Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]research packet 659-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: **VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-addison-county-lst31-pkt-659-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Addison County (LST-31)' (NHHC online entry, updated 20 December 2023 by Robert J. Cressman; live NHHC page returned HTTP 404 on 2026-10-02 - Wayback capture 2024-05-27 cited as archived) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Addison County (LST-31)' entry body + spec block (Wayback capture 20240527001648)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 2 February 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pa. (Neville Island Branch) by the Dravo Corp.; launched 5 June 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Maurice Endres; accepted by the Navy and placed in reduced commission 10 July 1943; steamed to New Orleans and placed in full commission 21 July 1943, Lt. John D. Schneidau, Jr., D-V(G), USNR, in command. Spec block: displacement 3,960; length 328'0"; beam 50'0"; draft 14'1"; speed 11.6 knots; complement 119; armament 6 40mm, 12 20mm, 2 .30-cal. machine guns; class LST-1. Five battle stars for Asiatic-Pacific service: Gilbert Islands (20 Nov-5 Dec 1943); Marshalls - Kwajalein/Majuro (31 Jan-8 Feb 1944) and Eniwetok (19 Feb-2 Mar 1944); Marianas - Saipan (15 Jun-10 Aug 1944); Tinian (24 Jul-10 Aug 1944); Okinawa Gunto (3-22 May 1945). Decommissioned 8 January 1946; transferred to the Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), Commander Naval Forces Far East, redesignated Q-005, operating under Japanese control into May 1948; cleared Yokohama 3 May 1948 for the U.S. west coast, berthed Seattle area. Named Addison County 1 July 1955 'but performed no more active service under that name'; stricken from the Navy Register 11 August 1955; subsequently sunk as a target.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1955
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island construction trades (1943); ship's company ~119 (1943-46); SCAJAP Japanese crew under American control (1946-48)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. The NHHC live URL returned HTTP 404 on 2026-10-02 - the Wayback capture (2024-05-27) is cited as an archived copy, not the live source. 'Sunk as a target' is stated without date or location; neither is documented in this entry.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-01
-
[3]DANFS 'LST-31' detailed service narrative (public-domain NHHC text mirrored at HistoryCentral; the live NHHC 'LST-31' page is 404 and its surviving Wayback capture carries only the shorter Vol. VII print entry - the detailed online text is carried here via mirror) [other_primary]
- Locator
- HistoryCentral 'Addison County LST-31' DANFS-mirror body (historycentral.com/navy/LST/AddisonCounty.html)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented yard availabilities and wartime service for this hull: shakedown beaching exercises Panama City (Jul-Aug 1943); Panama Canal transit 24 Aug 1943; Pearl Harbor 25 Oct 1943; TG 54.4 to Makin; off Makin 20 Nov-3 Dec 1943; Pearl Harbor Navy Yard repairs and alterations - engine overhaul plus additional 40mm and 20mm guns installed - ending early Jan 1944; Kwajalein 1 Feb 1944; Eniwetok beaching 20 Feb-20 Mar 1944; Pearl Harbor drydock repairs Apr-May 1944; Saipan 14-23 Jun 1944, then hospital-ship duty off Saipan nights/Tinian days 17 Jul-21 Aug 1944; San Francisco arrival 17 Nov 1944; West Coast Shipbuilding Co. yards, San Pedro - 'extensive alterations and repairs' Nov 1944-early Feb 1945; Mare Island Navy Yard 18 Feb 1945; additional repair work at Seattle, Wash.; off southwestern Okinawa 3 May 1945, ~3 weeks logistic support; Philippines-Okinawa shuttle Jun-Aug 1945; Tokyo Bay 15 Sep 1945; assigned 5th Fleet, Amphibious Group 11, LST Flotilla 35 (30 Nov 1945, superseded); decommissioned 8 Jan 1946 and transferred to SCAJAP.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Crew (1943-46); yard trades at Pearl Harbor NSY, West Coast Shipbuilding San Pedro, Mare Island NSY, and Seattle during the named availabilities
- Limitations
