The FReeper Foxhole Profiles the LST -- Landing Ships, Tank - April 9th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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TANK LANDING SHIPS (LST)



"Large Slow Target"



The British evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 demonstrated to the Admiralty that the Allies needed relatively large, ocean-going ships capable of shore -to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles in amphibious assaults upon the continent of Europe. As an interim measure, three medium-sized tankers, built to pass over the restrictive bars of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, were selected for conversion becau se of their shallow draft. Bow doors and ramps were added to these ships which became the first tank landing ships (LST's). They later proved their worth during the invasion of Algeria in 1942, but their bluff bows made for inadequate speed and pointed up the need for an all-new design incorporating a sleeker hull.

At their first meeting at the Argentia Conference in August 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill confirmed the Admiralty's views. In November 1941, a small delega tion from the Admiralty arrived in the United States to pool ideas with the Navy's Bureau of Ships with regard to development of the required ship. During this meeting, it was decided that the Bureau of Ships would design these vessels.



Within a few days, John Niedermair of the Bureau of Ships sketched out an awkward looking ship that proved to be the basic design for the more than 1,000 LST's which would be built during World War II. To meet the conflicting requirements of deep draft for ocean travel and shallow draft for beaching, the ship was designed with a large ballast system that could be filled for ocean passage and pumped out for beaching operations. The rough sketch was sent to Britain on 5 November 1941 and accepted immediately. The Admiralty then requested the United States to build 200 LST's for the Royal Navy under the terms of lend-lease.

The preliminary plans initially called for an LST 280 feet in length; but, in January 1942, the Bureau of Ships discarded these d rawings in favor of specifications for a ship 290 feet long. Within a month, final working plans were developed which further stretched the overall length to 328 feet and called for a 50-foot beam and minimum draft of three feet 9 1/2 inches. This scheme distributed the ship's weight over a greater area enabling her to ride higher in the water when in landing trim. The LST could carry a 2,100-ton load of tanks and vehicles. The larger dimensions also permitted the designers to increase the width of the bow door opening and ramp from 12 to 14 feet and thus accommodate most Allied vehicles. Provisions were made for the satisfactory ventilation of the tank space while the tank motors were running, and an elevator was provided to lower vehicles from the main deck to the tank deck for disembarking. By January 1942, the first scale model of the LST had been built and was undergoing tests at the David Taylor Model Basin in Washington, D.C.



In three separate acts dated 6 February 1942, 26 May 1943, an d 17 December 1943, Congress provided the authority for the construction of LST's along with a host of other auxiliaries, destroyer escorts, and assorted landing craft. The enormous building program quickly gathered momentum. Such a high priority was assigned to the construction of LST's that the keel of an aircraft carrier, previously laid in the dock, was hastily removed to make place for several LST's to be built in her stead. The keel of the first LST was laid down on 10 June 1942 at Newport News, Va. ; and the first standardized LST's were floated out of their building dock in October. Twenty-three were in commission by the end of 1942.



The LST building program was unique in several respects. As soon as the basic design had been developed , contracts were let and construction was commenced in quantity before the completion of a test vessel. Preliminary orders were rushed out verbally or by telegrams, telephone, and air mail letters. The ordering of certain materials actually preceded the completion of design work. While many heavy equipment items such as main propulsion machinery were furnished directly by the Navy, the balance of the procurement was handled centrally by the Material Coordinating Agency -- an adjunct of the Bureau of Ships -- so that the numerous builders in the program would not have to bid against one another. Through vigorous follow-up action on materials ordered, the agency made possible the completion of construction schedules in record time.

