USS Blackford (LST-1111)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]research packet 626-packet.md [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: **VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-blackford-lst1111-pkt-626-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Blackford' (Raymond A. Mann, 7 February 2006) - construction, conversion designations, Pacific and occupation service, deactivation, disposal (Wayback capture 2025-04-05; live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Blackford' entry - spec block, service narrative, disposal line (Wayback 2025-04-05 capture of history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/blackford-i.html)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: 'originally projected as the tank landing ship LST-1111 but redesignated a stores issue ship before construction began,' laid down 2 January 1945 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; 'reclassified a self-propelled barracks ship and redesignated APB-45 on 6 March 1945'; launched 9 April 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Henry E. Russell; commissioned at New Orleans, La., 9 June 1945, Lt. A. E. Lorance, USNR, in command. Spec block: dp. 4,080 (lim.); l. 328'0"; b. 50'0"; dr. 11'2" (lim.); s. 10 k. (tl.); cpl. 137; trp. 302; a. 8 40mm.; cl. Benewah. Service: shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico late June-early July 1945; departed New Orleans 22 July; transited the Panama Canal; reached Pearl Harbor 21 August; brief stops at Eniwetok and Ulithi; arrived Leyte 20 September; served at Leyte and Manila; departed the Philippines in late October 1945 for Japan; five months supporting the occupation at Yokohama, Sasebo, and Tokyo; departed Tokyo 17 March 1946; back at New Orleans 13 May 1946; to the berthing area at Orange, Tex., mid-June 1946; 'continued in active service at Orange until the following spring'; decommissioned 26 April 1947 and berthed with the 16th Fleet at Orange for almost 13 years; name struck from the Navy list 1 April 1960; 'sold to the Sampson Iron Supply Co. on 3 August 1960 for scrapping.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1960

   Population

   Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron construction trades (1945); ship's company (~137) plus embarked/berthed personnel (~302) 1945-47

   Limitations

   Ship-specific official history; contains no asbestos or material content. The 'sold ... for scrapping' disposition is contradicted by NavSource's photo-documented record of the hull in commercial diamond-dredging service 1963-c.1970 (see ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-07). Live NHHC DANFS page 404 on 2026-10-02 at both candidate URLs; verbatim text taken from Wayback capture of 2025-04-05.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Blackford (APB-45) - designation timeline, specifications, commanding officers, awards, and 1963 post-Navy photographic record [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/13/1345.htm - header designation block, APB Specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards row, photo captions for images 10134501-10134503

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull: authorized as LST-1111; redesignated General Stores Issue Ship Blackford (AKS-16) 8 December 1944; laid down 2 January 1945 at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN; redesignated Self-propelled Barracks Ship (APB-45) 6 March 1945; launched 9 April 1945; commissioned 9 June 1945 at Navy Supply Depot, New Orleans, LA, LT Archie E. Lorance Jr. USNR in command; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Navy Occupation service in the Far East 5-30 October 1945; decommissioned 26 April 1947 at Orange, TX; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange; struck from the Naval Register 1 April 1960; 'Sold for commercial service to Collins Submarine Pipeline(Marine Diamond) in 1963, apparently not scrapped as reported by DANFS'; final disposition 'sunk as a target by the South African Navy circa 1968-70.' Contributor photo captions (Jim Moore) document the ex-hull moored pierside at Beaumont, TX, in 1963 after withdrawal from the Orange reserve fleet and tow to Beaumont for reactivation and drydocking, and drydocked there during the retrofit: 'Renamed APB-45, she was used for dredging operations in the mining of diamonds off the south-west coast of Africa until approximately 1968-70 at which time she was donated to the South African military and was used for bombing practice and ultimately sank.' Awards documented: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Liberation Medal. CO list: LT Lorance (9 Jun 1945-28 Sep 1945), LT E. W. Mauthe (to 20 Jan 1946), LT D. F. Burns (to 10 Aug 1946), CHBOSN J. E. Hammond (to 1 Feb 1947). Specifications: 4,000 t; 328' length; 50' beam; 11'2" draft; 12 kts; two GM 12-567A diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers 1,600 shp, five 100 kW diesel-driven ship's-service generators; complement 12 officers/125 enlisted plus 28 officers/275 enlisted troop accommodation; armament two quad 40mm AA mounts and twenty .50/.30 cal machine guns.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-c.1970

