Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
-
[1]research packet 689-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-pkt-689-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'LST-551,' archived NHHC page [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Archived DANFS entry, opening construction paragraph and service/disposition paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Archived NHHC DANFS states that LST-551 was laid down at Evansville, Indiana, by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. on 15 January 1944; launched 11 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. H. Edward Lannan; and commissioned 14 April 1944. It assigns her to the European theater, records participation in the invasion of southern France in August and September 1944, occupation service in Europe through early July 1945, Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force service through decommissioning on 10 June 1955, redesignation as Chesterfield County (LST-551) on 1 July 1955, recommissioning on 21 December 1965, Vietnam operations in 1966-67, striking on 1 June 1970, and sale to Mitsui & Co., Japan, for scrapping in February 1971. It credits one WWII battle star and two Vietnam battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1971
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked personnel
- Limitations
- The archived page is a live Wayback capture of an NHHC source; the current canonical NHHC URL returned HTTP 404 to direct retrieval on 2026-10-02. This historical entry contains no asbestos, insulation, repair-material, or hazardous-material information and establishes no exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Chesterfield County (LST-551) [other_primary]
- Locator
- LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship chronology, Vietnam campaign table, and Specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource identifies this hull as an LST-542-class tank landing ship, gives the same construction and first decommissioning dates as DANFS, lists European occupation service from 8 May to 9 July 1945, records Vietnam campaign-date bands from 3 March 1966 to 26 January 1967, decommissioning on 13 March 1967, striking on 1 June 1970, and sale for scrap in February 1971.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1971
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked personnel
- Limitations
- This archival compilation conflicts with archived DANFS by listing recommissioning on 29 March 1963 rather than 21 December 1965; the conflict is unresolved. It contains no asbestos, insulation, repair-material, or hazardous-material information and establishes no exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Chesterfield County (LST-551), LST-542 Class specification block [other_primary]
- Locator
- LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship, Specifications block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- NavSource's LST-542-class specification block lists two General Motors 12-567A 900-hp diesel engines, a Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-driven 100-kW 230-V D.C. generators, twin screws, and 1,700 shp, without boilers. It gives the class specification complement as 7 officers and 104 enlisted, with troop accommodations for 16 officers and 131 enlisted.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- World War II LST-542 class design
- Population
- LST-542-class crews and embarked troops
- Limitations
- This is an LST-542 class specification, not a survey or machinery inventory for LST-551. A diesel/no-boiler configuration does not identify any insulation, gasket, packing, coating, deck, or other material aboard this hull and does not establish asbestos presence or absence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-03
-
[5]Corn JK, Starr J, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 12(4):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700120402
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A peer-reviewed historical study addresses asbestos policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding, the era in which this hull was built. It is retained solely as historical context for researching construction-era materials.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- World War II
- Population
- World War II shipbuilding workforce
- Limitations
- Era-level scholarship does not name LST-551, its builder's work package, or any product aboard this vessel. It cannot establish asbestos presence, exposure, quantity, condition, removal, or legal eligibility for this hull or any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-04
-
[6]Batch-7063 search ledger (this record): authenticated CourtListener helper exact-name opinion query; NHHC/DANFS, NavSource, NARA deck-log index, and direct source checks [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-01 through sl-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-06
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record was located in the sources searched: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or qualifying litigation naming USS Chesterfield County / LST-551. The authenticated CourtListener exact-name opinion search returned zero results. The exact-hull opinion request and the exact-name and exact-hull docket searches were not completed after the fleet pacing helper directed a stand-down.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- A lack of located public records does not prove the absence of asbestos aboard. CourtListener coverage is incomplete because the fleet-wide authenticated pacing helper expressly directed no retry; state-court, unindexed, and non-public filings also fall outside this search. This row establishes neither exposure nor non-exposure and does not establish or defeat legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-05
-
[7]National Archives, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Navy online deck-log guide; direct page text checked for Chesterfield County and LST-551
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's Navy deck-log guidance identifies the National Archives Catalog as the route to digitized Navy deck logs. A direct check of the page did not return a Chesterfield County or LST-551 entry in its page text; no hull-specific log or materials record was retrieved. Deck logs and Bureau of Ships alteration/construction records remain archival leads for a future ship-specific materials review.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1967 service periods
- Population
- U.S. Navy ship crews and relevant naval-record custodians
- Limitations
- This is a record-location lead, not a retrieval of a hull log or a finding of asbestos-related content. The absence of a name match in this index page does not demonstrate that records do not exist in the Catalog or NARA holdings.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-chesterfield-county-lst551-06