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The Lane Victory, a cargo ship used by the Merchant Marines from late World War II to the Vietnam War, is open year-round as a floating museum in San Pedro. The ship sets sail six times in the summer for a cruise that includes a simulated attack by enemy airplanes.
Photo courtesy of the Lane Victory Museum

A cruise aboard a cargo ship from the 1940s may not sound that exciting, but just wait until enemy aircraft attack and a dogfight with American planes erupts overhead.

Most days of the year, the SS Lane Victory, a Merchant Marine ship built in 1945, is a floating museum in San Pedro. For $3 (or $1 for ages 15 and younger), visitors can tour the ship and its two onboard museums.

For six days in the summer, however, things get a little more exciting. Unlike the Queen Mary in nearby Long Beach, the SS Lane Victory is not permanently berthed but is still capable of cruising on its own.

For $125 for adults and $75 for ages 15 and younger, visitors cruise aboard the ship for almost eight hours. Leaving at 9 a.m., the ship steams out of the harbor and into the sea, where a memorial service with the U.S. Naval Cadets Honor Guard is held in honor of more than 700 Merchant Marine ships lost in World War II. A wreath is lowered over the side, and a moment of silence is observed for the Merchant Marine and Naval Armed Guard crews lost in the war.

Visitors then can join a tour of the engine room or stay above and listen to live music played by the Yellow Hound Dawg Blues Band and mingle with World War II impersonators portraying Gen. Patton or Gen. MacArthur. Visitors can also inspect the wheelhouse, radio room and the two museums. Lunch is an all-you-can-eat buffet supplied by Antes Restaurant of San Pedro.

Sometime after lunch, a "spy" is discovered and captured on deck by crew members, but not in time to stop him from alerting the enemy to the ship's position. Soon, the ship's armed guards are firing the large on-deck gun at dive-bombing enemy fighters, who then engage in dogfights with American planes.

Returning to the harbor at 4:30 p.m., the Lane Victory is escorted by a fireboat shooting streams of water high into the air.

Cruises are on Saturdays and Sundays, six times in summer. The first dates are July 22 and 23, followed by Aug. 12 and 13 and finally Sept. 9 and 10.

But visitors don't have to wait until then to go aboard and learn about the ship's history.

The Lane Victory, one of 534 Victory-class ships built, was named after Isaac Lane, who was born into slavery and became the founder of Lane College in Jackson, Tenn. The Lane Victory was christened by his granddaughter in 1945.

In its 44 years, the ship served in the latter part of World War II, the Chosin Reservoir operation in Korea, and in Vietnam.

The Lane Victory was designated a national historic landmark in 1990 and has been at Berth 94 at the Catalina Terminal in San Pedro since 1994. The crew is all-volunteer and is always looking for more volunteers.

One onboard museum includes displays filled with World War II artifacts, various ship memorabilia, pistols, medals, uniforms, newspapers and models.

The second museum contains larger hands-on items, including the type of cargo a victory ship delivered during wars, such as jeeps from the Korea and Vietnam wars. Artifacts include an anti-ship mine and torpedo, a depth charge, sub-chaser ship models, and submarine patrol plane models.

The museum also includes a 20-ton ship engine that was used in the Steve McQueen movie "The Sand Pebbles."

The Lane Victory is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For information about booking a cruise, or to volunteer, visit the museum's Web site, http://www.lanevictory.org or call (310) 519-9545.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at gwarth@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5410.