Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 569-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: **VERDICT: VERIFIED** — real identity: USS *Lakeland* (LSM-373), ex-USS *LSM-373* (1945–1959) — DANFS http://www.history.navy.mil via mirror https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/LSM/lsm373.html — archived as `batch6188-01-danfs-lakeland-lsm373.html`; also (mirror) http://www.navsource.net/archives/10/14/14373.htm — archived as `batch6188-02-navsource-lsm.html`
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lakeland-lsm373-pkt-569-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Lakeland' (LSM-373) - live NHHC page: construction, WWII service, 1946 decommissioning, 1958 recommissioning, Miami logistic-supply service, naming, 1959 decommissioning, 1960 disposal; spec block [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down as LSM-373 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex., 9 December 1944; launched 30 December; commissioned 27 January 1945, Lt. (j.g.) Robert W. Mueller in command. Departed Gulfport, Miss., 4 March 1945 for the Pacific; arrived Eniwetok 4 May; loaded lube oil in the Marianas; arrived Okinawa 8 June and discharged cargo; operated in the Marianas, Solomons, and Okinawa through the end of WWII. Shuttled occupation troops and supplies to Korea and China; departed Guam 25 April 1946, arrived Mobile 15 July; decommissioned 14 October 1946; Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, Fla. Recommissioned at Charleston, S.C., 28 February 1958, Lt. D. O. Evans in command; after training and repairs arrived Miami 7 April as logistic supply ship; for 18 months shuttled supplies from Miami and Norfolk to Caribbean naval outposts. Named Lakeland 14 October 1959; decommissioned at Norfolk 5 November 1959; struck 1 January 1960; sold to Portsmouth Salvage Co. 6 October 1960. Spec block: dp. 520; l. 204'; b. 35'; dr. 7'; s. 13 k.; cpl. 106; a. 2 40mm., 4 20mm., 7 .50 cal. AA mg.; cl. LSM-1.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew 1945-46 and 1958-59; carried troops/occupation forces
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Conflicts with NavSource on two dates (recommissioning 28 Feb vs 24 Feb 1958; final decommissioning 5 Nov vs 1 Dec 1959) - both flagged in gaps; DANFS carried as the authoritative source. Complement figure (106) apparently aggregates crew plus troops - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Lakeland (LSM-373) ex USS LSM-373 - LSM-1 class timeline, unit assignments, campaign/award tables, commanding-officer list, specifications block, mothball-fleet photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14373.htm header block, campaign/award tables, specifications block, CO table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: LSM-1 Class; laid down 9 December 1944 at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX; launched 30 December 1944; commissioned 27 January 1945, LTjg. Robert W. Mueller USNR in command. WWII Asiatic-Pacific assignment: LSM Flotilla Thirteen, LSM Group Thirty-Seven, LSM Division Seventy-Three; Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 8-18 June 1945; one battle star for WWII. Post-war occupation and China service 2 September 1945-15 March 1946, extended China service 16 March-12 April 1946. Decommissioned 14 October 1946 at Mobile, AL; Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs. Recommissioned 24 February 1958 at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C., LT. Dorrance O. Evans in command. Named USS Lakeland (LSM-373) 14 October 1959; decommissioned 1 December 1959; struck 1 January 1960; sold for scrapping 6 October 1960 to Portsmouth Salvage Co., Chesapeake, VA. Spec block: two Fairbanks Morse 38D81/8X10 reversible diesel engines, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each at 720 rpm; diesel-drive ship's service generators; twin propellers, 2,800 shp; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; troop accommodations 2 officers + 46 enlisted. Commanding officers: Mueller (27 Jan 45-9 Apr 46), Grissom (9 Apr-15 Sep 46), Bucklin (15 Sep-14 Oct 46), Evans (24 Feb 58-22 Sep 59), Hoye (22 Sep 59-1 Dec 59). Photo captions document guns covered for preservation in the 'mothball fleet.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Construction trades (Brown Shipbuilding, 1944); crew 1945-46, 1958-59; Charleston NSY yard trades during 1958 recommissioning/repairs
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; milestone dates track DANFS except two conflicts (24 Feb 1958 recommissioning, 1 Dec 1959 decommissioning - DANFS dates carried, variants in gaps). No asbestos content. The identification of Charleston Naval Shipyard as the recommissioning site is NavSource-specific (DANFS says only 'Charleston, S.C.').
