USS Chandra (ARL-46)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]research packet bj-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: PHANTOM (paper-only designation)

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-chandra-arl46-pkt-bj-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'LST-350' entry - verbatim text via Wayback capture of the NHHC page (live page returned 404 on 2026-09-26) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'LST-350' full entry (Wayback capture 2024-05-26 of history.navy.mil .../danfs/l/lst-350.html)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for LST-350, verbatim: laid down 10 November 1942 at the Norfolk Navy Yard; launched 7 February 1943; sponsored by Mrs. C. M. Terry; commissioned 13 February 1943. Assigned to the European theater in WWII; operations: Sicilian occupation July 1943, Salerno landings September 1943, Invasion of Normandy June 1944. 'LST-350 was redesignated Chandra (ARL-46) on 25 May 1945, but the redesignation was subsequently cancelled. The ship was decommissioned on 26 May 1945 and struck from the Navy list on 12 March 1946. On 2 December 1946, she was sold to the Suwannee Steam Ship Co., Charleston, S.C., and converted for merchant service.' Three battle stars for WWII service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Ship's company (13 officers/104 enlisted spec block) plus embarked troops

   Limitations

   Authoritative service history for identity, milestones, operations, and the ARL-46 redesignation/cancellation arc; DANFS's 'redesignated ... on 25 May 1945' conflicts with ShipScribe's 28 May 1945 approval date - carried in gaps. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or hazardous-material information. Live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-26; verbatim text cited via Wayback capture.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-01

3. [3]ShipScribe, USS Coronis (ARL-10) class page - construction table row, ARL-46 ship note, and class notes (compiled from official auxiliary-vessel records) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ARL-10 class page: construction table ARL-46 row; ship notes ARL-46 (CHANDRA) entry; class-notes paragraph on the 30 Apr 45 CNO directive and the ARL 42-47 group disposition

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   ShipScribe USN auxiliary-ships reference, CORONIS (ARL-10) class page: construction-table row ARL-46 CHANDRA, builder NYd Norfolk, keel 10 Nov 42, launch 7 Feb 43, never commissioned as an ARL. Ship note verbatim: 'Commissioned as LST-350 13 Feb 43. Decommissioned at Port Covington, Baltimore, Md., 26 May 45 for conversion by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. Reclas. ARL-46 28 May 45, conversion canc. 27 Aug 45, reclas. and name canc. 12 Sep 45. When cancelled her conversion was 27% complete and her anticipated recommissioning date was 15 Oct 45. Stk. as LST 12 Mar 46, sold by Navy and to buyer 2 Dec 46. Merc. DOLORES 1947, scrapped 1960.' Class notes: on 30 Apr 45 CNO directed conversion of six LSTs returning from Europe (ARL 42-47); the ships departed Plymouth, England 16 Apr 45 and arrived Norfolk 5 May 45; decommissioned at Port Covington, Baltimore 16-29 May 45; ARL hull numbers and names approved 28 May 45; all six conversions cancelled 27 Aug 45, reclassifications and names cancelled 12 Sep 45; inspected October 1945 and, 'usable as neither LSTs nor ARLs,' recommended stricken and scrapped; towed to the James River for layup and disposal 29 Dec 45-13 Jan 46.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1960

   Population

   Ship's company; Maryland Drydock yard workers during the May-Aug 1945 partial conversion

   Limitations

   ShipScribe is a compiled reference reproducing official auxiliary-ship register data - the standard published authority on USN auxiliaries, though not itself a primary document; its builder/dates match DANFS and NavSource for this hull. Establishes the decommissioning site (Port Covington, Baltimore), conversion yard (Maryland Drydock, Baltimore), 27%-complete cancellation state, anticipated recommissioning date, merchant name DOLORES, and 1960 scrapping - all details beyond DANFS. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-350 (page 10/16/160350), incl. embedded DANFS text and named NARA/USASC photo captions [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource LST-350 page: milestone list, campaign table, CO roster, ribbon precedence, spec block, photo captions; page last updated 16 Jul 2021

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS LST-350: radio call sign NJPU; milestone chain matching DANFS (laid down 10 Nov 1942 Norfolk Navy Yard Portsmouth; launched 7 Feb 1943; commissioned 13 Feb 1943 LT. H. C. Maddux Jr. USNR; decommissioned 26 May 1945 'for conversion to Landing Craft Repair Ship Chandra (ARL-46)'; conversion canceled 12 Sep 1945 [the note conflates the 27 Aug work cancellation with the 12 Sep reclassification cancellation - see ev-04]; reverted to LST-350; struck 12 Mar 1946; sold 2 Dec 1946 to Suwannee Steam Ship Co., Charleston SC, converted for merchant service, fate unknown; three battle stars). Campaign table: Sicilian occupation 9-15 Jul 1943, Salerno landings 9-21 Sep 1943, Invasion of Normandy 6-25 Jun 1944. Unit-history note: transported Company 'B,' 48th Armored Medical Battalion, England to Normandy 10-12 Jun 1944. Photo captions: NARA 80-G-71768 (en route North Africa with an LCT as deck cargo, 15 Apr 1943); Army Signal Corps III-SC 182818/182815/182826-28 (Termini-Imerese, Sicily, 13 Sep 1943, loading supplies for the Fifth Army at Salerno). Ribbons: American Campaign Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns Medal (3), WWII Victory Medal. CO roster: LT. Maddux Jr. (13 Feb 1943-27 Apr 1944); LT. J. F. Conroy (27 Apr 1944-'26 May 1946' - likely year typo, see gaps). Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; endurance 24,000 nm at 9 kt; complement 13 officers / 104 enlisted, troops 16/147; 2 LCVP + sectional pontoons; ultimate armament 2 twin + 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm; fuel 4,300 Bbls diesel; propulsion 2 GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk reduction gears, 3 diesel-drive 100 kW 230V D.C. generators, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Ship's company ~117 per spec block; embarked troops up to ~163

