Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 806-packet.md (2 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (identity confirmed; sourcing thin
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (identity confirmed; sourcing thin
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-pkt-806-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Sparrow II (LCI(L)-1098)' - construction, WWII transit to the Marianas, harbor patrol/escort service, decommissioning, redesignations, AMCU-42 conversion and east-coast service, 1960 striking (live NHHC page verified 2026-09-29) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS 'Sparrow II (LCI(L)-1098)' entry - spec block and service narrative
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS, Sparrow II): laid down 4 October 1944 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.; launched 17 October 1944; commissioned 23 October 1944. From Bay City moved to Chicago, then 2 November down the Illinois Waterway into the Mississippi; New Orleans 12 November; Galveston shakedown until 6 December; Canal Zone transit - entered canal 13 December, departed Balboa 15 December; San Diego 27 December; Jan-Feb 1945 training/availability on the west coast. Departed 11 March 1945 for the western Pacific via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok; Guam 8 April. Harbor patrol and escort duties in the Marianas from 25 April until 16 December 1945. Pearl Harbor 28 December 1945 - 3 January 1946; San Diego 15 January; departed 12 March via the Panama Canal; New Orleans 2 April. Placed out of commission, in reserve, 5 June 1946 at Green Cove Springs, Fla. Reserve until October 1953: redesignated LSI(L)-1098 on 28 February 1949; named Sparrow and designated AMCU-42 on 7 March 1952; moved to Charleston, S.C., for the actual conversion; commissioned at Charleston 23 October 1953; reported to Commandant, 3d Naval District, a month and a day later; operated Key West to New London for 18 months; redesignated coastal mine hunter MHC-42 on 7 February 1955; placed in commission, in reserve, at Charleston 12 April 1955; moved to Mayport, Fla., July 1958; name struck from the Navy list 1 January 1960. DANFS spec block: dp. 387 (f.); l. 150'0"; b. 23'8"; dr. 5'8"; s. 14.4 k.; cpl. 40; a. 5 x 20mm; cl. LCI(L)-641.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (Oct 1944); crew (1944-46, 1953-55); conversion yard trades, Charleston (1952-53)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific operational history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS dates the 1955 inactivation to 'in commission, in reserve' status on 12 April 1955 - not a full decommissioning wording (NavSource prints 'Decommissioned'; see gaps). No combat-landing service is recorded for this hull: her WWII duty was harbor patrol and escort in the Marianas after the islands were secured. DANFS says 'moved to Charleston, S.C., for the actual conversion' without naming the performing yard (Charleston Naval Shipyard per secondary sourcing).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare/Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Sparrow (MHC-42) ex AMCU-42 ex LSIL-1098 ex LCI(L)-1098 - designation timeline, flotilla/group assignments, awards, specifications, commanding officer, disposal (live page verified 2026-09-29) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/151098.htm header designation block, flotilla listing, awards ribbons, LCI(L) specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 4 October 1944 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, MI; launched 17 October 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-1098, 23 October 1944, LTjg. E.L. Fitch USNR in command (May 1945). WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater - LCI Flotilla Five (CDR M.V. Milton), LCI Group Fifteen (LCDR E.S. Dulcan), 'LCT Division Twenty-Nine'. Decommissioned 5 June 1946 at Green Cove Springs, FL. Reclassified Landing Ship Infantry (Large) LSIL-1098, 28 February 1949. Named Sparrow and reclassified Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) AMCU-42, 7 March 1952. Recommissioned USS Sparrow (AMCU-42), 23 October 1953. Redesignated Coastal Minehunter MHC-42, 7 February 1955. Decommissioned 12 April 1955. Struck from the Naval Register 1 January 1960. Final disposition: fate unknown. Awards ribbons displayed: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal (no campaign stars shown). Radio call sign NZUX. Generic LCI(L) spec block carried: 236 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; 158'5.5" x 23'3"; 16 kts max; complement 4 officers + 24 enlisted; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; five single 20mm guns; propulsion two sets of 4 General Motors '6051 series 71' diesel engines, 4 per shaft, single GM main reduction gears, two 30kW diesel-drive ship's service generators, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp. Single photograph: USS LCI(L)-1098 moored pierside, date and location unknown (credit: Earl F. Swain, Flotilla 5 Group 14 staff, via George Murray).