By Don Steen ~ Staff Writer • [email protected]
Anyone boating, fishing, or hiking along the Ohio River Saturday might have caught sight of something unusual steaming against the current. LST-325, a landing ship from the Second World War, left its home port of Evansville that morning and reached the eastern edge of Spencer County just before 4 p.m. She is on her way to Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia as part of her annual fundraising cruise.
The LST-325 was launched on October 27, 1942, one of more than a thousand ships of its class churned out by American shipyards during the war. Her service record included four trips to the Salerno beachhead during the Invasion of Sicily, the last of which delivered a regiment of Ceylanese infantry (from the former British colony now known as Sri Lanka).
Officially, LST stands for “Landing Ship, Tank”, in reference to its primary duties as a transport for troops, vehicles and supplies. It also sometimes bore the colloquial name “Large Slow Target”. Indeed, a passenger aboard the LST-325 was wounded by shrapnel during a November 12, 1943 raid that sank several other transports in its convoy.
Nevertheless, the ships were quite successful in their primary purpose of managing the logistics of a global war. Some saw further service in the U.S. Navy in Korea and Vietnam, and some found new life in the navies of allied powers. Still more were sold off en masse for private shipping entities to fuel the boom in post-war trade.
Today, LST-325 serves as a museum ship to highlight the services of the men who served aboard her, and the citizens who built so many of these versatile ships. To that effect, the LST-325 still mostly adheres to its wartime configuration, complete with (decommissioned) armaments.
When it’s not sailing the Ohio, the LST-325 makes anchorage at 610 NW Riverside Drive in Evansville, where she is open to tours Tuesday through Sunday. Call 812-435-8678 or visit www.lstmemorial.org for more information.
Featured Image: The magnificent LST-325 was spotted sailing the Ohio River on Saturday
More photos of the LST-325 ship sailing on the Ohio River
