LST 325

By Scott Fisher


LST (Landing Ship Tank) is a World War II vessel designed to transport tanks and troops during coastal beach landings. Mr. John Niedermair from the Bureau of Ships sketched the basic design of LST during WWII, and with few adjustments the first LST was made. LST’s were usually 327 feet long and “typically had no names just numbers”. There were sixteen shipyards building LST’s including the five shipyards in the Midwest. The purpose of an LST was to carry supplies to battlefield landings and often returned men who had been wounded in action. LST 325 has been brought to a permanent dock in Evansville, Indiana, to memorialize LST landing crafts and their crews, and their important contributions in the United States Wars.

The Structure of the LST 325 consisted of a main deck, tank deck control room, port wind deck, aft crew quarters, tank deck, gallery passage, fantail, LCVP, pilot house, and a main & auxiliary engine rooms. On the main deck composed of light cargo like ambulances, trucks, and jeeps. Mounted on the main deck were clover leaves which lashed vehicles and other big cargo down to the main dock to minimize movement. At the front of the ship was a cargo elevator which was used to move cargo from the main dock to the tank deck which cargo could be unloaded of the ship through the bow doors. Throughout the years of the use of the LST the elevator got replaced with a ramp. Next going closed to the front of the ship are the forward guns and Fire control Director. At this location of the ship, which is also called Anchor Windlass, all of the ship’s forward guns could be directed at a target. Go on to the tank deck control room which is a space where the crew could control various functions of the tank deck including the tank deck blowers, opening/closing of bow doors, traffic signals, and bow ramp. The Port Wind deck was a series of compartments. Those compartments are very similar to each other containing troop berthing areas, lavatories and run the entire length of the ship. In the middle of the compartments was a sickbay. The Aft Crew Quarters was where the entire crew would berth allowing both of the other wings for the soldiers. The enlisted crew would also eat here after getting their food for the dining room above. The hatch in the center of the deck allowed access to frozen and dry food storage and the steering of the ship. Next the tank deck, which was the main component of a LST ship. This empty space is where vehicles, equipment and supplies were stored. In addition to that basic role of carrying cargo to the beach during an invasion, some of the LST’s were remodeled to be floating repair ships, troop barracks, and floating hospitals. Below the tank deck is the engine rooms, fuel tanks, and the ballast for the LST. Moving your way up the ship layout there are different hatches. Inside those hatches contain rooms that house various shops, ammunition lockers, and paint lockers. Across from the hatches is the starboard side is where the electrical shop and machine shop is located. Whereas on the front there is a rectangular shape bow, Bow Ramp, which is held in place by heavy gripes. On the top side of the ramp there are the Bow Doors. These Bow Doors and Ramp works: as the ship comes to the shore the doors are opened by electric motors and once the ship is aground the ramp is lowered with a winch to allow equipment to be taken off or on.

The Galley Passage is where all the meals for the crew are prepared and contains the serving line. The fantail contains the winch to lower the ramp which is attached to the Stern Anchor. This Stern Anchor has two functions: to prevent the ship from broaching which means that it helps keep the ship perpendicular to the beach and secondly helps pull the ship seaward. Moving on in the ship to the LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel) which is where anyone can get a good view at the ship’s boats, Higgins boats, are platoon boats that carry men to shore. Next there’s a pilot house (Wheel House or Radio Room) where the ship is steered and orders given to the engine room. The Radio room is equipped with the ships communications equipment which is currently still operational. On the last level are the main & auxiliary engine rooms. On LST’s the propulsion comes from the two general motors’ V-12 Diesel engines each delivering 850 horsepower. Electrical power on the ship is provided by three generators, each being powered by inline-6 Detroit Diesel with output voltages of 440 VDC. The places where AC is required, the DC current are converted through use of the Motor-Generator set. Also on this level of the ship are desalination units. These desalination units are voids and all storage compartments of diesel fuel, lubricating oils and fresh water. The ballast tanks can be filled or emptied of seawater to improve the “trim” of the ship; how high or low the ships ride in the water. These tanks allow the captain to adjust the weight of the ship for better sea handling performance and for proper beaching trim.

Image: http://www.cmh.net/~jpvsr/LST_325.html