The need for LST's was urgent, and the program enjoyed a high priority throughout the war. Since most shipbuilding activities were located in coastal yards and were largely used for construction of large, deep-draft ships, new construction facilities were established along inland waterways. In some instances, heavy industry plants such as steel fabrication yards were converted for LST construction. This posed the problem of getting the completed ships from the inland building yards to deep water. The chief obstacles were bridges. The Navy successfully undertook the modification of bridges and, through a "Ferry Command" of Navy crews, transported the newly constructed ships to coastal ports for fitting out. The success of these "cornfield" shipyards of the Middle West was a revelation to the long-established shipbuilders on the coasts. Their contribution to the LST building program was enormous. Of the 1,051 LST's built during World War II, 670 were constructed by five major inland builders.



By 1943, the construction time for an LST had been reduced to four months; and, by the end of the war, it had been cut to two months. Considerable effort was expended to hold the ship's design constant; but, by mid-1943, operating experience led to the incorporation of certain changes in the new ships. These modifications included: the replacing of the elevator by a ramp from the main deck to the tank deck, an increase in armament, and the addition of a distilling plant to make potable water. The main deck was strengthened to accommodate a fully-equipped landing craft, tank (LCT).


LST launching LCT

From their combat debut in the Solomons in June 1943 until the end of the hostilities in August 1945, the LST's performed a vital service in World War II. They participated in the invasions of Sicily, Italy, Normandy, and southern france in the European Theater and were an essential element in the island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific which culminated in the liberation of the Philippines and the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The LST proved to be a remarkably versatile ship. A number of them were converted to become landing craft repair ships (ARL). In this design, the bow ramp and doors were removed, and the bow was sealed. Derricks, booms, and winches were added to haul damaged landing craft on board for repairs, and blacksmith, machine, and electrical workshops were provided on the main deck and tank deck.



Another successful conversion was the LST "Mother Ship." This version of the standard LST hull had two Quonset huts erected on the main deck to accommodate 40 officers. Bunks on the tank deck berthed an additional 196 men. A bake shop and 16 refrigeration boxes for fresh provisions augmented the facilities normally provided the crew. Four extra distilling units were added, and the ballast tanks were converted for storage of fresh water.

Thirty-eight LST's were converted to serve as small hospital ships. They supplemented the many standard LST's which removed casualties from the beach following the landing of their cargo of tanks and vehicles. For example, on D-day, LST's brought 41,035 wounded men back across the English Channel from the Normandy beaches. Other LST's, provided with extra cranes and handling gear, were used exclusively for replenishing ammunition. They possessed a special advantage in this role, as their size permitted two or three LST's to go simultaneously alongside an anchored battleship or cruiser to accomplish replenishment more rapidly than standard ammunition ships. In the latter stages of World War II, some LST's were even fitted with flight decks from which small observation planes were sent up during amphibious operations.


Low tide at Normandy

Throughout the war, LST's demonstrated a remarkable capacity to absorb punishment and survive. Despite the sobriquet, "Large Slow Target," which was applied to them by irreverent crew members, the LST's suffered few losses in proportion to their number and the scope of their operations.Their brilliantly conceived structural arrangement provided unusual strength and buoyancy. Although the LST was considered a valuable target by the enemy, only 26 were lost due to enemy action, and a mere 13 were the victims of weather, reef, or accident.

A total of 1,152 LST's were contracted for in the great naval building program of World War II, but 101 were cancelled in the fall of 1942 because of shifting construction priorities. 0f 1,051 actually constructed, 113 LST's were transferred to Great Britain under the terms of lend-lease, and four more were turned over to the Greek Navy. Conversions to other ship types with different hull designations accounted for 116.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

.....

The end of World War II left the Navy with a huge inventory of amphibious ships. Hundreds of these were scrapped or sunk, and most of the remaining ships were put in "mothballs" to be preserved for the future. Consequently, construction of LST's in the immediate post-war years was modest. LST- 1153 and LST-1151, commissioned respectively in 1947 and 1949, were the only steam-driven LST's ever built by the Navy. They provided improved berthing arrangements and a greater cargo capacity than their predecessors.

