personnel

 LCP(L) -- Landing Craft, Personnel (Large)

 LCP(M) -- Landing Craft, Personnel (Medium)

 LCP(N) -- Landing Craft, Personnel (Nested)

 LCP(P) -- Landing Craft, Personnel (Plastic)

 LCP(R) -- Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramp)

 LCP(Sy) -- Landing Craft, Personnel(Survey)

 LCR(L) -- Landing Craft, Rubber (Large)

 LCR(R) -- Landing Craft, Rubber (Rocket)

 LCR(S) -- Landing Craft, Rubber (Small)

 LCRU -- Landing Craft, Recovery Unit

 LCS(L)(3) -- Landing Craft, Support (Large) (Mark III)

 LCS(M) -- Landing Craft, Support (Medium)

 LCS(R) -- Landing Craft, Support (Rocket)

 LCS(S) -- Landing Craft, Support (Small)

 LCS(S)(1) -- Landing Craft, Support (Small) (Mark I)

 LCS(S)(2) -- Landing Craft, Support (Small) (Mark II)

 LCT -- Landing Craft, Tank

 LCT(5) -- Landing Craft, Tank (Mark V)

 LCT(6) -- Landing Craft, Tank (Mark VI)

 LCT(A) -- Landing Craft, Tank (Armored)

 LCV -- Landing Craft, Vehicle

 LCVP -- Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel

LD -- Line of Departure (Army)

 LD -- Line of Duty (Army)

 LDD -- Letter of Determination of Dependency

 LDF -- Local Defense Forces

 LE -- Low Explosive (Army)

 LEA/BZ -- Vessel leased to Brazil

 LEA/CH -- Vessel leased to China

 LEA/EC -- Vessel leased to Ecuador

 LEA/FR -- Vessel leased to France

 LEA/GR -- Vessel leased to Greece

 LEA/MX -- Vessel leased to Mexico

 LEA/NE -- Vessel leased to Netherlands

 LEA/NO -- Vessel leased to Norway

 LEA/PA -- Vessel leased to Panama

 LEA/PE -- Vessel leased to Peru

 LEA/PG -- Vessel leased to Paraguay

 LEA/RU -- Vessel leased to Russia

 LEA/UK -- Vessel leased to United Kingdom

 LEA/UR -- Vessel leased to Uruguay

 LEAVE RATS -- Leave Rations

 LF -- Fighter aircraft fitted with engine rated for low altitude performance

 LF -- Low Frequency

 LFM -- Landing Force Manual

 LG -- Landing Ground

 Lg Comb -- Large Combatant

"Liberator" -- See PB4Y-1, 1P-12RY-1-2-3

 Lifesta -- Lifeboat Station (USCG)

 LINE -- Line Officer, USN

"Lion" -- A large advanced base unit consisting of all the personnel and material necessary for the establishment of a major, all-purpose naval base. It is made up of a large number of functional components which enables the base to perform voyage repairs and repair minor battle damage to a major portion of a fleet.

 LLI -- Latitude and Longitude Indicator

 LLLO -- Lend-Lease Liaison Office

 LM -- Land Mine

 LM -- Legion of Merit

 LMG -- Light Machine Gun (Army)

 LNC -- Local Naval Commander

 LNE-# -- Navy training glider (VLN), manufactured by Gould

 LNS-# -- Navy training glider (VLN), manufactured by Schwiezer

 LNT-# -- Navy training glider (VLN), manufactured by Taylorcraft

 LO -- Liaison Office(r)

*LO -- Local

 LOAN/A -- Vessels loaned to Army

 LOAN/C -- Vessels loaned to Coast Guard

 LOAN/M -- Vessels loaned to miscellaneous activities (U.S. Maritime Academy, etc.)

 LOAN/S -- Vessels loaned to States

 LOAN/W -- Vessels loaned to War Shipping Administration

 LOCAL -- Permanent local fleet

 LODC -- Local Defense District Craft

"Lodestar" -- See R50-#

 LODIG -- Loading

 LODOR -- Loaded, Waiting Orders or Assignment

 LofC -- Lines of Communications

 LONG -- Longevity

 LONG -- Longitude

 LOP -- Local Operational Plot

 LOPU -- Logistics Organization Planning Unit

 LORAN -- Long-Range Radio Aid to Navigation

 LOST/A -- Vessels lost by accident, collision or similar methods

 LOST/E -- Vessels lost through enemy action

 LOST/P -- Vessels lost due to weather, perils of the sea or similar reasons

 LOTON -- Long tons discharged or loaded

 LOTS -- LORAN Operational Training School (Pearl Harbor)

 LOU -- Louisiana

 Love -- "L" in the phonetic alphabet

 LP -- Landplane

 LP -- Loss pay/loss of pay

 LP -- Low Pressure

 LPC -- Low Pressure Chamber Technician

 LR -- Long Range Plane(s)

 LRNA -- Laws Relating to the Navy Annotated

 LRW-# -- Navy transport glider (VLR), manufactured by WACO

 LSB -- Landing Ship, Bombardment

 LSD -- Landing Ship, Dock

 LSH(L) -- Landing Ship, Headquarters (Large)

 LSH(S) -- Landing Ship, Headquarters (Small)

 LSM -- Landing Ship, Medium

 LSM(R) -- Landing Ship, Medium (Rocket)

 LSMSO -- Landing Ship Material Supply Officer

 LSO -- Landing Signal Officer

 LST -- Landing Ship, Tank

 LST(H) -- Landing Ship, Tank (Casualty Evacuation)

 LSV -- Landing Ship, Vehicle

 LSX -- Landing Ship Planned

 LT -- Large Tug (Army)

*LT or  Lt -- Lieutenant

 L/T -- Line Telecommunications

 LT -- Link Trainer Instructor

 LTA -- Lighter Than Air

 LtCol -- Lieutenant Colonel

 LtCom -- Lieutenant Commander

 LtComdr -- Lieutenant Commander

 LTD -- Limited

 LtGen -- Lieutenant General

 Lt (jg) -- Lieutenant (Junior Grade)

 Ltr -- Letter

 Ltr -- Lighter than air

 LTS -- Landfall Technique School, New York

 Lv -- Leave

 LV -- Light Vessel

 LVD -- Absent on leave from ship's company duty

 LVN -- Absent on leave not from ship's company

 L-V(S) -- USNR designation for commissioned legal officers qualified for specialist duties. This classification was abolished in September 1944 and replaced by S(L).

 LVT -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked

 LVT(1) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Unarmored (Mark I) ("Alligator")

 LVT(2) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Unarmored (Mark II) ("Water Buffalo")

 LVT(3) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Unarmored (Mark III)

 LVT(4) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Unarmored (Mark IV)

 LCT(A) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) (Turret Type)

 LVT(A)(1) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) (Mark I) ("Water Buffalo," Turret Type)

 LVT(A)(2) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) (Mark II) ("Water Buffalo," Canopy Type)

 LVT(A)(4) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) (Mark IV)

 LVT(A)(5) -- Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored) (Mark V)

 LW -- U.S. East Coast to Southwest Pacific (routing designation)

 LWT -- Light Weight Type (anchor gear)

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - ST - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Navy Numbers

Published: Mon Mar 09 10:55:50 EDT 2015