The USS LST-393 is an LST-1-class tank landing ship constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Laid down on July 27, 1942, at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, she was launched on November 11, 1942, and commissioned on December 11, 1942. Notably, she is one of only two LSTs to remain in her original configuration out of the 1,051 built, and she now serves as a museum ship in Muskegon, Michigan. During her wartime service, LST-393 was assigned to the European Theater, participating in key operations including the Sicilian occupation in July 1943, the Salerno landings in September 1943, and the Normandy invasion in June 1944. She arrived at Omaha Beach on the night of June 6, 1944, and was heavily involved in the landing operations, offloading Sherman tanks, equipment, and supplies. The ship made 30 round trips to Omaha Beach, transporting troops, equipment, and returning with wounded soldiers and German prisoners. Her service earned her three battle stars. LST-393 was one of the few LSTs equipped with a Brodie landing system, allowing her to deploy and recover an L-4 Grasshopper aircraft via a wire rigged from bow to stern on the port side. Her operational record includes 75 voyages totaling approximately 51,817 nautical miles, touching down in numerous locations including North Africa, Sicily, Italy, England, Wales, Ireland, France, and the Panama Canal Zone. She carried over 9,135 soldiers, more than half of an Army division, along with 3,248 vehicles, 5,373 prisoners of war, and 817 casualties. After the war, LST-393 was decommissioned on March 1, 1946, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1947. She was sold in 1948 to the Sand Products Corporation of Detroit, renamed Highway 16, and converted into a merchant vessel serving as a waterborne extension of U.S. Highway 16 across Lake Michigan. Today, LST-393 is preserved as a museum, with ongoing restoration efforts. Since 2000, volunteer groups have worked to restore her to her wartime appearance, including the notable reactivation of her bow doors in 2007. She stands as a significant maritime relic, representing the logistical and amphibious efforts of World War II.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.