# World War II landing ship arrives this morning on North Shore.



## Chopstick (Sep 1, 2010)

This is going to be so cool.  Im sad that I have to work out at my 'burb office and not in town today or Id go take in the show!

http://post-gazette.com/pg/10244/1084084-100.stm

Two World War II relics will salute each other this morning on the North Shore.

LST 325, a massive transport that saw action off Sicily in 1943 and at Normandy in 1944, is scheduled to arrive at about 8 a.m. and pull alongside the USS Requin, the Navy sub moored outside the Carnegie Science Center. The landing ship, longer than a football field, will salute the city by firing off its 40 mm anti-aircraft gun.

When the LST 325 pulls parallel with the sub, the two ships will salute each other by "dipping their colors" -- lowering their flags to half-staff and then raising them again. The Requin, which was built during the war but never saw combat, will also return a salute with its own deck cannon.

The LST -- short for Landing Ship, Tank -- is the last of its kind in the world and is normally a floating museum in Evansville, Ind. It was one of 1,051 built during the war for amphibious assaults in North Africa, Europe and the Pacific. The ship left its base earlier this month and will stay in Pittsburgh for tours from Sept. 2-7 before heading off to Ohio. The ship will dock near Heinz Field and be open for tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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## Scotth (Sep 1, 2010)

That would be fun to see.


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## Brooklynben (Sep 1, 2010)

For more information on 325  http://www.hnsa.org/ships/lst325.htm


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## Chopstick (Sep 1, 2010)

There is a video in the news story here of the ship docking today! 

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/24836698/detail.html


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## Trip_Wire (Sep 1, 2010)

I have ridden on the LST a few times in the sea of Japan, between islands off Korea. They don't handle rough seas all that well. Many of the WW 2 landing craft were used in that area to re-supply the Chinese/NK POW camps on the various islands off the Korean coast. Many of the LST's during that period were Captained and crewed by Japanese civilian sailors.


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## American-n-NZ (Sep 1, 2010)

TW, I'm sure with that relatively flat bottom that it rolls well... :) I'm sure that can be fun when it's full of materials. Chop we expect pictures of you standing on the bow holding up the beers you will give us for election votes!


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## Chopstick (Sep 1, 2010)

LOL Im gonna try to make it down there this weekend if I can.  I wonder if they will let me do my campaign photo shoot on it?  "Hope, Change and Beer" is my slogan!


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## Manolito (Sep 1, 2010)

LST's were used as mother ships in the early days of VN and the PBR's operated off them. I was attached to the Caddo Parish  515 and the Jennings County 846. We tied up on boat davits and then climbed up to the main deck. The well deck was used to repair PBR's and twice they had beer call and we were allowed to have two beers each. Even Korean Crown Beer tasted good. 
Couple of times the captain an 03 tried going up the Bassack river this made a pretty big target and they decided to stay in the gulf. We then moved up the river and worked off a YFNB 9 Yard Fitted Navy Barge
Trip you and I are probably the only two old enough to have been on one. 
Thanks for the article Chop.
Bill


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## Chopstick (Sep 1, 2010)

Thanks for that first hand history Bill!
Ive been on the sub down there.  I am amazed at the number of crew they could fit in that thing!


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## AWP (Sep 1, 2010)

The article states it is the only surviving one. Seriously? I would have thought others would still be out there.


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## Chopstick (Sep 1, 2010)

Apparently that is incorrect.  There is another one.

http://www.lst393.org/index.html


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## AWP (Sep 2, 2010)

Thank you, Chop. Good stuff.


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