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46, 1953-55); Marianas harbor-patrol population (Apr-Dec 1945)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation tracking DANFS/NVR conventions - milestone dates corroborate DANFS but it is not a primary registry. No asbestos content. 'Fate unknown' is NavSource's honest disposition note - no disposal/scrapping record located. Internal inconsistencies on this page: header shows 'Sparrow (AMCU-42) (1952-1954)' while the text records the name assigned 7 Mar 1952 and recommissioning 23 Oct 1953; text lists 'LCI Group Fifteen' while the photo credit reads 'Flotilla 5 Group 14'; 'LCT Division Twenty-Nine' reads an LCT (Landing Craft Tank) designation for an LCI - probable transcription artifact (see gaps). Complement in the generic block (28) conflicts with DANFS (40).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-02
-
[4]NARA Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' (ship-number ordering, PDF) - deck-log inventory entry for LCI(L)-1098 (full PDF fetched and text-extracted this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 21 (LCI(L)-1098 row, ship-number ordering)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 inventories Navy logbooks for this hull: 'LCI(L)-1098 ... 10/23/1944 ... 6/30/1945' - i.e., logbooks covering commissioning through 30 June 1945 (transit, Panama Canal, west-coast availability, deployment to Guam, and the first two months of Marianas harbor-patrol duty). These are RG 24 wartime logbooks held at the National Archives - a primary-source lead for onboard work, machinery, and material observations. The 6/30/1945 end date is a collection-coverage pattern: nearly all LCI(L) entries in the list terminate at 6/30/1945 or 12/31/1945, so the gap reflects SL44's inventory boundaries, not the end of the ship's logging.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (coverage); inventory compiled for 1801-1947 logbooks
- Population
- Crew of LCI(L)-1098, 1944-45 (log authors/subjects)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: SL44 documents that logbooks exist, not their content - no page was pulled and the logs are not publicly digitized. Logbook coverage ends 30 June 1945; her Marianas service continued to 16 December 1945 and her 1953-55 AMCU-42 service would be in the postwar deck-log series, which is outside SL44. Logbooks rarely record insulation material detail. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-03
-
[5]Shipbuilding History (Colton), Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City MI construction table - yard hull numbers and LCI(L) block (live page fetched this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Defoe yard table, rows 305-352 (LCI(L) 1052-1098)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Defoe yard table places this hull in its builder's production block: Defoe hull no. 351 = 'LCI(L) 1098, US Navy, Landing Craft, 236d tons, 158 ft, 1-Oct-44 - Later LSIL 1098, then Sparrow (AMCU/MHC 42), struck 1960.' LCI(L)-1098 was the last Defoe LCI(L) completed - hulls 352-362 (LCI(L) 1099-1109) are listed as cancelled. The block LCI(L) 1052-1098 (Defoe hulls 305-351) is Defoe's landing-craft run; sister outcomes documented in the same table include LCI(L)-1052 -> Sentinel (AMCU/MHC-39) and LCI(L)-1093 -> Skimmer (AMCU/MHC-41).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (1944)
- Limitations
- Compiled shipbuilding reference (secondary-of-records), not a primary Navy document; the '1-Oct-44' column date conflicts with the DANFS 17 October launch date (column semantics - likely keel/order date - unresolved). Corroborates builder identity and sister-craft disposition paths only. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: DANFS spec block (LCI(L)-641 class, 1944 construction); NavSource generic LCI(L) specifications (GM diesel plant, no steam); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product list for charleston-naval-shipyard (conversion site); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-era documentation (see ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS spec block; NavSource specifications block; shipyards.json product list for charleston-naval-shipyard; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered amphibious landing craft built in October 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a craft of this type and period were thermal insulation on diesel-exhaust and muffler runs, machinery-space insulation, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and asbestos-cement sheet/panels in joiner work. She carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; the confined-volume exposure dynamic of a 158-ft craft applies with full force to the applications that were present.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-1960
- Population
- Defoe construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46, 1953-55); Charleston conversion-yard trades (1952-53)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or crew account located for LCI(L)-1098/LSIL-1098/AMCU-42. 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-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-05
-
