The USS LST 393 is a type of ship called an LST-1-class tank landing ship. It was built for the United States Navy during World War II. It is one of only two LSTs that still look the same as when they were first made; a total of 1,051 LSTs were built. Today, the USS LST 393 is a museum ship located in Muskegon, Michigan.
World War II
LST 393 was built on 27 July 1942 at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company and launched on 11 November 1942. The ship was officially put into service on 11 December 1942.
During World War II, LST-393 served in the European Theater and took part in several operations: the Sicilian occupation (July 1943); the Salerno landings (September 1943); and the Invasion of Normandy (June 1944). She was awarded three battle stars for those missions.
LST 393 arrived at the Omaha Beach area on the night of 6 June 1944. After unloading Sherman tanks and other war supplies, the ship remained stranded on the beach for two days due to unpredictable tides. She completed 30 round trips to Omaha Beach, transporting equipment and supplies to France and returning with injured soldiers and thousands of German prisoners.
LST 393 was among a small number of LSTs equipped with a system that allowed an airplane to be deployed and recovered. A wire was stretched from the bow to the stern on the ship’s port side, and an L-4 Grasshopper airplane used a snare pole to take off and land.
After serving in the invasion of France, LST 393 was assigned to return to the U.S. east coast for repairs. At that time, she was assigned to participate in the planned Invasion of Japan and was painted in tropical camouflage. She was en route to the Panama Canal for a journey to the Pacific Ocean when the war ended in September 1945.
U.S. military records show the ship made 75 voyages to foreign shores and traveled over 51,817 nautical miles in her first three years of service. Her anchor touched the bottom in 38 locations, including parts of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, England, Wales, Ireland, France, and the Canal Zone. LST 393 is credited with carrying 9,135 soldiers—more than half of an Army division—and 3,248 vehicles, ranging from Long Tom howitzers to Jeeps. Records also show she transported 5,373 prisoners of war and 817 casualties.
Post-war ferry service
After the war, LST 393 returned to the United States. It was taken out of active service on 1 March 1946 and removed from the Naval Vessel Register on 14 March 1947. On 28 March 1948, the tank landing ship was sold to the Sand Products Corporation of Detroit, Michigan. It was converted to carry goods and renamed Highway 16. This ship became a water route that connected to the former U.S. Highway 16. That highway, later replaced by Interstate 96, stretched from Detroit to Muskegon, Michigan, and from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Yellowstone National Park. The modified LST had its bow doors sealed and its tank deck changed to transport cars. It traveled across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, where U.S. Highway 16 continued on land.
Museum ship
Two groups tried to restore LST 393 to its original condition. A group from the Muskegon Museum started in 2000 and made progress with help from the Michigan LST Association. However, this effort did not succeed after about two years.
In 2005, a group led by Muskegon residents Dan Weikel and Bob Wygant asked Sand Products Corp., the owner, for permission to continue the work. Years of cleaning and painting made the ship ready for tours. In 2007, great effort allowed the bow doors to open for the first time since they were sealed in the late 1940s.
The museum continued to grow with thousands of artifacts added and most parts of the ship restored. This work created the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum.