USS Electron (LST-1070)

Name
USS Electron
Hull designation
LST-1070
Vessel class
LST-1
Evidence tier
Tier 2
Evidence entries
11
Record ID
uss-electron-lst1070
Dataset version
2026.10.12-rc.1
Canonical URL
https://asbestosatlas.org/ships/uss-electron-lst1070

Evidence

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

  1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. II, p. 338, 'Electron (LST-1070)' - NHHC DANFS ship-history page (archived Wayback capture 2024-07-14; live history.navy.mil page returns 404 as of 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
    Locator
    NHHC DANFS 'Electron' entry, full text in 2024-07-14 Wayback capture; verbatim Vol. II p. 338 text independently mirrored at https://losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/amphib/lst1070.htm (verified live 2026-10-02); live history.navy.mil URL 404 on all patterns tried
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    DANFS record for this hull (Vol. II, p. 338): launched 9 March 1945 by Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Mass.; commissioned 5 April 1945, Lt. R. P. Seem in command; sailed from New York 19 May 1945, arrived Philippines 14 July and operated there until October except one voyage to Tokyo Bay carrying occupation cargo; shifted briefly to Japan, returned to Pearl Harbor 6 December to begin conversion to electronics parts issue ship; conversion halted in 1946 and she was placed out of commission in reserve 3 December at Astoria, Oreg.; reclassified AG-146 on 27 January 1949 and named Electron 1 February 1949; recommissioned 6 October 1950 (Korean War), alterations completed at Bremerton, loaded electronic equipment at Oakland; sailed from San Diego 2 December, arrived Sasebo 5 February 1951; operated from Sasebo and Yokosuka for the remainder of the Korean War; reclassified AKS-27 on 18 August 1951; stationed at Subic Bay 18 January 1954 to 30 April 1955; returned to the west coast April 1956; placed out of commission in reserve 16 November 1956; stricken from the Navy List 1 April 1960 and sold in December 1960. Specs in the DANFS header: dp. 2,179; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'1"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 119; a. 8 40mm; cl. LST-1.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1945-1960
    Population
    Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades 1945; wartime crew and embarked troops; Pacific Fleet crews 1950-1956
    Limitations
    DANFS documents service history, not materials or asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page serves 404 (standing link rot since batch-01) - archived capture cited per citation-hygiene rule; mirror transcription independently verified identical. DANFS gives no laid-down date; the 1949 reclassification date conflicts with secondary sources printing 1947 - see correction row ev-05.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-01
  2. [2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Electron (AKS-27) ex AG-146 ex LST-1070, page 09/16/1627 - specification block, custodial chronology, awards section, commanding-officer table [other_primary]
    Locator
    NavSource page 09/16/1627, verified live on navsource.net 2026-10-02 (navsource.org domain is dead per standing citation rule; batch-644 cited the .org host and reached content only via search index)
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    NavSource archival page for USS Electron (AKS-27) ex-AG-146 ex-LST-1070: LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship; laid down 8 February 1945 at Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, MA; launched 9 March 1945; commissioned 5 April 1945, Lt. Richard P. Seem USNR; Asiatic-Pacific Theater service with occupation duty periods 6-23 September and 29 October-10 November 1945; decommissioned 3 December 1946 at Astoria, OR and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group; named Electron 1 February 1949; recommissioned 6 October 1950; reclassified General Stores Issue Ship AKS-27 on 18 August 1951; decommissioned 16 November 1956; struck from the Naval Register 1 April 1960; final disposition 'sold, December 1960, presumed scrapped'. Commanding-officer table lists seven officers for the LST-1070 commission (1945-46) and LCDR Wesley Curtis Dreman (1954) for AKS-27; international radio call sign NAIN.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1945-1960
    Population
    Ship's company ~119 per DANFS; occupation-duty crews 1945
    Limitations
    Volunteer-compiled archival page quoting Navy sources and NHHC photo captions; consistent with DANFS where they overlap and supplies the laid-down date DANFS omits. Its printed AG-146 reclassification date '27 January 1947' conflicts with DANFS (1949) and is contradicted by the documented 1948-49 naming sequence - see correction row ev-05. Its generic LST-542 spec block lists GM 12-567A engines, but the BuShips Ships' Data machinery table assigns the LST1060-1080 block GM 12-278A - see ev-06. Spec data are equipment descriptions only - no asbestos content stated or implied.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-02
  3. [3]shipscribe.com, 'USS Electron (AKS 27, ex LST) Class' - construction/disposition tables, class notes, and per-ship notes compiled from BuShips and Naval Vessel Register data [other_primary]
    Locator
    shipscribe usnaux2/AKS/AKS27.html - construction table, disposition table, class notes, ship note row for AKS-27 ELECTRON (verified live 2026-10-02)
