Yes, they were planned and used to connect the inland industrial centers in Europe and the US.
There was still the discharge in the river ports, on trucks to the final destination, but the congested and expensive seaport organizations where circumvented.
The ever-growing containerization of all transport systems made them finally useless.
The LASH ‘MS München’ was lost with all hands in a North Atlantic winter storm in December 1979. She was on her usual trip from Bremerhaven to Savannah.
There was little evidence the investigation could use; they concluded that most probably the ship was hit by one or more rogue-waves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_M%C3%BCnchen
A lash barge on a truck? My recollection was break bulk loaded in the barges. Moved singly or in groups up river by tug or whatever boats available where conventional discharge of the barge by crane to docks. Claimed to be more efficient wherever under developed ports existed. I thought there were a number on East Africa runs at one time. The drop and go angle was also played up as an advantage.
Standby by though we are no doubt about to find out they were invented in Norway.
The USN/MARAD operate 7 pure LASH ships, including four sisterships of this vessel that form the Cape F class. One is in Suisun Bay being parted out for spares and the other three are mothballed in Beaumont.
The other three LASH boats are former Lykes liners that are the Cape M class. Two are active, one out of Norfolk and the other Alameda, and the third serves as a parts source in Beaumont.
Altogether their job is to transport the Improved Navy Lighterage System, which is basically barge segments and barge-like support boats to wherever they are needed.
Commercially, LASH is pretty much gone from modern shipping although there was a LASH boat that lost power and nearly ran aground off Norway earlier this year IIRC, so maybe someone is still using them.
Cape May sits permanently affixed to the southern end of the Norfolk Naval Base with a shiny grey paint job. As mentioned previously in this thread. The Lykes “Sea Bees” were never much to look at.
Question is. Are there any hands available anymore who know how to operate them?
Very very similar. The Stonewall Jackson, Robert E Lee and Sam Houston were 2nd Generation LASH and true sisters. The Reliance (Edward Rutledge) and Spirit (Benjamin Harrison) were considered 3rd Generation LASH. One big difference is the last 2 had bow thrusters which none of the 1st or 2nd Gen LASH did. The sterns may have had some subtle refinements as well.
The Lykes vessels with the Sea Bee (CB) for Carried Barge. Different sized and shaped barges and a synchrolift in the stern. The barges were not interchangeable between the two types of vessels.
Back in the early 80’s the tug I was Chief on handled LASH Barges or should I say got handled by LASH Barges. The Ship usually would anchor in Bayridge.
Depending on which Waterman Ship we were working sometimes it felt like they would be throwing the barges off faster than we could catch them. The Deckhands loved it because they got all kinds of O/T.
We would take the barges from Bayridge to Brooklyn.
One of my Best Friends sailed on the Waterman ships for MEBA out of the Norfolk Hall. He still tells horror stories about the Cranes and all of the problems they had.
