Evidence
16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).
-
[1]research packet 809-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-pkt-809-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-21 ex USS LCI(L)-21 (history credited to Turner Publishing, USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry' Vol. II, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page for USS LCI(L)-21 / LCI(G)-21: unit history block, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, specifications block, awards/ribbon block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- LCI-1-class Landing Craft Infantry (Large): laid down in 1942 at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, NJ; launched November 1942; commissioned USS LCI(L)-21 on 8 December 1942. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; campaign table credits Consolidation of the Solomon Islands (Northern Solomons, April-June 1943), New Georgia Group operations (Rendova/New Georgia occupation 30 June 1943; Vella Lavella occupation 15 August 1943), Treasury-Bougainville operations (Treasury Island landing 1 November and 29 November 1943), Consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines (Mindanao Island landings 17-23 April 1945), and Borneo operations (Balikpapan 26 June-7 July 1945); five battle stars; Philippines Presidential Unit Citation and Philippines Liberation Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp for Far East duty 9 October-11 November 1945. Redesignated Landing Craft Guns LCI(G)-21 on 15 July 1945. Decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register in 1946; transferred to the Maritime Commission 19 November 1947; final disposition, fate unknown. Specifications: 216 t light / 234 t landing / 389 t loaded; 158'5.5" x 23'3"; '6 kts (max.), 14 kts maximum continuous' as printed (see gaps); LCI(L) complement 3 officers + 21 enlisted, LCI(G) complement 5 officers + 65 enlisted, troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted, cargo 75 tons; LCI(L) armament four single 20mm guns + two .50 cal machine guns, LCI(G) armament two 40mm + four 20mm + six .50 cal + ten Mk7 rocket launchers; propulsion two sets of four General Motors diesels, four per shaft, BHP 1,600, twin variable-pitch propellers; International Radio Call Sign NYMJ. No photographs on file.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Ship's crew (3+21 class spec as LCI(L); 5+65 as LCI(G)) plus embarked troops (up to ~188)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (Turner Publishing unit history via NavSource), not a primary Navy record - the canonical per-hull public reference for this craft type. Crew and capacity figures are class specifications, not hull rosters. Several spec-block values conflict with sister-hull pages and secondary sources: '6 kts (max.)' (LCI-1 class is commonly ~15-16 kt), BHP 1,600 (vs 2,320 shp on the LCI(L)-13 page), complement 3+21 (vs AFMM's 4+25) - see gaps. No asbestos or material-condition content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-01
-
[3]National Archives Catalog: USS LCI(L) 21 - War Diary, 7/1-31/43 (NAID 135904035), RG 38 'WWII War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories', Roll A475, micro serial 53273 - digitized, 6 images, read in full [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 135904035, images 0076-0081 on Roll A475 (cover letter + diary pp. 1-5); file A12-1/LCI(L)21
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull's own July 1943 war diary, cover letter dated 1 August 1943 signed by 'MARSHALL M. COOK, ENSIGN USNR, COMMANDING', distributed via Commander Amphibious Force South Pacific, Commander Landing Craft Flotillas South Pacific Force, Commander LCI(L) Flotilla Five, and Commander LCI(L) Group 13 - establishing the flotilla/group assignment. Diary entries document Solomon Islands troop-lift operations under CTF 31 and CTG 31.3: Rennard Sound (Banika, Russell Islands), Hutchinson Creek (Florida Island), West Kukum Beach and Koli Point (Guadalcanal), Wernham Cove/Yellow Beach (Russells), and Rendova Harbor (New Georgia); embarked units included elements of the 35th, 145th, 148th, and 161st Infantry (142-175 men plus officers per lift, with 8-15 tons of cargo). Two machinery/structural repair events are recorded: 9 July - beached at Carter City 'to have elbows in exhaust lines welded'; 18-19 July - beached near the Tulagi repair dock 'so Construction Battalion could work on port I-beam of ramp gear, which needed straightening' (fuelling from YOG 41 alongside). 20 July - embarked 132 men + 9 officers of the 161st Infantry at Koli Point; towed LCI(L) 24 off the beach after she could not retract; proceeded to Onaiavisi Entrance, New Georgia, under destroyer escort (USS Maury, USS Gridley). 21 July - beached at Onaiavisi Entrance, disembarked; enemy aircraft bombed the LCI(L) column ('no near misses'); LCI(L)-21 did not fire. Documented consorts: LCI(L)s 22, 24, 63, 67, 68, 69, 327, 329; senior officers named include Lt. Cmdr. Byrd and Lt. O'Leary.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-07-01 to 1943-07-31
- Population
- Ship's crew plus embarked troops (142-175 per documented lift); Construction Battalion repair party at Tulagi; repair personnel at Carter City
- Limitations
- Primary operational document transcribed from the digitized scan: establishes operations, command chain, troop lifts, and two repair events - no material-condition or asbestos content. Repair scope and materials used at Carter City and Tulagi are not described.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-02
-