The success of the amphibious assault at Inchon during the Korean War pointed up the utility of LST's once again. This was in contrast with the earlier opinion expressed by many military authorities that the advent of the atomic bomb had relegated amphibious landings to a thing of the past. As a consequence, 15 LST's of what were later to be known as the Terrebonne Parish-class were constructed in the early 1950's. These new LST's were 56 feet longer and were equipped with four, rather than two, diesel engines , which increased their speed to 15 knots. Three-inch 50-caliber twin mounts replaced the old twin 40-millimeter guns, and controllable pitch propellers improved the ship's backing power. On 1 July 1955, county or parish names (Louisiana counties are called "parishes") were assigned to LST's, which previously had borne only a letter-number hull designation.



In the late 1950's, seven additional LST's of the De Soto County-class were constructed. These were an improved version over earlier LST's, with a high degree of habitability for the crew and embarked troops. Considered the "ultimate" design attainable with the traditional LST bow door configuration, they were capable of 17.5 knots.

The commissioning of Newport (LST-1179) in 1969 marked the introduction of an entirely new concept in the design of LST's. She was the first of a new class of 20 LST's capable of steaming at a sustained speed of 20 knots. To obtain that speed, the traditional blunt bow doors of the LST were replaced by a pointed ship bow. Unloading is accomplished through the use of a 112-foot ramp operated over the bow and supported by twin derrick arms. A stern gate to the tank deck permits unloading of amphibious tractors into the water or the unloading of other vehicles into a landing craft, utility (LCU) or onto a pier. Capable of operating with today's high speed amphibious squadrons consisting of LHA's, LPD's, and LSD's, the Newport-class LST can transport tanks, other heavy vehicles, and engineer equipment which cannot readily be landed by helicopters or landing craft. Thus, the utility of the LST seems to be assured far into the future.



The TANK LANDING SHIP (LST) was the brain child of Winston Churchill. He conveyed to President Franklin Roosevelt the need for a ship that could transport battle tanks and heavy rolling equipment over the sea to forward battle areas, delivering the load directly to beachhead. Much importance was given this project. The keel of an aircraft carrier was hastily removed from a dry dock in Newport News, VA, to begin construction of the first LST. Twenty-three LSTs were in commission by the end of 1942.

U.S. Landing Ship Tank:

* Displacement: 1490 tons (lite); 4,080 tons (full load of 2,100 tons)

* Length: 327'

* Beam: 50'

* Draft: 8' fwd; 14'4" aft (full load)

* Speed: 10.8 knots (max); 9 knots (econ)

* Armament: 1 3"/50 DP; 1 40mm; 6 20mm

* Complement: 7 officers, 204 enlisted

* Power Plant: Diesel engines, twin screws

* Cargo: LSTs carry smaller craft topside, with a tunnel-like hold full of tanks, vehicles, guns or cargo.

***

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

www.angelfire.com/in/shiphistory/
www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/

[snippy_about_it]

This link includes the complete history of theLST's as chronicled in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

[snippy_about_it]

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Tribute to a Generation - The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.

Thanks to CholeraJoe for providing this link.

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Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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Iraq Homecoming Tips

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The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

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[The Mayor]

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[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

Folks, I'm going to be popping in and out this weekend. I'm entertaining guests. My brother and his family from Texas.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

Gee Bee C-6 model (1933)

