An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

 

West Loch Disaster

History of West Loch Disaster

On May 21, 1944, 34 ships gathered in Pearl Harbor's West Loch to load ammunition and supplies in preparation for the invasion of Saipan. The LSTs (landing ship, tank) or ships designed to land battle-ready tanks, were closely nested together along six berths. At 3:08 p.m, an explosion rocked the deck of LST 353. A chain reaction of explosions followed that left six LSTs sunk and several more severely damaged. In all, 163 men were killed, and 396 wounded.

It was Pearl Harbor's second greatest disaster in terms of casualties. Though the incident could have caused a serious operational delay, replacements of ships and men were quickly rounded up. The LSTs got underway only one day late as the invasion of Saipan took place on schedule.

All that is left as a reminder of that fateful day is the rusted hulk of LST 480, standing silently off of Waipio Peninsula. In 1994, the National Park Service, in conjunction with the U.S. Navy, placed a wayside exhibit directly across from LST 480 to commemorate the event.

 

Google Translation Disclaimer

  • Google Translate, a third party service provided by Google, performs all translations directly and dynamically.
  • Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, cnrh.cnic.navy.mil has no control over the features, functions, or performance of the Google Translate service.
  • The automated translations should not be considered exact and should be used only as an approximation of the original English language content.
  • This service is meant solely for the assistance of limited English-speaking users of the website.
  • Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, cnrh.cnic.navy.mil does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information translated.
  • Some items cannot be translated, including but not limited to image buttons, drop down menus, graphics, photos, or portable document formats (pdfs).
  • Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, cnrh.cnic.navy.mil does not directly endorse Google Translate or imply that it is the only language translation solution available to users.
  • All site visitors may choose to use similar tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, cnrh.cnic.navy.mil content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk.
  • IE users: Please note that Google Translate may not render correctly when using Internet Explorer. Users are advised to use MS Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox browser to take full advantage of the Google Translate feature.
  • The official text of content on this site is the English version found on this website. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in translated text, refer to the English version on this website, it is the official version.

Commander, Navy Region Hawaii   |   850 Ticonderoga St   |   Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-5101
Official U.S. Navy Website