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Friday, August 22, 2008 --- 104 days ago http://www.chillicothenews.com/homepage/x2090470183/Warship-docks-in-Hannibal
 HANNIBAL, Mo. — The LST 325, a landing ship tank, is visiting several cities on the Mississippi River and arrived this week in Hannibal on Thursday. The ship, 328-feet long, will be docked here for public tours through Monday, Aug. 25. Hannibal is the ship’s first stop after having left Evansville, Ind., on Sunday, Aug. 17. It will depart from Hannibal on Tuesday and travel to Moline, Ill., then Clinton, Iowa, then Ft. Madison, Iowa. It is scheduled to return to Evansville on Thursday, Sept. 18. The LSTs were the only ships ever made that could go anywhere in the world and deposit their cargo onto a hostile beach and then go get another load. These ships could carry 20 Sherman tanks in the giant hold below deck. On the main deck they could also carry 30 to 40 trucks, many tons of fuel, ammunition, supplies, soldiers and marines. The LSTs were used during World War II, Korea and the Vietnam conflicts. This ship, the LST 325, was at Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. “Other ships such as battle ships, received much publicity and glory for their accomplishments during these wars, but it is my opinion the LST was more valuable in its own right because of its capabilities,” said George White, a WWII marine. “Air strikes and shelling from ships never cause the enemy to give up. Tanks and men were needed. No other ship could land on a beach, open its front doors for troops and tanks to storm on shore to battle. It was bloody and fatal at ti ... |
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