[7]Conversion-yard context: DANFS records the AMCU-42 conversion performed at Charleston, S.C. (1952-53); secondary sourcing (Wikipedia infobox) identifies Charleston Naval Shipyard - the Atlas shipyards dataset (shipyards.json) documents asbestos product classes for charleston-naval-shipyard: magnesia pipe insulation, asbestos cement products, pipe insulation 5-50% asbestos, boiler coatings ~15% asbestos, spray-on insulation, asbestos gaskets/packing, thermal insulation, fireproofing, electrical insulation; sister AMCU conversions at Charleston Naval Shipyard documented in secondary literature (Longspur AMCU-28 conversion Nov 1953-May 1954) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS conversion passage; shipyards.json entry charleston-naval-shipyard (asbestos_products_documented field)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The 1952-53 conversion of this hull from LSI(L) to coastal minesweeper Sparrow (AMCU-42) was performed at Charleston, S.C. (DANFS) - the yard identified in secondary sourcing as Charleston Naval Shipyard, an Atlas-documented asbestos-product yard. Yard-level documentation establishes that asbestos-containing insulation, gasket, packing, and cement products were in use at that facility during the conversion era; any hull-specific scope of work on AMCU-42 is not documented in located sources.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1952-1955
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard conversion trades (1952-53); post-conversion crew (1953-55)
- Limitations
- Yard-level context, not a hull record: documents asbestos product classes at the conversion facility during the era, not materials installed in or disturbed aboard this hull. No conversion work package, material list, or abatement record for AMCU-42 was located. The yard identification 'Charleston Naval Shipyard' itself rests on secondary sourcing (Wikipedia infobox) - DANFS says only 'Charleston, S.C.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-06
-
[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, 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 (1944), reserve periods, AMCU conversion (1952-53), and commissioned service through 1955.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- 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 2026-09-29) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-07
-
[9]Batch-4977 search ledger (this record): DANFS live NHHC entry; NavSource; NARA Special List 44 PDF; shipbuildinghistory Defoe table; NVR (no entry - pre-1987 disposal); GAO product page; CourtListener (partial - fleet pacing); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming LCI(L)-1098, LSI(L)/LSIL-1098, Sparrow (AMCU-42), or MHC-42 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener is INCOMPLETELY searched this session: authenticated API queries 'LCI(L)-1098', 'LCIL-1098', 'LSI(L)-1098', 'LSIL-1098', and 'USS Sparrow' (type=o) all returned 0 results. 'MHC-42' returned at least one opinion result that could NOT be classified this session (response observed in part - a published-source hit with sibling_id 2425720 - before the fleet pacing budget closed; 'MHC' is a high-collision abbreviation - major histocompatibility complex, mental health court dockets - so a hit does not imply this hull). 'AMCU-42' and the docket search were blocked by fleet-wide pacing (~114/hr shared budget) and are logged blocked, not negative. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; a mesothelioma.net marketing page exists for the Defoe yard (banned-source class, excluded) but none located naming this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (partially unsearched). NARA logbooks (SL44 coverage 10/1944-6/1945), any Defoe construction records, the Charleston conversion work package, and the post-1960 disposal trail are undigitized/ unlocated leads. 'Fate unknown' means no disposal documentation exists to check for hazmat handling. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-08
-
[10]Class-designation cross-check: DANFS spec block 'cl. LCI(L)-641' and NavSource header 'LCI(L)-641 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large)'; Wikipedia and WikiMili print 'LCI(L)-351-class' (cited here to document the conflict; not used as a record source) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS Sparrow II spec block 'cl. LCI(L)-641'; NavSource header; Wikipedia USS Sparrow (MHC-42) infobox 'LCI(L)-351-class'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: secondary sources label this hull 'LCI(L)-351-class' (Wikipedia, WikiMili infoboxes). DANFS's own spec block prints class LCI(L)-641 and NavSource carries 'LCI(L)-641 Class' in its page header - hull 1098 falls in the later production design series, and LCI(L)-641 is the documented class attribution carried in this record. The 351-class label is a propagated secondary-source error for the Defoe-block hulls.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944 (class attribution)
- Limitations
- Corrects a circulating class-designation error, not a material claim. Wikipedia is cited only to document the conflict, per source policy; the carried attribution rests on DANFS and NavSource. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-1098-lcil1098-09