USS Hampden County (LST-803)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]research packet 728-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-hampden-county-lst803-pkt-728-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Hampden County (LST-803)' (detailed entry, live NHHC page, published 14 Jul 2015) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'Hampden County (LST-803)' full narrative + spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down by Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, Ind., 14 September 1944; launched 23 October, sponsored by Mrs. Katie Bryant; commissioned 17 November 1944, Lt. H. M. Parsons in command. After shakedown off Florida she departed New Orleans in December, arrived San Diego 8 January 1945, touched Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, arrived Guam 12 February; embarked the 16th Marine Antiaircraft Battalion and sailed 26 March for Okinawa; approached Kerama Retto 2 April and unloaded under heavy enemy air raids and suicide attacks for a week before proceeding to Saipan for reinforcements; shuttled cargo between Okinawa and the Philippines for the rest of the war; arrived Tokyo Bay with occupation cargo after the surrender. Sailed for the U.S. mid-November 1945, arriving San Diego December 1945; July 1946 returned to the Western Pacific as a utility ship transporting cargo, troops, and prisoners-of-war in the Marianas and Carolines until she departed Kwajalein 26 February 1949; arrived Long Beach 10 April; decommissioned 15 June and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Recommissioned 15 November 1950 (Lt. Ben Owen in command); departed Port Hueneme 3 March 1951, arrived Yokosuka 26 April; from 17 May transported prisoners-of-war between Pusan and Koje-Do; operated Japan-Inchon through 1951; sailed for San Diego 31 January 1952; after overhaul and training back in Japan 15 November; cargo/transport runs Japan-Inchon-Pusan until the Armistice 27 July 1953 - major projects amphibious landings at Inchon and salvage work behind enemy lines at Chummum Do; Operation 'Big Switch' POW exchange; returned San Diego 25 September 1953. Third Far East tour May 1954 incl. 'Passage to Freedom' (French and Vietnamese Army units and Christian refugees, North Vietnam to Saigon); Tachen Islands evacuation - from 8 February 1955 transported over 2,300 troops and civilians with vehicles and heavy weapons to Formosa; arrived San Diego 28 April 1955. Named Hampden County 1 July 1955; two years of amphibious exercises West Coast/Hawaii/Far East; after 1956-57 WestPac returned 31 August 1957; decommissioned at Mare Island 2 January 1958; struck from the Navy List 17 April; sunk as a fleet practice target off the coast of California 26 September 1958. Spec block: dp. 1,625; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 266; class printed 'LST-511' (see gaps). One battle star WWII and five for the Korean conflict.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1958

   Population

   Jeffersonville Boat & Machine construction trades (1944); crew and embarked troops (1944-1958)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific operational history only; contains no asbestos or material-content statement. Its 15 June 1949 first decommissioning conflicts with the companion DANFS LST-803 entry (26 March 1949) - see ev-08. Spec-block class print 'LST-511' conflicts with LST-542 group carried by NavSource and class records - unresolved print discrepancy, see gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-01

3. [3]DANFS, 'LST-803' (concise entry, live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS 'LST-803' entry text

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Companion DANFS entry, same hull: identical construction milestones (laid down 14 September 1944 Jeffersonville; launched 23 October; sponsored by Mrs. Katie Bryant; commissioned 17 November 1944, Lt. Henry M. Parsons, USNR). 'Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945. LST-803 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-May 1947. Following the war, LST-803 saw service in the Marianas as a utility vessel until decommissioned on 26 March 1949. Recommissioned on 15 November 1950, she saw extensive service during the Korean War.' Redesignated Hampden County (LST-803) 1 July 1955; decommissioned 2 January 1958; struck 17 April 1958; 'sunk as a target on 26 September 1958.' One battle star WWII, five Korea.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1958