   Population

   Construction trades (1945); commissioned-era crew and berthed personnel (1945-47); Beaumont refit/drydock workers (1963); Marine Diamond Corp. commercial crews (c.1963-c.1970); South African Navy target exercise (c.1968-70)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation; USN milestone dates track DANFS/NVR, but post-Navy facts rest on contributor photo captions - the photographs document the hull afloat and in refit at Beaumont in 1963 and describe its subsequent commercial service and sinking, which contradicts the DANFS 'scrapped 1960' disposition (see ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-07). Contains no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-02

4. [4]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USS Blackford (APB-45) Class' - construction and disposition tables, class conversion-program notes, ship notes [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APB/APB45.html - Construction table (BLACKFORD row), Disposition table, Class Notes, Ship Notes

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe tables for this hull: BLACKFORD, APB-45 - reclassified (LST-1111 to AKS) 14 Dec 44; built by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron, Evansville; keel 2 Jan 45; launch 9 Apr 45; commissioned 9 Jun 45; decommissioned 26 Apr 47; struck 1 Apr 60; disposal 3 Aug 60 'Sold.' Ship note: 'Ex AKS-16 31 Mar 45, ex LST-1111 14 Dec 44. Converted by builder. In reduced commission 1-9 Jun 45 for transit to New Orleans. In USN reserve 1946-60.' Class notes document the conversion program: in August 1944 the Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet began developing specifications to convert four LSTs under construction into 'mother ships' for YMS, PC, PCS, SC, LCI, and LCT types; the hulls were reclassified Stores Issue Ships (AKS) in December 1944 before being laid down, then reclassified APB while still on the ways when the AKS designation failed to cover the mother-ship role; accommodations for around 300 men in addition to ship's company were installed in a new deckhouse extending from the stern to near the bow, with 5-ton booms for resupplying other ships; late in the design the pilot house was moved forward to the front end of the new deckhouse.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1960

   Population

   Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron conversion/construction trades (1945); berthed personnel (~300-man deckhouse, 1945-47)

   Limitations

   Authoritative secondary compilation; redesignation dates differ slightly from DANFS/NavSource (14 Dec 44 vs 8 Dec 44 for AKS; 31 Mar 45 vs 6 Mar 45 for APB - see gaps). Conversion scope establishes substantial interior rework (new deckhouse, ~300-man accommodations) but no material content. No asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-03

5. [5]K. Richardson, 'A perspective of marine mining within De Beers,' Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 107 no. 6, p. 393 (2007) - Marine Diamond Corporation fleet history [other_primary]

   Locator

   SAIMM v107n06p393.pdf, 'History of Marine Diamond Corporation and De Beers Marine' section

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed industry history documenting the commercial operator that NavSource's photographic record attaches to this hull: Sam Collins's Marine Diamond Corporation recovered the first officially recorded seabed diamonds on 15 November 1961 near Luderitz; after the loss of Barge 77 in a June 1963 storm, 'a tank landing craft vessel was quickly converted into the diamond recovery vessel Diamantkus'; Diamantkus, Barge 111, and Colpontoon were withdrawn in 1967; MDC mined roughly 1.5 million carats between 1961 and 1970 before De Beers participation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1961-1970

   Population

   Marine Diamond Corporation vessel crews (1961-1970)

   Limitations

   Context for the hull's post-Navy phase only: the paper does not name the converted tank-landing vessel, so the identification of 'Diamantkus' with ex-Blackford (renamed 'APB-45' per NavSource captions) is plausible - matching operator and 1963 timing - but NOT confirmed; treated as an open question in gaps. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-04

