History Channel - History Classics Hero Ships (2008) Part 1 Landing Ship Tanks

History Classics: Hero Ships

For nearly a hundred years, these steel, grey-skinned battlewagons have fought off everything from Al Qaeda to dive-bombing Kamikazes. Some returned from the hell of war to become major tourist attractions for new generations. Others continue to patrol the world's trouble-spots in America's latest war. History Classics: Hero Ships profiles the complete combat history and evolving technology of a single American ship, often through multiple conflicts. These are the battleships, destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines, and specialized ships that belong in the warship hall of fame. Archival footage and interviews are punctuated by all-access inspections of the ship's “battle stations,” conducted by young, active Navy sailors. The series lets us understand the role of each weapon and technology, the dramas that unfolded in different rooms during the heat of battle, and the unique traditions and stories of each vessel.

Part 1: Landing Ship Tanks

“Landing Ship Tanks” weren't deemed noble enough even to have names. They were not thought of as warships even though they were always the first floating metal to touch fire-swept beaches from North Africa, to Sicily, to Normandy, and from the Philippines to Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The story of these ships is therefore one of an unsung hero, as it reveals not just the considerable war-long battle action of one ship, but exemplifies the collective saga of a design class that had absolutely no military precedent before the first keel was laid in June of 1942. We learn the dire necessity of these ships from crucial role in D-Day, how the date was postponed to allow for more to be constructed, and how precariously close they came to disaster with the tragic story of Exercise Tiger, the botched D-Day dress rehearsal that claimed the lives of hundreds of LST sailors and put the entire mission in jeopardy.