   Limitations

   Concise companion entry; its '26 March 1949' decommissioning date conflicts with the detailed entry (15 June 1949) and is internally inconsistent with the detailed timeline (hull was mid-transit Kwajalein-Long Beach on that date) - see correction row ev-08. 'Occupation duty until mid-May 1947' vs the detailed entry's utility-ship operations through February 1949 describe different phases, not necessarily a conflict. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Hampden County (LST-803) ex USS LST-803 (live .net page) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160803.htm - header timeline, campaign tables, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline and specification record for this hull: LST-542 Class; laid down 14 September 1944 Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co.; launched 23 October 1944; commissioned 17 November 1944, LT. Henry M. Parsons, USNR; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater - LST Flotilla Twenty-Three (CAPT. W. W. Weeden Jr.), LST Group Sixty-Seven (CDR V. A. King), LST Division One Hundred Thirty-Four; Okinawa Gunto operation assault and occupation 2 April - 10 June 1945; occupation and China service periods itemized (6-24 Sep 1945, 29 Oct-8 Nov 1945, 20-24 May 1947; China Service extended 31 Mar-1 Apr 1953, 7-13 Feb 1955); decommissioned 15 June 1949 at Long Beach, CA, Pacific Reserve Fleet; recommissioned 15 November 1950; Korean War campaigns itemized - Communist China Spring Offensive (18 May-6 Jun 1951), UN Summer-Fall Offensive (25 Jul 1951, 10 Aug-3 Sep 1951), Second Korean Winter (7 Dec 1951-4 Jan 1952), Third Korean Winter (15-18 Dec 1952, 25 Feb-15 Mar 1953, 29-30 Apr 1953), Korea Summer-Fall 1953 (1-17 May, 18-19 Jun, 9 Jul, 27 Jul 1953); named USS Hampden County (LST-803) 1 July 1955; decommissioned 2 January 1958 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA; struck 17 April 1958; final disposition sunk as a target 26 September 1958 off the coast of California (cited to 'Navy Times' 15 October 1958); one battle star WWII, five Korea. Specifications: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full (sea-going, 1,675-t load) / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft o.a.; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; endurance 24,000 mi at 9 kt at 3,960 t; 13 officers + 104 enlisted, troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; cargo 1,600-1,900 t; ultimate armament 2 twin 40mm with Mk 51 directors, 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm; 4,300 bbl diesel; propulsion two GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230 V DC ship's-service generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders. Commanding-officer table lists 8 officers (Parsons through Pohrman, 1944-1958). Photo captions document NARA-held images incl. USN 1045682 and a NARA Riverside image of LST-772 and LST-803 berthed at Long Beach Naval Shipyard 15 December 1953.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1958

   Population

   Construction trades (1944); crew (1944-49, 1950-58); embarked troops and POW-transport passengers; Mare Island decommissioning trades (1958)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation whose milestones generally track DANFS/NVR; not itself a primary registry. The December 1953 photo caption places the hull berthed at Long Beach Naval Shipyard - physical presence, not a work/overhaul record. Final-disposition line rests on a 'Navy Times' 15 Oct 1958 item transcribed by NavSource. No asbestos content anywhere on the page.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-03

5. [5]Consolidated era/design inference - NavSource-verified plant for this hull (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, Falk gears, 2 shafts, no boilers) + LST-1-class class profile (ships-worktrees class-f, lst-1-class.class.json, ev-lst-1-class-03) + era amphibious-ship construction practice [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource specifications block (propulsion); class-f lst-1-class.class.json class_notes + ev-lst-1-class-03

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST-542-group hull: with no boilers, asbestos-relevant applications aboard a ship of this type and period concentrate in GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal and acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. The hull was mass-produced in 1944 under wartime emergency specifications at an inland 'cornfield yard' during the period when federal policy had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding - consistent with era-level documentation that wartime shipbuilding used asbestos extensively for fireproofing and insulation (see ev-05).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1958

   Population

   Jeffersonville Boat & Machine construction trades (1944); engine-room and maintenance crews (1944-49, 1950-58); yard trades at documented yard presences (Long Beach 1949/1953; Mare Island 1958)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-level insulation survey, material schedule, or work package was located for LST-803. Names era-standard applications aboard the type, not confirmed installed materials on this hull. Establishes no quantity, no location-specific presence, no individual exposure, no causation. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-04

6. [6]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 record PMID 3555021 (Am J Ind Med 1987;11(3):359-73)

   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 World War II - the era and program under which this LST-542-group hull was mass-produced in 1944 at an inland wartime yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard wartime hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (program context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel or its builder and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. Bibliographic identity verified via NCBI E-utilities (PMID 3555021); publisher DOI and PubMed HTML return bot-mitigation responses to automated fetch - treat the PubMed URL as a verified record locator, not a fetched full text.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-05

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, with managed-removal policies (1975 damaged/repair-only removal; 1979 selective replacement) postdating this hull entirely - consistent with the absence of any abatement-era record: LST-803 was struck and sunk in 1958, before Navy asbestos-management programs existed.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1979 (program era 1970s)

