Nash (tugboat)

Nash is a World War II U.S. Army Large Tug (LT) class seagoing tugboat built as hull #298 at Jakobson Shipyard, Oyster Bay NY as a Design 271 steel hulled Large Tug delivered November, 1943.[3][4] Originally named Major Elisha K. Henson (LT-5), in 1946 she was renamed John F. Nash[5] by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since retirement from the Corps of Engineers, LT-5 has been renamed Major Elisha K. Henson. As of the 1992 date of its listing as a National Historic Landmark, LT-5 was believed to be the last functional U.S. Army vessel that participated in Normandy landings, but at least one other survives.

World War II US Army Large Tug Major Elisha K. Henson (LT-5) at H. Lee White Marine Museum, Oswego, New York
History
United States
Name: Major Elisha K. Henson (LT-5)
Builder: Jakobson Shipyard, Oyster Bay NY
Fate: Museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type: LT (large tug)
Type: tugboat
Displacement: 306 long tons (311 t)
Length: 114.1 feet (34.8 m)
Beam: 25 feet (7.6 m)
Draft: 14 feet (4.3 m)
Propulsion: Enterprise 8-cylinder diesel
Speed: 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)
Major Elisha K. Henson (LT-5)
ex-John F. Nash (LT-5)
LocationOswego, New York
Coordinates43°27′48.5″N 76°30′56.2″W
Built1943 Jakobson Shipyard, Oyster Bay NY
ArchitectCox & Stevens
NRHP reference No.91002059
Significant dates
Added to NRHP4 December 1991[1]
Designated NHL4 December 1992[2]

LT-5 sailed to Great Britain in February 1944 in anticipation of Operation Overlord, the planned allied invasion Europe. On June 6, 1944, LT-5 sailed for Normandy with two barges as part of Operation Mulberry, in support of Overlord. Under fire, the tug ferried supplies to the landing beaches for the next month, in the process shooting down a German fighter aircraft on June 9.[5]

After the war, LT-5 returned to the United States. Assigned to the Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in May 1946, LT-5 was renamed John F. Nash. Nash was the Buffalo District's Senior Engineer and Chief Civilian Assistant for the period 1932 to 1941. From 1946 to 1989, Nash served the lower Great Lakes region by assisting in the maintenance of harbors, and construction projects that included the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s.[5]

Renamed Major Elisha K. Henson, she has been largely restored to her original configuration by the H. Lee White Marine Museum in Oswego, New York where she is currently on display. Tours are available Mid-May through the end of September.[6] LT-5 was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992. A sister ship located at Kewaunee, Wisconsin, the Major Wilbur Fr. Browder (LT-4), now the Tug Ludington, is a museum ship which also served the U.S. Army at D-Day and otherwise has a similar history, which was listed on the National Register in 2002.

Major Elisha K. Henson (LT-5) (ex-Nash)
  • LT-5 starboard-side view, 2009.
  • LT-5 bow view

Awards

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "NASH (Harbor Tug)". National Historic Landmarks Program. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
  3. T. Colton (October 22, 2011). "Jakobson Shipyard, Oyster Bay NY". ShipbuildingHistory. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  4. T. Colton (November 23, 2011). "U.S. Army Ocean Tugs (LT, ST)". ShipbuildingHistory. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  5. Delgado, James P. (October 5, 1990). "Maritime Heritage of the United States Theme Study—Large Vessels Registration: Nash (Harbor Tug)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-10-19. and
    "Accompanying Five Photos c.1946 to 1990". National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  6. H. Lee White Marine Museum. "LT-5 Tugboat". H. Lee White Marine Museum. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
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