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on April 09:
1649 James Scott Duke of Monmouth, bastard son of English king Charles II
1794 Theobald Böhm flautist/composer
1806 Isambard Kingdom Brunel designer of 1st transatlantic steamer
1812 Randolph Barnes Marcy Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1887
1821 Charles-Pierre Baudelaire France, symbolist poet (Flowers of Evil)
1826 Thomas Hewson Neill Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1885
1830 Eadweard Muybridge England, pioneered study of motion, photography
1835 Leopold II King of Belgians (1865-1909)
1848 Helena Lange German feminist
1865 Charles Proteus Steinmetz Germany, experiment with AC electricity
1865 Erich Ludendorff General (Germany)
1888 Sol Hurok theatrical impresario
1888 Florence Smith Price US composer (Wanamaker Prize 1932)
1889 Efrem Zimbalist Rostov-on-Don Russia, composer/concert violinist
1898 Earl (Curly) Lambeau NFL coach (Green Bay Packers)
1898 Paul Robeson Philadelphia PA, singer (Old Man River)/actor/football player
1903 Ward Bond Benkelman NE, actor (Quiet Man, Fort Apache, Seth-Wagon Train)
1905 J William Fulbright (Senator-Democrat-AR)
1910 Abraham A Ribicoff (Senator-Democrat-CT)
1911 Albert Remy Sevres France, actor (Grand Prix, Gigot, Train)
1919 John Presper Eckert co-inventor (1st electronic computer-ENIAC)
1920 Art Van Damme Norway MI, jazz accordionist (Chicago Jazz)
1920 Alexander Moulton English bicycle designer (folding bicycle)
1926 Harris Wofford (Senator-Republican-PA)
1926 Hugh [Marston] Hefner Chicago IL, magazine publisher (Playboy)
1928 Tom Lehrer parody/folk singer (That Was The Week That Was)
1931 Martin Rogers director (Farmington Institute for Christian Studies)
1932 Carl Perkins Jackson TN, singer/songwriter (Blue Suede Shoes, Matchbox, Honey Don't)
1932 Jim Fowler Albany GA, naturalist (Wild Kingdom)
1932 Paul Krassner comic strip cartoonist (MAD Magazine)/founder (Yippies)
1932 Vladimir Aleksandrovich Degtyaryov cosmonaut
1933 Jean-Paul Belmondo Paris France, actor (Casino Royale, Magnifique)
1939 Michael Learned Washington DC, actress (Olivia-The Waltons, Nurse)
1944 Gene Parsons Los Angeles CA, rock drummer (Byrds, Gene Clark Group)
1948 Chico Ryan Arlington MA, rock vocalist (Sha Na Na)
1953 Hal Ketchum Greenwich NY, country singer (Small Town Saturday Night)
1954 Dennis Quaid Houston TX, actor (Big Easy, Dreamscape, Right Stuff)
1957 Sevériano Ballesteros Spain, golfer (British Open 1979, 84, 88)
1965 Paulina Porizkova Prostejov Czechoslovakia, model/Sports Illustrated swimsuit covergirl
1971 Austin Peck Hawaii, actor (Austin Reed-Days of Our Lives)
1974 Sharon Pelletier Madawaska ME, Miss Maine-America (1996)

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Deaths which occurred on April 09:
0715 Constantine I Greek/Syrian Pope (708-15), dies
1024 Benedict VIII [Theophylactus van Tusculum] Pope (1012-24), dies
1483 Edward IV King of England (1461-70, 71-83) dies at 38
1492 Lorenzo de' Medici Florentine statesman, dies
1626 Francis Bacon Viscount St Albans, statesman, dies
1807 John Opie England, painter/illustrator; Shakespeare gallery, dies at 45
1862 George W Johnson US planter/Confederate (Governor-KY), dies at about 50
1865 Thomas Alfred Smyth Irish/US Union General-Major, dies at 32
1904 Isabella II Queen of Spain (1833-68), dies at 73
1917 Edward Thomas poet, killed in WWI
1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer German theologist/antifascist, hanged
1945 Hans Oster German Major-General/spy, "July 20th plot", hanged
1945 Hans von Dohnanyi "July 20th plotter", hanged
1945 Theodor Haecker German cultural philosopher (Mensch?), dies at 65
1945 Wilhelm Canaris Admiral/headed Germany Abwehr, hanged
1959 Frank Lloyd Wright US architect (Guggenheim Museum, New York), dies at 89
1961 Zog I [Ahmed Zogu] King of Albania (1925-39), dies at 65
1976 Phil Ochs singer (Draft Dodger Rag), commits suicide at 35
1988 Brook Benton singer (Just a Matter of Time), dies of meningitis at 56
1988 Dave Prater rocker (Sam & Dave), dies in a car crash at 50
1992 Gale McGee Senator (Wyoming, 1959-77), dies at 77
1996 James William Rouse US builder (shopping malls), dies at 81
1998 Tammy Wynette [Virginia Wynette Pugh] country singer (Stand By Your Man), dies from a blot clot at 55