6. [6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 13 April 1945), LST design table and roster (shipscribe.com scan) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v2.pdf LST design table and roster (shipscribe pubs scan); shipscribe APB-45 class notes; verified against class profile lst-1-class (class-f worktree, 2026-09-16)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era and design inference for this hull: the underlying vessel is an LST-series hull (BuShips SD-1945 design grouping; ~328 ft oa, 50 ft beam, ~2,366 t light / ~4,080 t limiting) powered by two General Motors 12-567A diesels (~1,600-1,800 shp) through Falk reduction gears on two shafts - a diesel plant with NO boilers, so the boiler/turbine steam-lagging pathway does not apply. The builder's APB conversion added a deckhouse with accommodations for ~300 men (shipscribe class notes). Era-standard applications aboard a 1945 diesel auxiliary hull of this type: engine-room and diesel-exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets and valve packing, deck coverings, and accommodation insulation; the wartime shipbuilding program reserved asbestos supply and used asbestos insulation extensively aboard naval vessels through the period (see ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-06).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1945-1970

   Population

   Construction/conversion trades (1945); ship's company and berthed personnel (1945-47); 1963 commercial refit crews; c.1968-70 target-ship preparation crews

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, survey, or work package located for LST-1111/AKS-16/APB-45. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantities; no manufacturer attribution. The diesel plant narrows but does not eliminate asbestos pathways.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-05

7. [7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   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 construction (1945), commissioned service (1945-47), reserve lay-up (1947-60), and the period of commercial operation and disposal (1963-c.1970).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1979

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-06

8. [8]Disposition conflict: DANFS 'Blackford' disposal line vs NavSource photographic record and captions (images 10134502, 10134503, Beaumont TX 1963) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/13/1345.htm photo captions (Jim Moore); DANFS 'Blackford' disposal line; shipscribe APB-45 disposition table

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   CORRECTION: DANFS records 'sold to the Sampson Iron Supply Co. on 3 August 1960 for scrapping,' and shipscribe's disposition table records 3 Aug 60 'Sold.' NavSource's photographic record contradicts the scrapping outcome: contributor photographs show the ex-hull afloat at Beaumont, TX, in 1963 after tow from the Orange reserve fleet, and drydocked during a documented retrofit for Collins Submarine Pipeline (Marine Diamond); captions state she was renamed 'APB-45,' used for diamond-dredging operations off the south-west coast of Africa until approximately 1968-70, then donated to the South African military and sunk as a target. The 1960 sale and 1963 commercial service are not necessarily inconsistent (the scrap buyer may have resold the hull), but 'scrapped in 1960' is photographically falsified.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1960-c.1970

   Limitations

   The correction rests on NavSource contributor photo captions - a secondary compilation; the commercial rename 'APB-45' and the c.1968-70 target sinking are approximate and rest on the same captions plus consistent industry history (ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-04). Exact sinking date/location and the hull's commercial registry name remain unverified.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-07

9. [9]Batch-6600 search ledger (this record): DANFS (Wayback), NavSource, shipscribe class and SDB-1945 scans, SAIMM journal, GAO product page, CourtListener API, NVR, NARA catalog, shipyards.json dataset check, secondary web sweep [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-blackford-lst1111-01 through -09 (plus -05b)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Blackford / LST-1111 / AKS-16 / APB-45 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion index verified zero hits for all four designations (type=o, count 0, 2026-10-02), and a 'Blackford'+asbestos opinion query returned only unrelated name/term collisions. Docket-level (type=r) coverage was blocked by the fleet-wide request budget - litigation status: no qualifying opinion located, docket coverage incomplete. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only a surname collision (an individual plaintiff named Blackford) and law-firm marketing listicles - 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 1945 build and the 1963 commercial refit sit inside the era of documented shipboard asbestos use. Undigitized leads remain: NARA RG 24 deck logs and ship's muster rolls, builder contract records (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron), and any 1963 Beaumont refit specification. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-blackford-lst1111-08