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-02
-
[4]NARA catalog search 'LSM-373': 115 file units, RG 24 Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, series 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations,' all marked available online; observed monthly deck-log file units cover May 1958 through December 1959 (e.g., NAID 219133350 July 1958, NAID 219134222 August 1959, NAID for December 1959 in series) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search 'LSM-373' (115 file-unit results; representative NAIDs 219133350, 219134222)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Digitized deck logs for this hull exist at NARA: 115 file units in RG 24 returned for the hull-designation query, all flagged 'Available to access online.' Observed monthly file units span the recommissioned logistic-supply period (May 1958-December 1959). These are primary-source ship records - positions, moorings, yard availabilities - available for direct pull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1958-1959 observed; possibly 1945-1946
- Population
- Crew and yard/base trades during logged availabilities (1958-59 confirmed; WWII coverage unverified)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: file units were not opened or read for this record; whether any entry documents insulation work, shipyard availability detail, or material content is unknown. Coverage of the WWII commission (1945-46) was not verified month-by-month - the observed runs are 1958-59. No asbestos content located in catalog metadata.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-03
-
[5]Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), Artificial Reef Program catalog - Key Biscayne 'SMZ' site entry: 'Lakeland - 200' steel ship - Jun-82 - depth 135 - relief 25 - 25 42.067 N / 80 05.010 W' [other_primary]
- Locator
- DERM catalog, Key Biscayne 'SMZ' site table (p.6 of PDF)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The official county artificial-reef catalog documents a vessel named 'Lakeland' - a 200-foot steel ship - deployed June 1982 in 135 feet of water at 25 42.067'N, 80 05.010'W in the Key Biscayne Special Management Zone artificial reef site off Miami, with 'unnamed - 20 steel concrete mixer drums' and 'Chevron Tanks - 50 steel Chevron storage tanks' deployed 'Near Lakeland' in Jul-82 and Jan-83 respectively. Secondary dive literature (wreckwiki) identifies this reef vessel as the ex-LSM-373: sold to Portsmouth Salvage 1960, converted to inter-island freighter retaining the name Lakeland, scuttled 16 June 1982, resting inverted in ~135 ft.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1960-1982
- Population
- Reef-deployment crews (1982); commercial freighter crews 1960-1982 (identity secondary); present-day divers
- Limitations
- The county catalog itself does not identify the reef vessel's prior Navy service; the ex-LSM-373 identification comes from secondary dive literature, corroborated by name ('Lakeland'), consistent dimensions (203'6" LSM vs catalog '200' steel ship'), and location. No pre-sinking survey, cleaning/hazmat certification, or Corps-of-Engineers sink-ex permit record was located; whether asbestos was removed or remained aboard at sinking is undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block (cl. LSM-1); NavSource specifications block (two Fairbanks Morse 38D81/8X10 direct-drive diesels, diesel-drive generators, no steam plant); GAO HRD-80-2 program documentation (see ev-06); NHHC 'The Navy's Happy Medium' LSM class background [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NavSource specifications; GAO HRD-80-2; NHHC LSM class page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-engined amphibious landing ship built December 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a ship of this type and period were thermal insulation and lagging on exhaust lines, mufflers, and machinery; gaskets and valve packing; electrical insulation; accommodation-space insulation and joiner board; and brake linings on winches and windlass. As a direct-drive diesel ship she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1982
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew 1945-46 and 1958-59; Charleston NSY trades during 1958 work; Portsmouth Salvage and freighter-era crews; 1982 reef-deployment crews
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or deck-log evidence of insulation work was located for LSM-373. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-05
-
[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 - spanning this hull's construction (December 1944), first commission (1945-46), and recommissioned service (1958-59).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-01) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-06
-
[8]OSHA Inspection 100361849, Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106 (1988-1990 case record); plus shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos-product list for Charleston Naval Shipyard (pipe insulation 5-50% asbestos, boiler external coatings 15% asbestos, spray-on insulation, asbestos cement, gaskets/packing, brake linings, electrical insulation) [other_primary]
- Locator
- OSHA IMIS inspection detail 100361849; shipyards.json 'charleston-naval-shipyard' product list; NavSource/DANFS for the 1958 availability