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 FEGAN RONALD J.---BROCKPORT NY.
[CRASH AT SEA AFTER COMBAT]
1965 MURPHY TERENCE M.---NEW YORK NY.
[CRASH AT SEA AFTER COMBAT]
1967 SCHWORER RONALD P.---LAS VEGAS NV.
1968 LAWSON KARL W.---TERRE HAUTE IN.
1970 BUSHNELL BRIAN L.---TUALITON OR.
["DOWN AT SEA, NO SURV OBS"]
1970 HORCHAR ANDREW A.---INDIANA PA.
["DOWN AT SEA, NO SURV OBS"]
1970 KNIGHT LARRY C.---WILBURTON OK.
["DOWN AT SEA, NO SURV OBS"]
1970 PFAFFMANN CHARLES B.---KILLINGSWORTH CT.
["DOWN AT SEA, NO SURV OBS"]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0715 Constantine ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1241 Battle of Liegnitz - Mongol armies defeat Poles & Germans
1388 Battle of Näfels; Glarius Swiss defeat Habsburg (Austrian) army
1454 Milan/Venice signs peace of Lodi
1483 Edward I (12) succeeds Edward IV as king of England
1555 Marcello Cervini elected Pope Marcellus II
1609 Spain & Netherlands sign 12 Year Resistant Pact
1621 Spain & Netherlands 12 Year Resistant Pact ends
1667 1st public art exhibition (Palais Royal, Paris France)
1682 Robert La Salle claims lower Mississippi (Louisiana) for France
1770 Captain James Cook discovers Botany Bay (Australia)
1783 Tippu Sahib drives out English from Bednore India
1816 African Methodist Episcopal Church organizes (Philadelphia PA)
1829 Danzig (Gdansk) dike break flood kills 1,200
1833 1st tax-supported public library (Peterborough NH)
1838 National Galley opens in London
1864 Battle of Pleasant Hill LA, 2870 casualities
1865 Federals capture Fort Blakely AL
1865 Robert E Lee & 26,765 troops, surrender to US Grant at Appomattox
1866 Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto
1869 Hudson Bay Company cedes its territory to Canada
1870 American Anti-Slavery Society dissolves
1872 Samuel R Percy patents dried milk
1878 1st Lady Lucy Hayes begins egg rolling contest on White House lawn
1906 Intercalated Games opens in Athens - special Olympic gathering that helped get the Olympic movement back on track
1909 Azusa Street Revival begins
1912 1st exhibition baseball game at Fenway Park (Red Sox vs Harvard)
1912 Titanic leaves Queenstown Ireland for New York
1914 1st full color film shown "The World, The Flesh & the Devil" (London)
1914 Tampico incident - US ship crew arrested in México
1917 Battle of Arras begins
1917 Vimy Ridge France stormed by Canadian troops
1918 Latvia proclaims independence from Russia
1923 Sean O'Casey's "Shadow of a Gunman", premieres in Dublin
1927 Italy & US anarchists Sacco & Vanzetti given death sentences
1928 Mae West's NYC debut in a daring new play "Diamond Lil"
1928 Turkey passes separation of church & state
1939 Marian Anderson sings before 75,000 at Lincoln Memorial
1940 German cruiser Blücher torpedoed/capsizes in Oslofjord, 1,000 die
1940 Germany invades Norway & Denmark during WWII (Denmark surrenders)
1942 Battle of Bataan-US-Filipino forces overwhelmed by Japanese at Bataan
1944 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Orientals Ecclesiae
1945 Liberty ship at Bari Italy carrying aerial bombs explodes, kills 360
1945 Battleship Admiral Scheer sinks British aircraft carrier
1947 Atomic Energy Commission is formed
1947 Baseball suspends Brooklyn Dodger Leo Durocher for 1 year
1947 Tornadoes striking West Texas & Oklahoma kill 169, injuring 1,300
1949 UN International Court of Justice held Albania responsible for incidents in Corfu Channel & awards Britain damages
1950 Bob Hope's 1st TV appearance
1953 "TV Guide" publishes 1st issue
1953 Jomo Kenyatta sentenced to 7 years in Kenya
1957 Suez Canal cleared for all shipping
1959 NASA names 1st 7 astronauts for Project Mercury
1962 Arnold Palmer wins his 3rd Masters golf tournament
1962 JFK throws out 1st ball at Washington DC's new Stadium
1962 26th Golf Masters Championship Arnold Palmer wins, shooting a 280
1963 Sir Winston Churchill proclaimed honorary U.S. citizen in White House ceremony
1965 Beatles "Ticket to Ride" is released in UK
1965 India & Pakistan engage in border fight
1966 Anaheim Stadium for the California Angels opens
1968 Ralph Abernathy elected to head Southern Christian Leadership Conference
1968 Martin Luther King Jr, buried in Atlanta GA
1970 Paul McCartney announces official split of the Beatles
1971 Ringo releases "It Don't Come Easy" in UK
1972 USSR & Iraq sign friendship treaty
1973 Otto Kerner, former Governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme
1974 San Diegp Padres owner Ray Kroc, addresses fans "Ladies & gentlemen, I suffer with you I've never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life"
1977 Communist party legally allowed in Spain after 40 years
1979 Longest doubles ping-pong match of 101 hours, begins
1981 US sub George Washington rams Japanese freighter Nisso Maru
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela's 1st start, beats Astros 2-0
1986 "Dallas" announces it will revive the killed Bobby Ewing character
1987 For 3rd time, Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 goals in a Stanley Cup game
1988 US imposes economic sanctions on Panamá
1989 Scott Hoch chokes on 18 inch putt & loses Masters golf tournament
1989 53rd Golf Masters Championship Nick Faldo wins, shooting a 283
1989 Rickey Henderson steals his 800th career base in New York's 4-3 loss to Cleveland
1990 World's largest bunny hop at Radio City Music Hall (NYC)
1991 Release of Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0
1992 John Major, (Conservative Party) elected Prime Minister of England
1992 Noriega convicted on 8 of 10 drug & racketeering charges
1997 Cleveland Indians closer Jose Mesa found guilty of rape
1997 The CIA apologized to Gulf War veterans for failing to do a better job in supplying information to U.S. troops who blew up an Iraqi bunker later found to contain chemical weapons.
2000 64th Golf Masters Championship Vijay Singh wins with 10-under-par 278

