Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]research packet 717-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-douglas-county-lst731-pkt-717-packet-md
-
[2]Naval Historical Center, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, LST-731 entry (archived copy of official Navy page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Archived DANFS entry, service and disposition paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official DANFS entry states that LST-731 participated in the capture and occupation of Guam in July and August 1944 and the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima in February and March 1945; was redesignated LST(H)-731 on 15 September 1945; performed Far East occupation duty until mid-February 1946; was decommissioned on 2 June 1950; redesignated LST-731 on 6 March 1952; named Douglas County (LST-731) on 1 July 1955; and struck from the Navy list on 1 November 1958. It earned two World War II battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1958
- Population
- U.S. Navy personnel
- Limitations
- DANFS gives no final-disposition detail after striking and identifies no materials aboard. It establishes service and administrative history only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-douglas-county-lst731-02
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Douglas County (LST-731) / USS LST(H)-731 page [museum_official]
- Locator
- Live page heading, history bullets, Specifications section, and final-disposition line
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource's live hull page identifies the vessel as USS LST-731, USS LST(H)-731, and USS Douglas County (LST-731); gives the 1943-44 construction milestones, wartime campaigns, occupation-service periods, 1950 decommissioning, 1952 redesignation, 1955 naming, 1958 striking, and unknown final disposition; and presents LST-542-class specifications of 13 officers and 104 enlisted, troop accommodations for 16 officers and 147 enlisted, two General Motors 12-567A 900-hp diesel engines, a Falk main reduction gear, two propellers, 1,700 shaft horsepower, and three diesel-drive 100-kW 230-V DC ship-service generators.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1958
- Population
- Construction and maintenance workers; engineering crew; deck machinery operators
- Limitations
- NavSource is an archival photo/history resource and the exact URL returned HTTP 200 during this research. The specifications are presented as class/design specifications and do not establish that any particular insulation, gasket, packing, cable, covering, or friction material aboard this hull contained asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-douglas-county-lst731-03
-
[4]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), PMID 3555021 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed abstract
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A peer-reviewed historical study documents extensive use of asbestos as fireproofing and insulation in U.S. shipbuilding in the 1940s, the construction era of LST-731.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1940s; article published 1987
- Population
- 1940s U.S. shipbuilding workers and ship crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level historical documentation only. It does not name LST-731, its builder, a component, a product, a location aboard, a quantity, condition, removal history, individual exposure, or causation; it cannot establish asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-douglas-county-lst731-04
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[5]National Archives and Records Administration, Special List No. 44, by Ship Numbers [other_primary]
- Locator
- PDF text line / ship-number table row for LST-731
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List No. 44, by ship number, lists LST-731 with logbook coverage from 3 April 1944 through 30 June 1945, providing an archival lead for the vessel's early commissioned and wartime record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Ship's company and wartime operations
- Limitations
- The index confirms logbook coverage dates, not log contents. No underlying logbook was retrieved; this row makes no asbestos or exposure finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-douglas-county-lst731-05
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[6]Batch-7263 source review and search ledger: archived DANFS, NavSource hull page, NARA Special List No. 44, NARA asbestos-research guide, and authenticated CourtListener helper attempt [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-douglas-county-lst731-01 through -07
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos documentation was located in the public sources searched: the archived DANFS entry and live NavSource hull page contain no asbestos, survey, abatement, hazmat, or insulation-material disclosure; NARA's logbook index identifies coverage but not materials; and the required authenticated CourtListener helper did not return a result for the initiated exact-name opinion query within its execution window. The exact-hull query was not run after that incomplete result.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- This is a negative finding about records located, not proof that asbestos was absent. Litigation coverage is incomplete: no CourtListener result, positive or negative, can be inferred from the helper's non-returning request; no anonymous, raw, v3, or non-helper CourtListener request was made.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-douglas-county-lst731-06
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[7]Naval Historical Center, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, LST-731 entry (archived copy of official Navy page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Archived DANFS entry, opening paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official DANFS entry states that LST-731 was laid down on 27 December 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by Dravo Corp., Neville Island; launched on 12 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. A. J. Ackerman; and commissioned on 30 March 1944 under Ensign K. S. McCann, Jr.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Dravo construction workers and initial Navy crew
- Limitations
- The live NHHC photo-record URL for this hull returned 404 during this research; the cited Wayback capture is explicitly archived. This row establishes identity and construction milestones, not asbestos content, quantity, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-douglas-county-lst731-01