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    Shipscribe (BuShips/NVR-derived compilation) AKS-27 class page, Electron ship note and class notes: (ex AG-146, ex LST-1070, comm 5 Apr 1945) reassigned to ComServPac effective 1 Jan 1946; arrived Navy Yard Pearl Harbor 3 Jan 1946 for conversion to mobile spare parts issue ship, conversion completed ca. April 1946; designated for inactivation 28 Aug 1946; placed in inactive status (OCIR) 3 Dec 1946 in the Columbia Group (Astoria) of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, inactivation nearly complete; to AG-146 and named 1 Feb 1949; reactivation ordered 7 Aug 1950; recommissioned 6 Oct 1950; to AKS-27 18 Aug 1951; homeport shifted from Mare Island to Sasebo, Japan, 1 Oct 1954; inactivation overhaul at Astoria 16 Jul - 15 Nov 1956, in Columbia Group to 1960; offered for sale 21 Sep 1960 with bid opening 13 Oct 1960; disposal recorded 19 Oct 1960 as a Navy sale (MARAD sale column '--', i.e., no Maritime Administration involvement). Class notes document the five-ship conversion program (Electron, Proton, Colington, League Island, Chimon - ex-LSTs 1070, 1078, 1085, 1097, 1102), the CNO naming request of 9 Dec 1948, BuShips name recommendations 3 Jan 1949, approvals 1 Feb 1949, and the 18 Aug 1951 AG-146..150 to AKS-27..31 reclassification batch. Conversion-era particulars: 1,780 tons light / 3,640 full; armament (1956) 2 40mmT + 6 40mmS; accommodations 12-17 officers / 116-160 enlisted; geared diesel, 2 screws, 1,800 HP.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1945-1960
    Population
    Pearl Harbor Navy Yard conversion workers 1946; Bremerton alteration workers 1950; Astoria inactivation crews 1956; ship's company ~116-160 enlisted + 12-17 officers as AKS
    Limitations
    Compilation of official BuShips/NVR data by a reputable ship-data site; consistent with DANFS on all overlapping milestones. 'Decomm Jul 1956' in its table reflects the inactivation-overhaul start (16 Jul 1956); DANFS's 16 Nov 1956 is the completion/decommissioning - carried as a variance, not an error. Disposal 19 Oct 1960 (sale action) vs DANFS 'sold December 1960' (likely delivery/title date). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-03
  4. [4]NavalCoverMuseum wiki, 'ELECTRON AKS 27' (ribbon list); NavSource awards/campaign-ribbon section; Wikipedia USS Electron (AG-146) battle-star detail tracing to the CNO Korean War awards list [other_primary]
    Locator
    navalcovermuseum.org ELECTRON AKS 27 name/designation and awards sections (verified live 2026-10-02); NavSource 09/16/1627 awards section
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    Awards record for this hull from secondary compilations: USS LST-1070 / Electron earned the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, and United Nations Service Medal; one battle star for Korean War service - First UN Counter Offensive (29-30 March 1951 and 16-18 April 1951).
    Verification
    partial
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1951
    Population
    Korean War-era crew
    Limitations
    Award listings are secondary compilations - not verified against the official CNO/NHHC Korean War battle-star register, which is the verification path if needed. Consistent across sources. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-04
  5. [5]DANFS Vol. II p. 338 (archived NHHC capture + losthistory.net mirror) vs NavSource 09/16/1627 chronology vs shipscribe AKS-27 class notes; DANFS Colington (LST-1085/AG-148) entry at ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/LST/lst1085.html [other_primary]
    Locator
    shipscribe AKS27 class notes (naming sequence 9 Dec 1948 - 1 Feb 1949); DANFS Electron entry (archived/mirror); NavSource chronology (live 2026-10-02); DANFS lst1085 (Colington) corroboration verified live at ibiblio.org/hyperwar 2026-10-02
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    Source discrepancy documented and resolved: NavSource and other secondary compilations (e.g., the navalmarinearchive AG table; Wikipedia's infobox as of 2026-10-02 still prints '27 January 1947') give the AG-146 reclassification as '27 January 1947', while DANFS prints 'reclassified AG-146, 27 January 1949, and assigned the name Electron, 1 February 1949.' Shipscribe's class notes document the actual sequence - CNO asked the Chief of Naval Personnel on 9 Dec 1948 to assign names for the five spare-parts-issue LSTs to be reclassified as AGs; BuShips recommended ELECTRON and PROTON for AG-146/147 on 3 Jan 1949; names approved 1 Feb 1949 - making a 1947 reclassification chronologically impossible. Sister ship Colington's DANFS entry shows the identical pattern (reclassified AG-148 'on 27 January', named 1 February 1949). The 1949 date is adopted; '1947' in secondary sources is a transcription error propagated between compilations.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    correction
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1948-1949
    Limitations
    Resolves the reclassification year by primary-source naming chronology, not by counting sources. DANFS's own ordering (reclass 27 Jan 1949 precedes naming 1 Feb 1949) and shipscribe's effective-date grouping ('to AG 146 and named 1 Feb 1949') differ on whether 27 Jan or 1 Feb is the operative date - the record carries 27 Jan 1949 as the reclassification order date with 1 Feb 1949 naming, per DANFS. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-05
  6. [6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 15 April 1945), LST design + machinery tables (shipscribe.com scan, text layer) - consolidated with lst-1-class class profile (LST-542 group, LST-1060..1080 engine-variant block) and shipscribe conversion-event dates [other_primary]
    Locator
    SDB1945v2 LST machinery table row 'LST1060-1080 -> G.M. Diesel 12-278A' (text layer, verified live 2026-10-02; the batch-644 URL shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf now returns 404 - file moved to /pubs/); class-f lst-1-class.class.json analysis; shipscribe AKS-27 ship note (conversion/inactivation dates)