- Mirror text of the public-domain DANFS online entry carries OCR noise ('eondueted', 'Mauriee Endres', 'LST~31'); the corresponding live NHHC pages are 404 and the 2021 Wayback capture of the LST-31 page carries only the shorter print-version entry, so this detailed narrative is relied on via mirror. Establishes yard presence, not work scope - no work orders, material lists, or asbestos content for this hull. Yard-name attribution (Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Mare Island Navy Yard, West Coast Shipbuilding Co.) is as stated in DANFS.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Addison County (LST-31) ex USS LST-31 - designation timeline, specifications, campaign table, photo captions, commanding-officer list, commendation letter (verified live at navsource.net 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160031.htm header block, specifications block, campaign table, photo captions, CO list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 2 February 1943 at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA; launched 5 June 1943; commissioned USS LST-31 21 July 1943, LT. John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR, in command; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater under LST Flotilla Three / LST Group Eight (CDR A. M. Hurst) and LST Flotilla Five / LST Group Fourteen / LST Division Twenty-Seven; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 13-25 Oct 1945 and 26 Nov 1945-8 Jan 1946; decommissioned 8 January 1946 and turned over to COMNAVFE SCAJAP as Q005; returned to US Naval custody 1948; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group; named Addison County (LST-31) 1 July 1955; struck 11 August 1955; final disposition sunk as a target; five battle stars. Photo captions document: alongside USS Calvert (APA-32) off the Makin beachhead 21 November 1943 (with POWs transiting by LCVP to USS Leonard Wood); off-loading at Englhi Island, Eniwetok, Feb-Mar 1944; moored at a pontoon causeway at Tinian Town Harbor 8 August 1944 (US Navy photo 80-G-284344, NARA College Park - her war diary records Saipan-Tinian transport runs); off-loading at Okinawa July 1945; officers/crew 1944; and a Letter of Commendation to officers and crew of Commander LST Group 8 USS LST-31 dated 23 November 1943. Commanding officers: Schneidau (21 Jul 1943-5 Mar 1944), LT. Paul M. Owen USNR (5 Mar-12 Sep 1944), LTjg. Ralph Gurley USNR (12 Sep 1944-3 Apr 1945), LT. Calvin A. Pigott USNR (3 Apr-2 Dec 1945), LT. Arnold E. Anderson USNR (2 Dec 1945-8 Jan 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1955
- Population
- Ship's company (1943-46); photographed populations incl. embarked troops and POWs in transit (Makin, Nov 1943)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestones track DANFS and photo captions credit the CO's collection and NARA (80-G-284344). 'Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group' conflicts mildly with DANFS's 'berthed in the Seattle area' (see gaps). Contains no asbestos content. 'Sunk as a target' stated without date or location.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-03
-
[5]VAdm. George Carroll Dyer, The Amphibians Came to Conquer: The Story of Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (Naval History Division / U.S. Government Printing Office official history), Chapter 17 'The Pushover - Makin' (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ACTC Chapter 17, 'First Japanese Air Contact of the Amphibians' section (pp. 653-654 of the printed edition)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Navy history documenting this hull's Gilbert Islands combat record: Task Group 54.4 - LSTs 31, 78, and 179 escorted by USS Dale (DD-353) - was sighted by Japanese air reconnaissance ~1700 on 18 November 1943 while bound from Canton Island to Makin, 'the ships comprising TG 54.4... about 150 miles east of Apamama Atoll and 200 miles southeast of Tarawa.' At 1926 on 19 November, LST-31's starboard gun crews sighted an incoming scout bomber and opened fire: 'the first burst of the fire from the starboard 20mm guns of the LST-31 appeared to take effect and the plane burst into flames... crashed into the sea after passing over the bow' (quoting TG commander CDR Adrian M. Hurst's action report, which credits LST-31 in particular - 'their first war mission and first enemy action'). These LSTs carried all the amphibious tractors (amtracs) for the Makin Atoll assault.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-11
- Population
- Ship's company under air attack, 18-19 Nov 1943
- Limitations
- Ship-specific combat history from an official Navy publication - documents the vessel's wartime role, not asbestos. No material, maintenance, or exposure content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-04
-