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Bolivia : National Day (1952)
Latvia : Independence Day (1918)
Tunisia : Martyrs' Day
US, England : Churchill Day (1963)
Philippines : Bataan Day (1942)
US : Astronaut's Day
US : Longest Word Day
US : National Reading a Road Map Week (Day 6)
Name Yourself Day
National Welding Month

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Religious Observances
Christian : Feast of St Gaucherius
Christian : Feast of St Hugh of Rouen
Christian : Feast of St Mary Cleophas
Christian : Feast of St Uramar
Christian : Feast of St Waldetrudis of Waudru
Anglican : Commemoration of William Law, priest
Lutheran : Commemoration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, teacher
Christian : Good Friday
Fourth Day of Passover

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Religious History
1813 Birth of Jane Borthwick, Scottish writer. Together with her sister Sarah, Jane translated many foreign hymns into English, including "My Jesus, As Thou Wilt" and "Be Still, My Soul."
1816 The African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at a general convention in Philadelphia. The following day, Richard Allen, 56, was elected the new denomination's first bishop.
1828 Pioneer U.S. Baptist missionary George Dana Boardman, 27, first arrived in Tavoy, Burma, where he afterward established an extensive educational work among the Karen people.
1909 In Pentecostal history, the first group outbreak of the charismatic gift of tongues occurred in Los Angeles under the leadership of black evangelist William J. Seymour, 38. It marked the beginning of the three-year-long "Azusa Street Revival."
1944 Pius XII issued the encyclical "Orientalis ecclesiae decus," which sought to foster closer relations between Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Uniat churches.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."

