A Navy ship, a symbol of American freedom and power. Have you ever seen one and wished you could come aboard and see what’s inside? At Evansville, Indiana, you have a rare opportunity to do just that at the LST-325 Museum, and it all starts from this ramp.
LST stands for Landing Ship Tank. These ships were built to sail anywhere, crash beaches, and deploy tanks and soldiers.
Built in 1942 for World War II, it participated in Sicily, Italy, and Normandy invasions during D-Day. This is not to mention its service as a troop transport, with thousands carried across the English Channel, running supplies and the wounded back to the station.
During D-Day alone, the largest invasion in world history, it transported 396 soldiers, 30 officers, and 59 vehicles to the beach. This was while delivering a mighty arsenal of firepower. The ship had two twin 40-millimeter, four single 40-millimeter, and twelve single 20-millimeter gun mounts. It was one heck of a party crasher.
If you’ve ever stood on a small boat, you’ll be impressed at how solid it feels to stand on the warship’s armored deck—rock-solid. The ship is 327 feet 9 inches long and has a range of up to 24,000 nautical miles. Its General Motors 900 horsepower engines will sail this out at 14 miles per hour. It’s not blazing fast, but it wasn’t meant to be.
During your tour, you’ll see where the crew lived and soldiers on their way to battle. Even though the ship looks pretty big from the dock, you’ll be amazed at how large it is inside. It’s cavernous. This ship held tanks and equipment used to assault the enemy, and if anything broke, there was a machine shop to fix it.
Many educational displays are here to be seen. This is a model of the LST-325 itself, comprising an incredible number of Legos. You’ll also see various other things during your visit as you cross over the mini bulkheads, including the captain’s quarters. You’ll notice curious Greek writing above the door. After World War II, the LST was loaned to the Greek Navy in 1964. It was renamed the RHS Cyrus L 144 and was in active service until decommissioned in 1999.
For many warships, the next stop is to be salvaged or sunk into the ocean, but not for this ship. A group of American veterans decided to do something about this. They bought the LST in 2000, made repairs, and sailed over 4,000 miles back to the United States, to Evansville, Indiana. Evansville was once the site of a vast wartime shipbuilding yard. 167 LSTs were built here.
And it only seemed fitting that Evansville would be the LST-325’s home. The ship often travels to other ports during the year, celebrating the military achievements of our armed forces and the history of the LST-325 itself.
Visiting the LST-325 is a rare opportunity to experience the history and stand where brave men once stood.
A living memorial to the men who sailed into the unknown to ensure freedom for all: the LST-325.
