The Wilmington morning star., 1946-11-03
Exhibition Ship Opens
For Inspection Today
SDeeial Preview OF Dis.
plays To Be Staged For
City-County Officials

eXtenGed 10 Clty ana county OF
trials to view the U. S. Nava,
exhibition ship, LST-512, dockeo
.t the Champion Compress pier,
# John J. McMenamin, public re.
lstions Naval officer, said last
night
aver 10000 900 persons along the
mississippi river, and eastern coast
iine arrived yesterday at 10:3O a.
N and Immediately began max
mo preparation for a three-day
exhibit starting today at l o'clock
allowing a preview showing at
r9.30 o. N. It. McMenamin said.
cameras will be allowed aboard
+bp ship. it was disclosed by 1t.
william Provost, of Port Chester.
n Y, in charge of the vessel and
the 100 naval personnel aboard.
Cantain John Sivec, of Detroit,
heads the 95 Marines, who will act
as guides to the visitors.
The famed 512, with over $4,000
NM of captured Axis equipment
.board, came to Wilmington from
pbiladelphia. She leaves Tuesday
for Charleston, the 56th city to be
visited.
It. Henry E. Bost. district repre-
sentative for the Naval reserve
in Wilmington, was on hand to
greet the ships officers. He is also
siding in distributing invitations
to the special preview.
Probably the most notable single
fact about the 512 is that she plays
her present role of display ship
because her back was broken off
the coast of France during the
Normandy invasion after whicn she
was declared unfit for further COM
bat service.
Commissioned in January 1914,
the ramp-nosed, flat-bcttomed YES
sci was the 512th Landing ship,
ordered by the U. S Navy's Bur-
eau of Ships. She was built in
Senaca. H.. by the Chicago Bridge
and Iron company.
It. McMenamin declared the 512,
never lost man while in combat
service, although she had been
buzz-bombed by the Nazi air arrna-
= das. and had pussy footed her way
through nine-infested waters in
conveys with hundreds of other
craft
Most amazing Of the exhibits to
be shown Wilming;onlans, is the
life-like replica of a tropical jungle,
called by Pacific war veterans the
most realistic scene ever produced
this side OF the ocean.
Local observers will be guided
along twisting dirt path, through
island foliage. and will see
scenes exactly as the U. S. jungle
fighters saw them, during the con-
flict.
The temperature in the jungle,
maintained at 105 degrees, which
lends to the realism of the exhibit,
keeps the foliage and trees grow
ing, 1t, McMenamin said, adding
that the underground is real, and
not just dummies. Even the odor-
Gus smell of the tropics assails the
observer, and it would be easy to
believe that one might actually
catch a tropical disease while in
the exhibit. A dead japanese
sniper, a muddy water hole, twist
ing vines, and coconut trees, lend
the impression that one is actually
in jungle, and not still within bus
distance of their Wilmington home.
A captured Jap suicide plane, is
also available for local observance.
The plane, which actually is fly
ing bomb played a major role in
the Nipponese defense of their
homeland, and carries 1,135 pounds
Of explosives in its long nose. The
pilot, locked in his cockpit, flies
directly into his objective at 535
miles per hour.
American tanks, planes, and
radar equipment, as well as cap
tured Japanese guns and mortars,
and well-preserved Zero are dis
played. On deck, one Of the most
spectacular displays is a closeup
Of the famed Navy fighter plane,
Corsair, which is parked just ahead
Of the Jap Zero, its fighting foe
during the war.
Everyone on board the 512, from
Captain Provost to the black and
white puppy mascot seemed happy
10 arrive in Wilmington, and the
captain was not bothered by the
hfst rain the city has had in a
week
We've had over 10000 people on
board during actual storms, he
sad, The drawing power of the
exhibitions on this ship is amaz-
ing
Captain Provost said Marion A.
wilkins, a machinist mate, was
me only member of his crew from
Eastern North Carolina. Wilkins is
Mom Chinquapin, and one after
he ol2 docked, it was learned he
mad gone on leave.
captain John Baker, public re-
lauon officer, at Camp Lejeune,
arrived to welcome the 95 Marines
dooard the LIST, and was given an
soVance showing of many of the
displays.