[6]The Capture of Makin (20-24 November 1943), American Forces in Action series, U.S. War Department / Center of Military History official history, ch. 3 'The Assault from the Western Beaches' (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- USA-A-Makin ch. 3, 'The Approach' section (pp. 30-31 of the printed edition)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Army history corroborating this hull under the 19 November 1943 night air attack: 'Army gun crews even manned the heavy machine guns in an LCT which was part of the deck cargo of the LST-31. The plane began to burn as it neared the LST-31, veered in a swiftly descending glide, and, like a flaming torch, headed toward the LST-179 as if to crash upon her deck. Swooping low over her bow, the plane plunged into the ocean.' Documents the hull's deck-cargo configuration and embarked Army personnel during the action.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-11
- Population
- Ship's company plus embarked Army gun crews manning deck-cargo LCT machine guns, 19 Nov 1943
- Limitations
- Ship-specific combat history - documents the hull's wartime role and embarked populations, not asbestos. No material, maintenance, or exposure content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979); consolidated with BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 2 LST design table (shipscribe.com scan) - class machinery data [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2; BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design table (class machinery); DANFS availability narrative (ev-02)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST-1-class hull: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 documents the class machinery - 2 x GM 12-567A diesels, ~1,700 shp, no boilers - so the steam-plant lagging pathway does not apply. GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s, spanning this hull's entire 1943-1946 service and reserve period. Era-standard applications aboard a hull of this type and period were engine exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, valve packing, and winch/brake linings; her documented wartime availabilities at Pearl Harbor and Mare Island Navy Yards and at West Coast Shipbuilding, San Pedro all fall within those yards' asbestos-use era.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1955 (hull era); 1979 (GAO report)
- Population
- Dravo construction trades (1943); ship's company and embarked troops (1943-46); yard trades during documented availabilities; SCAJAP-era Japanese crew (1946-48); target-sinking crews (1955+)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, or work package located for LST-31. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Yard presence (DANFS-documented) is not a work-order record and does not establish asbestos work aboard. GAO full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description as in prior batches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-06
-
[8]Batch-6846 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (Addison County + LST-31 entries; live URLs 404, Wayback captures and verbatim transcriptions used); NavSource 160031 verified live; official histories (Dyer ACTC ch.17; The Capture of Makin ch.3); CourtListener API v4 opinion and RECAP-docket searches; NVR scope check; NIOSH/OSTI Dravo yard surveys; secondary-web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-addison-county-lst31-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS LST-31 / USS Addison County was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener: '"LST-31"' opinions returned 2 hits - O & P Realty v. Santana, 17 Conn. App. 314 (1989) and an untitled 1941 Texas AG opinion - both name collisions (citation-string/OCR matches, not the vessel); '"Addison County" asbestos' opinions returned 1 hit - Ouellette v. International Paper Co., 86 F.R.D. 476 (D. Vt. 1980), a Vermont-county pollution class-certification case - name collision; docket searches returned 22 '"LST-31"' and 122 '"LST-31" OR "Addison County"' RECAP hits, all name collisions (LST Group LLC corporate name; 'August 31' OCR matches; Vermont county litigation) - no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull. Secondary-web sweep surfaced no hull-specific marketing claim; the only asbestos content located is generic LST-class marketing material (gorilaw.com 'Asbestos on Landing Ships') naming no hull - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the hull's documented wartime availabilities and era-standard fit-out are consistent with era-typical materials. The sunk-as-target disposition (date/location undocumented) means any retained material went down with the hull. Deck logs, Dravo build records, and availability work packages are undigitized leads (see gaps). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-addison-county-lst31-07