Long Description:Marker Text: During World War II, Dravo's shipyard here was a
leader in the manufacture of Landing Ship Tanks--LSTs--for the U.S.
Navy. Dravo's over 16,000 workers produced a total of 145 LSTs.
This and four other inland yards, all using techniques pioneered by
Dravo, contributed two-thirds of the Navy's fleet of over 1,000
LSTs. These amphibious craft proved vital to the success of Allied
landings on enemy shores, 1943-45.
LST—Landing Ship Tank or Large Slow Target. These ships were
originally conceived by the British Admiralty after the disastrous
withdrawal at Dunkirk demonstrated a need to rapidly transfer
troops and material to or from a beachhead. The Royal Navy met with
the US Navy’s Bureau of Ships and a concept was quickly designed
into an incredible vessel that became the workhorse of the allied
landings. The Dravo Corporation was designated as the lead shipyard
for LSTs. The company developed fabrication techniques that reduced
construction time and costs and were applied to the other shipyards
that built LSTs. LST 1's keel was laid at Neville Island on July
20, 1942, and the ship was delivered to the navy on December 14,
1942—less than 5 months! Dravo built 145 LSTs during the war. The
American Bridge Corporation in Ambridge built 119. There were a
total of 1,051 LSTs built during WWII.
The LST was a moderate sized vessel, especially for an inland
shipbuilder. It was 328 feet long and had a beam of 50 feet. It
carried 2,100 tons of cargo at roughly 9 knots. It was armed
primarily for defense against air attack.
LSTs were used in landings in Sicily and Italy. The initial
beaching on D-Day used 173 LSTs. They were extensively used in the
Pacific with the largest flotilla of 343 used in the first landing
on Okinawa. Of the 1,051 built, only 23 were lost to enemy fire,
and another 16 lost to weather or accidents. Most of the ships were
scrapped in the late ‘40s after the war, but some built by Dravo
during the war served in Korea and later in Vietnam.
After finding the marker, we searched Neville Island in hopes of
finding some evidence of the Dravo Shipyard. While we did not find
anything conclusive, (like a building with Dravo written on it) we
were fairly sure that we had found at least part of the shipyard at
the Frontier Steel facility about 4 tenths of a mile east of the
historical marker on Grand Avenue. We checked the Frontier Steel
website (see link below) and sure enough it is the Dravo Shipward
where they built the LSTs. Approximate coordinates for the yard on
Grand Avenue are N 40º 30.594 W 80º 07.376.
See the Mooncrest Historical Marker Waymark (WMJ02)to see where
many of the Dravo workers lived.
The I-79 bridge over the Ohio River at Neville Island has been
dedicated as The Pittsburgh Naval & Shipbuilders Memorial
Bridge 1941 – 1945.
The Dravo Corporation Historical Marker Waymark is dedicated to
the Navigator’s parents. Ma Navigator welded LSTs for Dravo at
Neville Island during the war. Pa Navigator’s Seabee battalion,
sailed from Saipan (N 15º 11’ E 145º 45’) to Okinawa (N 26º 21‘ E
127º 45’) about 1,400 miles on LSTs in the spring of 1945. Chances
are he was not on one of her ships, but who knows? This Waymark is
also dedicated to all the men and women of World War II who fought
on the battle fronts and the home front.
For additional information regarding the women and men involved
with LSTs, may we suggest the book "Don’t Call Me Rosie The Women
Who Welded LSTs and The Men Who Sailed On Them" by Kathleen
Thomas.
("http://www.thomaswright.com/LSTbookinfo.htm"
target="_blank">visit link)
("http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0975485407/sr=8-1/qid=1153634958/ref=sr_1_1/104-7403421-3238359?ie=UTF8"
target="_blank">visit link)
Links:
Wikipedia Entry, “Tank landing ship”:
("http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LST" target="_blank">visit
link)
Frontier Steel:
("http://www.frontiersteel.com/the_facility.html"
target="_blank">visit link)
NavSource Online: An amazing archive of all the LSTs built
during the war, includes build dates and locations, specifications,
missions, and eventual disposition of the vessel. Photos for many
of the LSTs: ("http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16idx.htm"
target="_blank">visit link)
Pittsburgh Tribune Review article on LSTs:
("http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_51799.html"
target="_blank">visit link)
An archive of all the LSTs built by Dravo at Neville Island:
("http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbldg/ussbldrs/wwii/navalshipbuilders/dravopittsburgh.htm"
target="_blank">visit link)
Nearby Waymark:
("http://www.waymarking.com/wm/details.aspx?f=1&lat=40.4589&lon=-79.8309&t=3&id=15235&gid=3&guid=827a58fc-c829-49b1-814f-f4d230cfbdc1"
target="_blank">visit link)
There are many other excellent sources of information on LSTs on
the web.