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What a Difference 30 Years Makes...
1970: Keg.
2000: EKG.

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New State Slogans...
Michigan--Global warming -- Never had it, never will!

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Female Language Patterns...
"Please Do"
This is not a statement, it is an offer. The woman is giving you the chance to come up with an excuse for what you have done.
In other words, a chance to get yourself into even more trouble.

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Male Language Patterns...
"Take a break, honey, you're working too hard," REALLY MEANS,
"I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner."

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning!

Well done today! The "Large Stationary Target" was quite a useful vehicle. :)

[GATOR NAVY]

I've been on 2 LSTs but it's Friday night for me and I'm drunk now-I'll be back with comments later.

[bogdanPolska12]

Wow, thanks Maciej. This site is awesome.

Let me get two cent here, though I feel like a little guy with little experience comparing to these folks.

Since dawn of history there are two kinds of man. A true man - a fighter and a weak man - a chicken. You guys know what happens to chickens.

That is what is happening to terrorist in Iraq and other parts of a world where our finest are engage in battle to the death. To all you vets I give you polish strong salute, and to those families of love ones who’s finest are in battle I give same strong polish salute. God Bless

And to our polish guys in Iraq - uwazajcie chlopacy na siebie i badzcie mocni jak zawze byliscie. Czyncie Polske dumna. Pamietajcie motto Bog, Honor, Ojczyzna

Thanks Maciej for this ping.
Bogdan

[stand watie]

GM, snippy!

free dixie,sw

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Snippy. Great thread today.

LST Beaching Procedures

1.  Twelve Hours Before H-Hour, Final Beaching Preparations Are Begun.

1. All tank shoring is removed  from the tank deck, thus leaving tanks secured by chains alone.
2. Main deck is cleared except for cargo.
3. Ventilation intakes are opened.
4. Exhaust fans within the tank deck are started.
5. Order is issued to "Man the Tanks."
6. Fire watch is stationed on the after platform of the tank deck to guard against backfires from vehicles being started.  Tank turret gunners man the ship's permanent carbon dioxide systems on the bulkhead.
7. After all exhaust fans have been running for at least five minutes, and the Officer of the Deck has given his permission, the engines of the tanks may be turned over for testing.
8. The signal for starting the tank engines is given by the Army officer in command.
9. The carbon monoxide indicator is monitored.  If the concentration of carbon monoxide becomes dangerous, the alarm sounds, and all engines must be stopped.
10. Traffic control light system is tested.
11. Upon completion of all tests, the order is given to "Cut the Engines."
12. A report is made to the conn that the tanks are secured.
13. Ventilators continue to run until all exhaust has been cleared; then the fan switches are cut, the ventilators secured, and a report of same is made to the conn.

2.  On Nearing Enemy Territory, the Ship Goes to General Quarters.

1. The Captain and the Gunnery Officer are at the conn.
2. The Executive Officer is in the chartroom.
3. All guns are manned and ready.
4. The Engineering Officer is in charge of both the main and the auxiliary engine rooms.
5. The First Lieutenant has charge of the damage control parties -- stationed aft, forward, and in the decontamination room.
6. At least three hours before H-Hour, the order is given to "Trim Ship for Beaching."  As the ballast is shifted, the ship changes draft until she reaches beaching trim (9'-10' aft, 3'-5' forward).
7. Upon completion of ballast adjustments, the Engineering Officer reports "Ship at Beaching Trim."
8. The Captain orders "Complete Preparations for Beaching."
9. The third of the three auxiliary diesels is warmed up to assure full supply of electric power for the door, ramp, and winch motors.
10. The Assistant First Lieutenant, and two men of the un-dogging detail, un-dog the bow doors.
11. Meanwhile, the shipfitter, and three men from the un-dogging detail, un-dog the ramp.
12. When the doors are cleared, a report is made to the conn.  The report "Door Un-dogged and Free" is relayed to bow and ramp control.
13. The order is now given for all generators to supply power to all beaching machinery.
14. The ventilators are given a final check.
15. The fire watch is again posted.
16. The operation of the door and ramp motor is tested, and reported to the conn.