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled archival page quoting Navy sources; milestone chain reproduces DANFS and the spec block derives from BuShips data. Material internal conflict: the page places the conversion 'at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA' - conflating the builder with the conversion yard (ShipScribe register data places decommissioning at Port Covington, Baltimore and conversion at Maryland Drydock, Baltimore - carried; see ev-04). The caption 'conversion canceled, 12 September 1945' merges the 27 Aug work-stoppage and 12 Sep reclassification-cancellation dates. Spec data are equipment descriptions only - no asbestos content stated or implied. Merchant fate left 'unknown' - conflicts with ShipScribe's DOLORES/scrapped-1960 and Wikipedia's 17 Nov 1959 (gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-03

5. [5]Cross-source reconciliation: ShipScribe CORONIS class page vs NavSource LST-350 page vs DANFS LST-350 entry vs Wikipedia infobox [other_primary]

   Locator

   ShipScribe ARL-46 ship note and class notes vs NavSource milestones/CO roster vs DANFS 'redesignated ... 25 May 1945' vs Wikipedia fate line

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies mapped: (a) Conversion yard - NavSource and downstream mirrors (shipbuildinghistory ARL table, navalmarinearchive) place the ARL-46 conversion at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth; ShipScribe register data places decommissioning at Port Covington, Baltimore and conversion by Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore - the same builder-vs-conversion-yard conflation documented on sibling LST-317's NavSource page (New York Navy Yard); the Baltimore attribution is carried. (b) Redesignation/approval date - DANFS says 'redesignated Chandra (ARL-46) on 25 May 1945' while ShipScribe says the ARL-46 reclassification and name were approved 28 May 1945; both dates carried. (c) Merchant fate - NavSource 'fate unknown'; Wikipedia infobox 'scrapped 17 November 1959' (uncited); ShipScribe 'Merc. DOLORES 1947, scrapped 1960'; ShipScribe carried, the 1959 vs 1960 year conflict logged in gaps. (d) NavSource CO roster prints LT. Conroy's tour ending '26 May 1946' against the ship's 26 May 1945 decommissioning - treated as a year typo. (e) NavSource 'conversion canceled, 12 September 1945' merges ShipScribe's two distinct events: conversion work cancelled 27 Aug 45, reclassification and name cancelled 12 Sep 45.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-1960

   Limitations

   Correction row reconciling publication-level discrepancies; the conversion-yard correction rests on ShipScribe's register-derived detail (decomm site + conversion contractor) outranking NavSource's compressed milestone line. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-04

6. [6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan) - consolidated with era amphibious-ship construction practice; conversion event per ShipScribe (ev-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v2 LST design table; class-f/lst-1-class.class.json ev-lst-1-class-01/-03 carry the same machinery source and inference pattern

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 LST design table documents the diesel machinery of the LST-1 group on which this hull was built (2x GM 12-567A, ~1,700 shp, 11.6 kt - no boilers). Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST: asbestos-relevant applications concentrate in diesel exhaust/muffler lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. Additionally this hull underwent a documented partial conversion - decommissioned 26 May 45 at Port Covington and worked at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore to 27% completion before cancellation - a yard-rework episode involving removal of LST tank-deck arrangements for a repair-ship interior, in the period when asbestos insulation was standard marine practice; the material scope of that work is undocumented.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1942-1960

   Population

   Construction trades (Norfolk Navy Yard, 1942-43); ship's company ~117; conversion-yard workers (Maryland Drydock, Baltimore, May-Aug 1945); merchant crews (DOLORES, 1947-ca.1960)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - the BuShips table does not name this hull and lists no insulation materials; no member hull of the LST/ARL family has a located ship-level asbestos record. The partial conversion is documented as an event (27% complete at cancellation), but no asbestos scope is documented for it - disturbance is inference, not finding. Establishes no quantities, no present-day presence, and no exposure for any individual.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-05

7. [7]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this LST-1 hull was built at Norfolk Navy Yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in ship construction.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or is aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-06

