Falling Lake Shasta level due to drought reveals mystery of World War II 'Ghost Boat'
As Lake Shasta's shoreline continues to fall during the years-long drought, it has pulled back the curtain on mysteries that were once submerged beneath the surface.
Roads, bridges, tunnels and other artifacts of the pre-lake landscape have emerged.
One of the most recent treasures revealed by the receding waters was a boat that officials say was likely used as a landing craft during World War II.
Officials with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, as well as the boat's current owner, have unraveled some of the mystery surrounding the boat, but there are still many unknown details surrounding the craft, said Ruth Esperance, a spokeswoman for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which owns and manages the area on and around the lake.
"This boat is referred to as 'The Ghost Boat.' It really is quite remarkable how it emerged from the lake with so many stories to tell. Any 'restoration' will be done to preserve as much of the integrity of the boat as possible and will hopefully preserve it in a weathered 'combat fatigue' look, and that is how it is intended to be displayed at a museum in Nebraska," the forest service Facebook post says.
The boat was found on the lakebed last fall by a private individual who currently has possession of the boat, Esperance said.
Numbers painted on the front indicate it was a "Higgins Boat," which were used during World War II as landing craft to deliver troops onto beaches, such as during the Normandy invasion on D-Day in June 1944, according to the forest service post on Facebook.
Photos of the boat on the lakebed show the front ramp on the boat, where troops exited the craft, was down.
When the boat was moved off the lake, they found on the ramp the numbers "31-17," which indicate the craft was assigned to the Attack Transport USS Monrovia.
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The Monrovia was used as a headquarters for Gen. George Patton during the invasion of Sicily. General Dwight Eisenhower was also reportedly on that ship during that time, the forest service said.
The Monrovia was also used in the Pacific theater of the war, including the invasion of Tarawa, officials said.
The development of the 36-foot-long Higgins Boats enabled the Navy to land troops onto beachheads, according to a Stanford University research paper on the craft.
The boat has since been removed from the lakebed, but Esperance said she wasn't sure of its whereabouts or where on the lake it was found.
As of Sunday, the lake was 33% full, but the elevation of the lake level is about 36-feet higher than last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Shasta Dam.
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She said there were many unanswered questions that she needed to get answered from the boat's owner, whose name also remains a mystery.
"There is more to discover of its history and obviously its time on Shasta Lake, and still the circumstance of its sinking remains a mystery," the forest service post says.
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Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is part of a team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Falling Lake Shasta level reveals mystery of World War II 'Ghost Boat'
