hat to do if you are going to Hawaii for Water-level view of the chaos vacation and you’ve already paid your that occurred as 29 LSTs were Wrespects to the naval monuments at loading in Pearl Harbor’s West Pearl Harbor — USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Bowfin Loch for the invasion of the Mariana and Palau Islands. Six (SS-287), USS Oklahoma (BB-37) memorial, USS LSTs were consumed in the Utah (BB-31/AG-16), USS Missouri (BB-63), and explosion and resulting fires. you’ve taken in the Pacific Aviation Museum? How about seeing a World War II-era shipwreck in the wild? For those who are not scuba divers there are a number of opportunities to see the island’s shipwrecks of WWII. There are a number of shipwrecks that can easily be seen, and all are family friendly. Depending on your location, your budget, and your level of adventure, these warships can be seen from helicopter, shore, ship, or submarine.

When visiting Oahu’s Waikiki and Pearl invasion of the Mariana and Palau Islands, May, many of the LSTs had only half their crew We seek out the lesser-known World War Harbor area, many helicopter and some of the known as Operation Forager. The ships were aboard because, after a week of intensive Two shipwrecks in the Hawaiian Islands boat tours will take guests to see Landing Ship tied up, beam to beam, at six Tare piers. In the training, most officers and ratings had been Tank 480 (LST-480). The remains of this ship weeks leading up to the incident, the vessels given shore leave. stand as a reminder of the more than 130 men and crews had all been training for the At 1508, it is believed a 110mm mortar shell BY NICHOLAS A.VERONICO (and it should be noted that the exact toll is still upcoming invasion. The LSTs were crewed by exploded aboard LST-353 that was moored at a matter of debate) and six ships lost during the around 120 Navy sailors or Coast Guardsmen, Tare 8 and which then set off barrels of gasoline 21 May 1944 West Loch Disaster inside Pearl and manned by around 200 Marine loaders, stored nearby. The noise of the explosion was Harbor. At the time, 29 LSTs were loading drivers, and mechanics. The rapid expansion of heard miles away at Pearl Harbor Headquarters. stores and equipment for the forthcoming the Fleet meant many of the crews were made More explosions of increasing intensity followed, up of inexperienced Sailors and Marines. On 21 sparking some fears of a Japanese attack. Fire

The WWII gasoline barge YOGN-42 is hard on the reef on the north coast of the island of Lanai. This gasoline barge saw combat in the South Pacific and is said to have ended up on the beach while being towed during a storm in 1949. The eight-mile stretch of beach where YOGN-42 rests is named “Shipwreck Beach.” (Nicholas A. Veronico)

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