8. [8]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 to automated fetch, HTTP 403; content via product-page description)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This hull predates the policy era by decades - sold out of Navy custody 2 Dec 1946, roughly 29 years before the earliest documented Navy asbestos-management policy - so no Navy survey or abatement record could be expected for it.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1979

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation, not ship- or class-specific; carried to explain why no Navy asbestos-management-era record exists for this hull (disposed 1946, scrapped ca. 1960). Full-text pull remains an open lead.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-07

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 search (via cl-auth-search.py): 'LST-350' type=o count 0, type=r incidental (Rossi v. Darden exhibit); 'ARL-46' type=o count 0, type=r incidental (W.R. Grace bankruptcy exhibit); 'USS Chandra' type=o count 0; 'LST 350' type=r count 4 incidental; '"Chandra" asbestos' type=o surname collisions only (2026-09-26) [court_record]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-chandra-arl46-07 through -10

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener sweep (authenticated API v4 via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-09-26): opinion searches 'LST-350', 'ARL-46', and 'USS Chandra' each returned count 0 - no opinion names the hull under any naval identifier. Docket-index hits are incidental document strings only: 'LST-350' type=r returned a subpoena composite-exhibit inside Rossi v. Darden (S.D. Fla. 1:16-cv-21199, patent litigation); 'ARL-46' type=r returned a non-asbestos proof-of-claim exhibit inside the W.R. Grace bankruptcy (D. Del. 01-01139); 'LST 350' type=r returned 4 incidental hits (In re NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust MDL 2:15-ml-02668; McDaniel v. Wells E.D. Ark.; Atkinson v. Town of Rockport D. Mass.) - all Bates/exhibit strings in scanned filings, none naming the vessel. A 'Chandra' asbestos-qualified opinion search returned surname/proceeding collisions only (e.g., In re Benevis LLC / Kool Smiles dental litigation, Tex.) - none concerning the vessel; 'Chandra' is a common surname, so bare-name sweeps were not relied on. The 'LST 350' space-variant opinion sweep remained queued behind fleet pacing at write time. Separately, Suwannee Steamship Co. v. United States, 279 F.2d 874 (Ct. Cl. 1960), names the hull's purchaser but concerns different surplus hulls (LSD-10, LSD-11) - classified buyer-name collision, not evidence for this vessel.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Coverage note: opinion index cleared for all three naval identifiers; docket-index sweeps for both identifiers returned incidental document strings only. The 'LST 350' space-variant opinion sweep remained pending under fleet pacing at write time - a documented coverage gap, not a cleared record. Even a completed sweep shows only absence of located litigation, not absence of exposure. LST hulls were hull-number-only until 1955, so hull-number sweeps are the operative coverage.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-chandra-arl46-08

10. [10]Batch-2639 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback capture; NavSource 160350; ShipScribe CORONIS class page; shipbuildinghistory Norfolk NSY block; MARAD ShipHistory; CourtListener; shipyards.json [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-chandra-arl46-01 through -12

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or adjudicated case naming this hull (LST-350, Chandra, ARL-46, or merchant Dolores) was found in the public sources searched - DANFS, NavSource, ShipScribe, shipbuildinghistory, and VA/NHHC frameworks contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement for this hull; no MARAD ShipHistory card located (see search_ledger).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942-43 Navy-yard-built LST is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the hull underwent a documented partial conversion teardown at a private Baltimore yard in 1945 with undocumented material scope. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chandra-arl46-09

11. [11]NARA record-group framework (RG 24 deck logs, RG 19 BuShips, RG 181 naval-district yard records); NARA/USASC photo numbers per NavSource captions; MARAD Vessel History Database [other_primary]

    Locator

    catalog.archives.gov (API-gated to scripted fetch, no NAID retrieved); RG 19 S-15 UD 1024-A per ShipScribe ARL-19 note; vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov search interface errored to automated fetch - no card located

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads confirmed at series level, unretrieved: NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for LST-350 (Feb 1943-May 1945 commission; digitization unverified - catalog.archives.gov API returned no usable response to automated fetch this session); NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) conversion work package/correspondence for the Maryland Drydock ARL-46 conversion and the October 1945 inspection-board reports covering the ARL 42-47 group (the ShipScribe notes indicate such records exist - cf. the ARL-19 conversion note citing NARA RG 19 Item S-15 Entry UD 1024-A); Norfolk Naval Shipyard wartime construction records (RG 181) for the LST-333-352 builder block; named NARA still photos 80-G-71768 (15 Apr 1943) and Army Signal Corps III-SC 182815/182818/182826-182828 (13 Sep 1943). No MARAD ShipHistory card located for the hull or for merchant DOLORES - consistent with a direct Navy-to-private sale and foreign-flag merchant fate.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1942-1960 records

    Limitations

    Archival lead, not an asbestos finding: deck-log and conversion-package existence is asserted at series level; no hull-specific NAID was retrieved. Deck logs and conversion work packages document operations and work items - whether any asbestos-specific document exists for this hull is unknown until surveyed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-chandra-arl46-10