   Population

   Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

   Limitations

   Program-level documentation; supports era context only, nothing hull-specific. The management policies described postdate this hull's 1958 disposal - the row explains why no abatement record exists, it does not document material aboard. Full text not retrieved: gao.gov blocks automated fetch (HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-03); content via product-page description.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-06

8. [8]NARA logbook guidance: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, RG 24, Entry 118 (National Archives Identifier 581208) - commissioned-vessel deck logs; digitized-logs page and NARA still-photo series RG 19 [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov logbooks/navy and logbooks/navy-online pages; NavSource 160803.htm photo captions (USN 1045682; Long Beach Naval Shipyard 15 Dec 1953); class-f search_ledger sl-lst-1-class-07

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads, not retrieved (no research-room visit or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (1) NARA RG 24 Entry 118 holds commissioned-vessel deck logs - LST-803's logs for 1944-1949 and 1950-1958, if present, would record availabilities, yard periods, and material events; digitization status for this hull unconfirmed because the NARA Catalog is JS-rendered and returned no retrievable API result this session. (2) NARA still-photo holdings include at least one hull image (US National Archives photo USN 1045682) and a Riverside-holdings photograph of LST-772 and LST-803 berthed at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, 15 December 1953 - both transcribed via NavSource captions. (3) NPS, 'Role of the LSTs in WW II Amphibious Operations,' is the stated source of the class registry table (identified by the class profile; direct retrieval still pending).

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1958 records

   Limitations

   Record-group- and caption-level mapping only - no box/item-level retrieval performed; whether any asbestos-relevant entries exist in this hull's logs is unknown until surveyed. Photographs establish presence at a shipyard, not work performed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-07

9. [9]Batch-7342 search ledger (this record): two live DANFS entries; live NavSource page (.net); NVR (no entry - hull struck 1958); CourtListener (blocked - fleet daily quota exhausted); GAO product page (403); secondary web sweeps; builder-yard sweep; NARA guidance pages [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-hampden-county-lst803-01 through -10

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-803 / USS Hampden County (LST-803) was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated helper reported the fleet daily quota exhausted (~10.5 h to reset) on 2026-10-03; logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. A prior class-level CourtListener sweep (LST class profile, 2026-09-16) surfaced only an incidental reunion-notice mention of 'USS LST 579' inside a scanned SDNY filing (Gitto v. A.W. Chesterton, 1:07-cv-04771) - not an exposure record and not this hull. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case naming this hull; the only 'asbestos' hits were law-firm/marketing pages asserting asbestos aboard this ship or class without primary sourcing (excluded by source policy) and non-authoritative yard content for the builder (mesowatch.org) - also excluded.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   2026-10-03

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the litigation-repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). The hull was struck and sunk in 1958, before Navy asbestos-management programs and modern hazmat-disclosure regimes existed, so no abatement-era record should be expected. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-08

10. [10]Intra-DANFS date conflict + derivative mirrors: DANFS 'LST-803' entry (26 March 1949) vs DANFS 'Hampden County (LST-803)' entry (15 June 1949); NavSource timeline and commanding-officer table (15 June 1949 at Long Beach); NavalCoverMuseum repeats the 26 March 1949 figure [other_primary]

    Locator

    DANFS both entries; NavSource 160803.htm timeline + CO table; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/HAMPDEN_COUNTY_LST_803 (live); Wikipedia infobox (not cited)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    CORRECTION: the two DANFS entries for this hull disagree on the first decommissioning - the concise LST-803 entry prints 26 March 1949; the detailed Hampden County entry prints 15 June 1949, internally consistent with its own timeline (departed Kwajalein 26 February 1949; arrived Long Beach 10 April; decommissioned 15 June) and matched by NavSource ('Decommissioned, 15 June 1949, at Long Beach, CA') and its commanding-officer table (Lt. June in command to 15 June 1949). Adopted: 15 June 1949. The 26 March 1949 figure remains in circulation via the short DANFS entry and derivative mirrors (e.g., NavalCoverMuseum, which also carries it). A Wikipedia infobox variant (laid down 2 September, launched 19 October, commissioned 13 November 1944) conflicts with that article's own DANFS-derived body and with both authoritative sources - Wikipedia is not a citable source; noted here so the variant is not re-imported.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1949 (event); 2026-10-03 (cross-check)

    Limitations

    Corrects source-level date discrepancies only; no material/asbestos content. Resolution rests on internal consistency (the hull was mid-transit Kwajalein-Long Beach on 26 March 1949) plus two-source agreement - the 15 June 1949 date is adopted but the minority DANFS figure is preserved in this note.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-hampden-county-lst803-09