Muskegon, MI: USS Silversides Submarine, USCGC, SS Milwaukee Clipper and USS LST 393 Museums

Submarine: (Satellite)

USCGC: (Satellite)

Clipper: (Satellite) This appears to be moored in a former ferry dock.

LST 393: (Satellite, 1,224 photos)

SilversidesMuseum
Silversides received twelve battle stars for World War II service and was awarded one Presidential Unit Citation for cumulative action over four patrols. She is credited with sinking 23 ships, the third-most of any allied World War II submarine, behind only the USS Tang and USS Tautog. The tonnage of the ships sunk by Silversides amounted to 90,080 tons, second only to Tang's total. Judged by such standards, Silversides has the most prolific combat record of any still-extant American submarine.
[After the war, it was docked here by the Naval Armory in Chicago for naval reserve training. It was removed from the Naval Register on June 30,1969 and towed to Muskegon for preservation.]

Tony Bidigare posted
The SAM LAUD passing by the museum ship USS Silversides as she enters the port at Muskegon Mi.

Michael Moran: In addition to the Silversides sub you have:

-NOAA Laurentian with the blue hull

-Matt Allen tugboat

-Jessica Joy tender boat with A frame crane tied to Matt Allen in the outbound photo

-dredge Buxton II alongside the Silversides

Eric Reese: Silversides sent 23 ships to the bottom in WW2, the third most of any US boat (fifth by tonnage), earning 12 battle stars. Impressive record.

 

Tony Bidigare posted
I just love seeing the SS Alpena passing by the USS Silversides as she pulls into Muskegon. She is the oldest steamship on the great lakes having been built in 1942.
Donny Blair: I thought the lee a tregeurtha was also built in 1942.
Tony Bidigare: Wikipedia has the Alpena as the oldest steamship on the great lakes. Maybe LAT is a diesel or perhaps built later the same year.
Donny Blair: Tony Bidigare alpena feb 42 lat june 42.
Charlie Campbell: Tregurtha was a steamship until 2005 when she was converted to diesel.
Ken Zimmerman: Donny Blair The Alpena (formally the Leon Fraser) was built here on the lake. The Lee A Tragurtha was originally built as a WW2 tanker (the Chiwawa I believe) then converted to a lake freighter after the war. Interesting tidbit, she was present in Tokyo Bay during the signing ceremony ending WW2.
Ron Harner: how long before Alpena leaves?
Tony Bidigare: Ron Harner She is a self unloader so it shouldn't take more than eight or nine hours at the most. [Toney is wondering if he can catch her with a 2 hour trip.]
[The comments include additional photos of the Alpena.]
Nick Breznai shared
James Torgeson: Originally the Leon Fraser, one of five “Supers” built for USS to handle the tremendous increase in ore traffic generated by WW2.

This was a Gato-Class submarine. That was the type of sub that was built by Manitowoc during WWII and floated down the Illinois Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1947 this sub would have had to come back up the Illinois Waterway to its new home by the Chicago Naval Armory.

Screenshot

The US Coast Guard Cutter is just east of the submarine.

Josh Pennington, Aug 2017

SS Milwaukee Clipper Preservation, Inc., Apr 2020
"The oldest remaining passenger ship on the Great Lakes."
[I looked for a construction date to confirm that it was built before the 1907 SS Keewatin. But their "history" had just photos.]

Like the SS Keewatin, the SS Milwaukee Clipper is old enough to have reciprocating engines instead of turbines.

Heather Staley, Aug 2022

I was aware of LST (Landing Ship, Tank) because of the LST shipyard in Seneca, IL, and I toured LST 325 in Evansville, IN. I'm glad to see that another one was preserved. I read where some cities were fighting to have LST 325 moved to their city.

Street View, Jul 2018

lst393_history-393
[This shows how the bow door tilts down to create a ramp so the tanks can drive off onto a beach. The bow door was reopened in 2007 after it had been welded shut in the late 1940s.]
"The USS LST 393 was launched in Newport News, Virginia on November 11, 1942. Immediately after sea trials, she went to work in the defense of her country in Europe. Over nine thousand soldiers made their way to the front aboard LST 393, as well as 3, 248 vehicles. She also carried over five thousand prisoners and, during her service, logged 51, 817 nautical miles. The LST 393 made 75 voyages to foreign shores on three continents, including 30 round trips to the beaches of Normandy. She won battle stars for her service in the occupation of Sicily, the invasion of Salerno, and the D-day invasion at Normandy and was decommissioned in 1946."

Jimmy Gilbert, Jul 2019, cropped

The tank deck makes a natural event space.

lst393_rent-the-ship
[I wonder what happened that they no longer allow weddings there. This set up is for a class reunion.]

lst393_general
[This web site also has a nice general history of the LST program. In particular, it lists the five "Cornfiled Navy" shipyards: "Seneca, Ill.; Evansville and Jeffersonville, Ind.; and Pittsburgh and Ambridge, Penn." (I knew there were five river-based shipyards, but I have trouble remembering where they were.) The reason they were located on inland rivers was to eliminate the threat of German submarines. More than 1000 LSTs were built in 18 shipyards in three years, with 670 of them constructed inland.]

I had already written these notes for Silversides. I found the other museums while looking for where this freighter might be headed. I read confirmation that it was headed here.

safe_image for 767-foot freighter grounded on Lake Michigan near Muskegon
"The Kaye E. Barker, shown in this 2022 file photo stuck on Lake Michigan outside the pier heads in Muskegon, ran aground again off Muskegon on Monday, April 24. [2023]"
[An article last year said the USACE was going to dredge 126,500cuyd out of this this harbor before doing beach replenishment in a couple of other towns. Did they not do that dredging? This year they are also talking about dredging 126,500cuyd out of the harbor. Or did Mother Nature push that much sand back into the harbor in just one year?
They unloaded some of the stone onto a barge and were able to free the freighter without any harm to the freighter or the environment.]

A video of ice flowing in and out of Muskegon Lake. I assume this is because of shifting winds since I don't think there is enough tidal action on the Great Lakes to do this.