    Finding type
    asbestos_application
    Finding
    Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST-542-class hull built at Bethlehem-Hingham in 1945 and converted at a Navy yard in early 1946: NO boilers or steam plant - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply; plausible asbestos applications on this type concentrate in diesel exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, gaskets and packing throughout the engineering spaces, electrical insulation/cable, deck coverings (incl. tank-deck surfaces), accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on winches and the stern-anchor windlass. Her three documented Navy-yard industrial events - Pearl Harbor Navy Yard conversion Jan-Apr 1946, Bremerton alterations 1950, Astoria inactivation overhaul Jul-Nov 1956 - all fall inside the peak asbestos era and involved interior rework, but no source documents material scope. The BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. II machinery table (NAVSHIPS 250-011, April 1945) assigns the LST1060-1080 block - which includes this hull - GM Diesel 12-278A engines.
    Verification
    inferred
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    class_or_era
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1945-1960
    Population
    Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades 1945; Pearl Harbor Navy Yard conversion workers 1946; Puget Sound (Bremerton) alteration workers 1950; Astoria inactivation crews 1956; ship's company 1945-1956
    Limitations
    Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, or survey exists in the public record for this ship; the conversion events are documented as to dates and yards but NOT as to asbestos scope. The BuShips machinery table is an official design-block document: it fixes engine model per block but says nothing about insulation materials. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard, nor any individual exposure.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-06
  7. [7]Corn JK, Starr J. 'Historical perspective on asbestos: policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding.' Am J Ind Med 12(4):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
    Locator
    Am J Ind Med 12(4):359-373 (1987), DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700120402
    Finding type
    asbestos_application
    Finding
    Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that WWII-era U.S. shipyards extensively installed asbestos-containing insulation, lagging, and gaskets in naval and merchant construction - the era and program context in which this hull was built (1945, Bethlehem-Hingham) and repeatedly reworked at Navy yards.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    class_or_era
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1941-1945 (study scope); applied 1945-1960
    Population
    WWII-era shipyard workers and crews (era context)
    Limitations
    Era-level scholarship only; the source does not name this hull or class and does not establish that any specific material aboard this ship contained asbestos. The diesel plant (no boilers) narrows the exposure-relevant scope relative to steam vessels. Citation corrected per batch-318: the batch-05 ss-john-w-brown record cites this paper as 11(3)/DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311 - the correct citation is 12(4):359-373, DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700120402.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-07
  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 confirmed again 2026-10-02 - standing block since batch-01)
    Finding type
    gov_survey
    Finding
    GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or when required for repairs, modified in 1979 toward selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place on active Navy hulls for decades; systematic substitution did not begin until the early 1970s, more than a decade after this hull left Navy custody (disposed 1960).
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    context_only
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1979
    Population
    Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review (not this hull)
    Limitations
    Program-level Navy documentation that postdates this hull's entire existence - she was stricken and sold in 1960, before the policies described were in force. Context for the era fleet picture only: supports the inference that 1945-era materials were not systematically removed during her service life, but establishes nothing about what was aboard. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov HTTP 403); content via product-page description.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-08
  9. [9]Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, OPNAVINST 5100.19F, Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, 5 May 2019, chapter B1, paragraph 3.d (archived copy; direct PDF access returned 403) [other_primary]
    Locator
    Chapter B1, paragraph 3.d; also paragraph 3.a (archived 2025-02-08 capture verified live 2026-10-02; same archived copy used by batch-6544 this date)
    Finding type
    regulatory
    Finding
    OPNAVINST 5100.19F states that, for active-ship asbestos management, any Navy ship whose keel was laid before 1980 is considered to contain friable asbestos thermal-system insulation and must maintain an emergency asbestos response team. This hull's keel was laid 8 February 1945. The presumption is a later administrative-management baseline - this ship left Navy custody in 1960, decades before the instruction.