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Yard-level asbestos documentation for this hull's 1958 recommissioning site: LSM-373 recommissioned at Charleston Naval Shipyard in February 1958 and underwent 'training and repairs' before arriving Miami 7 April 1958 (NavSource identifies the yard; DANFS confirms Charleston and the repairs). The Atlas shipyards dataset documents an extensive asbestos-product profile for Charleston NSY, and OSHA inspection 100361849 records an asbestos-standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) citation for Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1958 (hull availability); 1988-1990 (OSHA record)
- Population
- Charleston NSY trades during the 1958 recommissioning/repairs window; OSHA inspection population 1988-90
- Limitations
- Yard-level context, not a hull record: the OSHA inspection (1988, closed 2 May 1990) post-dates LSM-373's Charleston availability by three decades, and the dataset's yard product list is yard-general. No work package, availability record, or survey ties any specific material aboard this hull to the 1958 visit. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, or quantity.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-07
-
[9]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History magazine, 'The Brown Shipbuilding Company's Rise During World War II' (Eric Pearson, June 2025, Vol. 39 No. 3) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Naval History June 2025 article body (output tally; workforce; Greens Bayou yard description)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder documentation for this hull's construction yard: Brown Shipbuilding was established in 1941 by George and Herman Brown of the Brown and Root construction company; the yard sat on Greens Bayou off the Houston Ship Channel and launched vessels sideways; it was the second-largest Houston-area employer during WWII with more than 25,000 workers at peak starting in late 1942. Wartime output: 12 PC-461-class submarine chasers, 61 destroyer escorts (38 Edsall-class, 23 John C. Butler-class), 32 Landing Craft Infantry, and 254 Landing Ships Medium - the class of this hull. Construction used assembly-line section fabrication; the yard earned the Army-Navy 'E' production award in December 1942 and was sold to Todd Shipyards after the war.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding workforce (>25,000 at peak, from late 1942); construction trades on LSM ways, Dec 1944
- Limitations
- Builder/era context only: the article does not name this hull, does not address asbestos or materials, and does not establish exposure conditions aboard LSM-373. No asbestos-specific government study or verified litigation naming Brown Shipbuilding as a worksite was located; the yard is absent from the Atlas shipyards.json dataset (logged in gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-08
-
[10]Batch-6188 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live page; NavSource 10/14/14373; NARA RG 24 catalog (115 file units); Miami-Dade DERM reef catalog; USNI Naval History; CourtListener API v4 (opinion + docket, ship-name and hull-number queries); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lakeland-lsm373-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or docketed case naming USS LSM-373 or USS Lakeland was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener (authenticated, fleet-paced helper) returned zero opinions and zero dockets for 'LSM-373' and zero opinions and zero dockets for 'USS Lakeland'; a broad 'Lakeland' + asbestos opinion sweep returned 43 hits all reviewed as name collisions (City of Lakeland FL, party names, deep-text references) - none names the vessel. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing content (mesothelioma.com Brown Shipbuilding jobsite page and similar listicles) asserting era asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 2026-10-01
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the 1944 build sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos era. One CourtListener sweep remains partial: 'Lakeland' + asbestos at docket level returned 543 hits dominated by bankruptcy dockets and Florida-city collisions; top hits were reviewed (no vessel-naming docket) but all 543 could not be individually triaged - logged as hit-with-collisions, not a clean negative. NARA deck logs are digitized but unread - a live archival lead. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-09
-
[11]HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' LSM-373 spec page + HyperWar DANFS transcription (ships/dafs/LSM/lsm373.html) - against live NHHC DANFS and NavSource [other_primary]
- Locator
- HyperWar LSM-373 spec page header block; HyperWar dafs/LSM/lsm373.html transcription tail paragraph
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: the HyperWar LSM-373 spec page carries two errors - 'commissioned 6 December 1945' (impossible; the ship was at Okinawa in June 1945 - DANFS and NavSource agree on 27 January 1945) and an 'LSM-210 class' header (DANFS spec block and NavSource both give LSM-1 class; 'LSM-210' is a HyperWar template label). The HyperWar DANFS transcription additionally misprints the final decommissioning as '5 December 1959' and the striking as '1 January 1980'; the live NHHC page reads 5 November 1959 and 1 January 1960.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Limitations
- Corrects circulating transcription/typo errors in a secondary mirror, not a material claim. The live NHHC DANFS page (ev-01) is the authoritative text carried by this record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lakeland-lsm373-10