3.  Thirty Minutes Before Beaching, the Order is Given to Sound the Beaching Alarm.

1. The ship goes from General Quarters to Condition 1 Mike -- Beaching Stations.
2. The First Lieutenant comes forward to take charge of bow door and ramp control.
3. The ventilators are started.
4. The troops man their tanks, and the fire watch stands by as the engines are started and warmed up.
5. The lashing chains securing the tanks are released.
6. The lashing chains are removed on the main deck.
7. Extra gasoline drums are jettisoned.
8. The elevator winch cover is removed, and the clutch engaged for elevator operation.
9. The stern anchor is readied for letting go as soon as the command is given; the wire securing straps are removed, the power is checked, and the winch and its controls are tested to check their operation.

4.  Twenty Minutes Before Beaching, the Order is Given to Prepare to Open Doors and Lower Ramp.

1. A quartermaster is stationed forward to take soundings with a specially rigged line -- marked every foot.  The soundings enable the navigator to check chart soundings.
2. When the ship is a half-mile from the beach, the sanitary system is cut off.
3. When the corner ramp dogs are cast free, the leading man signals ramp control by holding his arms over his head.
4. Permission is requested of conn to test the ramp.
5. The motor is started, and the ramp opens slightly.  To save time in combat, the motor is un-clutched, and ramp put on the brake.  This way, the ramp can be lowered in twenty seconds.
6. All stations for beaching now report "Manned and Ready."

5.  Just Before Beaching, the Command is Given "Open Bow Doors."

1. When the doors are parallel to the keel, "Bow Doors Open" is reported to the conn.
2. The command is then given "Lower Ramp," and the ramp is lowered to about six feet above the waterline.
3. Word is passed to "Let Go Stern Anchor" when the ship is about two-and-a-half lengths from the beach.  The clutch plate is released and, as soon as the anchor has grounded, the winch is permitted to run free.

6.  As Soon as the Beach has been Hit, the Order is Given to "Drop the Ramp."

1. The ramp is lowered.
2. The order is given to "Disembark."  The traffic light flashes to green, and the tanks move out quickly.
3. The ship must be held at right angles to the beach throughout the unloading; this prevents broaching (swinging parallel to the beach).
4. As the unloading progresses, the ship grows lighter.  Ballast must be added forward to keep the bow on the beach; the engines are kept driving forward; the stern anchor is slacked off so the ship can be constantly driven into the sand, but enough tension is maintained on the cable to keep the stern from swinging.
5. When the last tank has disembarked, the report "Tank Deck Clear" is made to conn.
6. The order for unloading the main deck is given.
7. The elevator pins are removed from their sockets -- releasing the elevator from its housing.
8. The elevator guides are installed.
9. Vehicles on the main deck are jockeyed into position on the elevator.  A guide is stationed where he can watch the elevator and signal directions to the operator.
10. Vehicles are lowered on the elevator from the main deck to the tank deck where, once the elevator comes to a complete stop, they drive directly off the ship through the bow doors.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Mayor.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C. Enjoy the weekend with your brother.

[SAMWolf]

It would have been interesting to see how the C-6 fared if it was ever put into production.

[SAMWolf]

1940 German cruiser Blücher torpedoed/capsizes in Oslofjord, 1,000 die

The Blücher sinking in the Oslofjord, after she had been hit by around twenty shells and two torpedoes of the Norwegian coastal defences.

The Blücher shortly after her commissioning