The LST 325, a ship known for making over 40 trips between England and France during World War II to deliver troops and supplies, will make its second trip to Pittsburgh in September to deliver a glimpse of history to locals.
“There was a tremendous amount of enthusiasm here the last time the ship was here,” said Dan Cinowalt, a Pittsburgher who became a crew member when the ship made its first appearance in the city in 2010. “They figured they’d come back and give it another shot.”
The enthusiasm perhaps comes from Pittsburgh’s connection to LSTs. Although the LST 325 was built in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, others like it were manufactured by Dravo Corp. on Neville Island and by the American Bridge Corp. in Ambridge.
The ship will dock on the North Shore near Heinz Field and will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 2-8. Mr. Cinowalt suggested that guests arrive early because during the ship’s last visit to Pittsburgh, lines were so long that they had to be cut off toward the end of the day.
Tours are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 17 and $20 for families of four. Children under 6 are free.
This LST — short for Landing Ship, Tank — has a rich history. First commissioned on Feb. 1, 1943, the ship served Allied forces in northern Africa, Italy and England before carrying backup forces for troops who went ashore on D-Day. The day after troops landed in France, LST 325 anchored at Omaha Beach and delivered more troops and vehicles filled with supplies.
After the war, the ship was used in an Arctic operation that constructed radar posts along the coasts of eastern Canada and Greenland. It was later used by the Greek navy for 35 years until it was decommissioned in 1999.
By the end of its service in Greece, “this ship was dead in the water, nothing worked, and it was ready to be scrapped,” Mr. Cinowalt said. A group of men — with an average age of 72 — restored the boat, it sailed across the Atlantic and it has served as a memorial ship and museum ever since, he said.
The LST 325’s home port is in Evansville, Ind., and it usually travels to two U.S. cities a year.
“They would carry anything that needed to be delivered,” Mr. Cinowalt said, noting that LSTs were designed to carry vehicles like tanks, as well as food, fuel and fighters.
The ship will be full this September, too.
“There are other LSTs that have been configured to do other work,” Mr. Cinowalt said. “But this is the only one that is in original shape and configured like a wartime vessel.”
The ship contains 20 mm and 40 mm guns, a Korean War-era jeep that was used in the filming of the movie “M.A.S.H” and a Vietnam War-era 6 by 6 military vehicle, he said.
With the exception of some newer equipment, uniforms from the Greek navy and some museum displays, “they’ve tried to pretty much keep the ship the way it was during World War II,” said Bob Kubota, who has been the ship’s captain since November and was a crew member for three years before that.
Also on board will be crew members who are able to guide guests, provide information and answer questions about the ship. The crew consists of volunteer members from 10 to 12 states, and members range in age from their 50s to their 80s, Mr. Kubota said.
A few are World War II veterans and some are veterans who served on LSTs during later conflicts, he said.
According to Mr. Kubota, roughly 50 crew members will make the voyage along the Ohio River from Evansville to Pittsburgh. The men will live on board, but the five or six women making the trip will stay in hotels along the way because there are no women’s quarters on board at present, he said. After it visits Pittsburgh, the LST 325 will stop in Cincinnati from Sept. 12-16.
Ivy Kuhrman: ikuhrman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1510.
First Published: July 27, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
