During World War II, the Evansville river front was transformed into a 45 acre shipyard capable of producing LSTs (Landing Ship, Tanks) whose ability to land men and material in various theaters of operation was indispensable to the war effort. This metamorphosis brought a peak work force of 19,200 workers to the Yard as Evansville became the largest producer of LSTs in the nation. Though the Navy had originally contracted Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron--the lead contractor--for twenty-four ships, 167 LSTs and 35 other craft were eventually built at the Evansville Shipyard. At peak production, two vessels were completed every week.
This output of LSTs was unmatched in the United States. In recognition of this record, the Shipyard received the Army-Navy "E" flag and two subsequent white stars which signified excellence in the production of wartime materials.
With the surrender of Germany and Japan, production of LSTs was reduced. The last sailing from the Shipyard occurred on December 12, 1945, and with the combination of a fire which swept the facility in January of 1946 and the government sale of the property in late 1947, the Evansville Shipyard became a part of history.
Today, the Evansville Shipyard, and the men and women employed at this industrial giant, are symbolic of the dedicated effort put forth by millions of Americans during World War II to achieve ultimate victory over the Axis powers. The Evansville Museum's permanent exhibition, Answering the Call: Evansville and the LST, recalls the people who worked at the Shipyard and the men who served aboard LSTs.
The exhibition includes artifacts such as a silver christening bowl and champagne bottle from the launching of LST 163; the broom from the broom raising of LST 553; a wheel and signal light from an LST; a video history; and photographs of the Shipyard. Soon to be added to the exhibition are the uniform of a sailor who served aboard an Evansville-built LST; and recorded oral histories of sailors who served aboard locally constructed LSTs. The center piece of the exhibition is an intricate 7' model of LST 542. Constructed by Gibbs and Cox, who performed design work on the LST during World War II, this model has been on loan to the Museum from the U. S. Navy for over three decades.
For further information on this topic, contact the USLST Association. http://www.abi24me.com/lst.html
In 1948 the United States Navy donated 9000 photographic images of the Evansville Shipyard to the Evansville Museum. Taken by Jack Rusche and Don Followell from 1942-1945, these photographs thoroughly document the history of the Evansville Shipyard and the construction of LSTs. Today, these photographs are utilized by researchers interested in the Shipyard and the ships produced at this facility. A sampling of these images is available below. Please note that the "RESTRICTED" stamp on some of this photographs was placed there by the Navy during World War II. These photographs were deemed to contain sensitive wartime information.
The following drawings of a 542 class LST consist of large.jpg files. Please allow plenty of time to download. In order to see the details present in these drawing, it is recommended that the images be downloaded and opened in a program capable of zooming. To do this in Microsoft Internet Explorer, right click your mouse and use the "Save Picture As.." command.
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