    Verification
    inferred
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    class_or_era
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    2019 policy; keel laid 1945
    Population
    Navy shipboard and maintenance personnel (policy context)
    Limitations
    A 2019 management presumption for active Navy ships, not a contemporaneous drawing, sample, survey, or work record for this hull. The ship was stricken and sold in 1960 - the instruction cannot establish what material she carried in service, what was removed, or any individual's exposure. Added in this batch per current house convention (absent from batch-644 record).
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-09
  10. [10]Batch-6558 search ledger (this record): archived NHHC DANFS capture + losthistory.net mirror; NavSource 09/16/1627 (navsource.net live); shipscribe AKS-27 class page; shipscribe SDB1945v2 at /pubs/; NavalCoverMuseum; CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps; MARAD ShipHistory (site error persists); va.gov BVA index sweep; web-index litigation/marketing check; class-level CourtListener sweep reference (lst-1-class, 2026-09-16); batch-644 prior-session ledger (2026-09-20) [other_primary]
    Locator
    search_ledger rows sl-uss-electron-lst1070-01 through sl-uss-electron-lst1070-16
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming LST-1070 / AG-146 / AKS-27 / USS Electron was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated same-hull sweeps this session: 'USS Electron' opinion search returned 189 hits, all name collisions in the result set reviewed (USS-POSCO steel-company cases, 'electronically filed' snippets, unrelated 'electron' usages) - zero results reference this vessel; 'LST-1070' opinion search returned 46 hits, all collisions - the only asbestos-docket case surfaced, Ramsey v. Georgia Southern University (Del. Super. N14C-01-287 ASB, 2 Feb 2017, In re: Asbestos Litigation), matched on the reporter pinpoint '539 A.2d 1064, 1070', not the hull number (full opinion OCR'd - no ship reference); 'AKS-27' returned 0 results; 'AG-146 + asbestos' refined query returned 0 results (the bare 'AG-146' query tokenizes on the hyphen into 65,517 collisions - Attorney-General opinion numbering - superseded by the refined query). The class-level 'USS LST' asbestos sweep of 2026-09-16 found only an incidental reunion-notice mention of LST-579 in Gitto v. A.W. Chesterton, S.D.N.Y. 1:07-cv-04771 - not an exposure record. Web-index sweeps returned only banned law-firm listicles (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships page lists Electron).
    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 - a 1945 hull converted at Navy yards in 1946, 1950, and 1956 is era-consistent with ACM-containing work, but nothing documents it. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. All four designation sweeps completed via the authenticated fleet-paced helper: 'USS Electron' 189 hits (all collisions), 'LST-1070' 46 hits (all collisions), 'AKS-27' 0 results, 'AG-146 + asbestos' refined query 0 results.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-10
  11. [11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 181 (Naval Districts and Shore Establishments) - record-group mapping only [other_primary]
    Locator
    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; .../groups/024.html ; .../groups/181.html (all three guide pages verified live 2026-10-02, HTTP 200)
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds contract plans, specifications, and alteration records for the LST-1070 build and the AG-146/AKS-27 conversion work packages; RG 24 Navy deck logs cover LST-1070 (1945-46) and Electron (1950-56) operations; RG 181 naval-district and shore-establishment records cover Pearl Harbor Navy Yard (1946 conversion), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (1950 alterations), and the Astoria inactivation overhaul (1956) - industrial work orders could contain insulation/material itemization; Navy sale records for the Sep-Oct 1960 disposal would fix the buyer and breaking yard.
    Verification
    unverified
    Role
    archival_lead
    Documentation level
    context_only
    Accessed
    2026-10-02
    Study period
    1945-1960 records
    Limitations
    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-electron-lst1070-11

Attribution

Compiled by
Paul Danziger; Rod de Llano
Publisher
Danziger & De Llano, LLP
License
CC-BY-4.0
Citation
Danziger, P., and De Llano, R. (2026). AsbestosAtlas Navy Vessel Asbestos Exposure Dataset. Danziger & De Llano, LLP. DOI: not yet assigned
Dataset version
asbestosatlas-ships-2026.10.12-rc.1
DOI
not yet assigned