[4]National Archives Catalog: USS LCI(L) 21 - Act Rep, Bougainville, 11/29/43 (NAID 78349858), RG 38 'WWII War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories', Roll A877, micro serial 68166 - digitized, 6 images, read in full [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 78349858, images 0670-0675 on Roll A877 (basic letter; terrain sketch; endorsements NB110/A16-3 of 1943-12-07, Third PhibFor serial 00639 of 1943-12-15, ComSoPac serial 002813 of 1943-12-27)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull's own action report dated 1 December 1943 (Koiari raid evacuation, Bougainville) plus a hand-drawn terrain sketch and a three-level endorsement chain. The report records that on 29 November 1943 USS LCI(L) 23 and LCI(L) 21 'acted as covering vessels for the evacuation of approximately six hundred men of the Marine parachute battalion from the area between the May River and Reini River, Bougainville Island' (approx. lat. 6-17 S, long. 155-13 E), in a task unit under Lt. Commander Taylor of MTB Squadron 5, having escorted 27 LCVP/LCM landing boats to the landing earlier that day. When Japanese mortar fire drove the boats back, the two 'gunboats' closed to about a half mile off the beach; LCI(L)-21 shelled the beach from 1621, expending 14 rounds of Common and later 20 rounds of H.E. from her '3"-50 Cal.' gun - primary documentation that the ship already carried a 3"/50 gunboat conversion armament, not the class-standard LCI(L) fit. A three-shell enemy pattern fell around the vessel (~75-100 yards); no damage. She took a disabled LCVP in tow and escorted the LCM back to Puruata Island, anchoring 2320. The sketch maps her position, the evacuation area, and the area she shelled. Endorsements: Commander Naval Base Torokina (O. O. Kessing), 7 December 1943 - 'U.S.S. LCI (L) No. 21 carried out its mission in admirable fashion'; Commander Task Force 31 / Third Amphibious Force (T. S. Wilkinson), 15 December 1943 - 'The LCI(L) gunboats, converted in the South Pacific according to design by Commander Service Squadron Third Fleet, continue to prove their value as a supporting craft for amphibious and PT operations in this area'; Commander South Pacific (Robt. B. Carney, Chief of Staff), 27 December 1943 - forwarded, concurring. The CO signature on the basic letter is handwritten; the typed signature block on the companion war diary resolves it as Marshall M. Cook, Ensign, USNR.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-11-29 to 1943-12-27
- Population
- Ship's gunboat crew; ~600 evacuated Marines of the Marine parachute battalion; small-boat crews covered
- Limitations
- Primary operational documents establish the action, the gunboat conversion in operational use by November 1943, and the endorsement chain - no material-condition or asbestos content. The '600 men' figure is the report's own count; the AFMM newsletter's account of the same raid says 739 Marines (secondary - not reconciled here). The gunnery-caliber instruction 'use the 3"-50 Cal. only' is printed as received from LCI(L) 23 and documents both ships' converted armament.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-03
-
[5]National Archives Catalog: USS LCI(G) 21 - War Diary, 5/1-31/44 (NAID 78469769), RG 38 'WWII War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories', Roll A1005, micro serial 76017 - digitized, cover letter read [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 78469769, image 0604 on Roll A1005 (cover letter dated 1944-06-01, serial/stamp '823', received 23 Jun 1944); file LCI(G)21/A12-1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull's May 1944 war diary cover letter is already headed 'U.S.S. LCI(G) 21' and signed 'D. C. McLAUGHLIN' (a new commanding officer since Ensign Cook) - the LCI(G) designation in official correspondence more than a year before the formal redesignation date of 15 July 1945 carried by NavSource. Entries record: 1-20 May 1944 under operational control of Commander Naval Base Torokina, Bougainville, conducting patrols (daily operational narrative submitted by the base); 21-22 May Torokina to Rendova Harbor; 23 May to Carter City, Florida Island 'for overhaul and repair'; 24-31 May at Carter City undergoing overhaul and repair - a documented multi-week forward-base overhaul availability.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-05-01 to 1944-05-31
- Population
- Ship's gunboat crew; Carter City repair-facility trades (May-June 1944)
- Limitations
- Primary document establishes the designation-in-use timeline, command change, and the Carter City overhaul window; overhaul scope and materials not described - no material-condition or asbestos content. Diary body pages beyond the cover were not needed for the month summary and are unexamined in this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-04
-
[6]National Archives Catalog: LCI(G)-21 - Rep of ops in the assault landing at Malabang, Mindanao Is, Philippines on 4/17/45 (NAID 633417564), RG 38 - digitized, 1 image, read in full [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 633417564, single scanned page (medialz partners/dc-metro rg-038/4697018/1565/0012.jpg); stamped R.S. No. 5 05883
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull's action report dated 17 April 1945 for the Malabang, Mindanao operation, signed 'Lt.(jg) J.C. Gent, USNR, Commanding Officer' (third documented CO), routed to Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet via Commander Red Beach Close Support Unit (ComLCI(G) Gr. 20), Commander Task Unit 78.2.26, Commander Task Group 78.2, Commander Task Force 78 (Com7thPhibFor), and Commander Seventh Fleet. As part of Close Fire Support Unit 78.2.12 she departed Mindoro 14 April 1945 and on 'Roger' Day (H-7 to H-hour) was to support the initial landing on Red Beach with automatic weapons, protecting landing waves from enemy fire from Nose Island and the left flank of Red Beach (assault position: left flank of the 500-yard boat lane, 200 yards inshore of the line of departure, 1,500 yards off the beach). All scheduled bombardment was cancelled en route; she took station, received orders not to fire, then patrolled between Red and Blue Beaches from 0823 to 1020. Ammunition expended: none. No personnel casualties. cc: 'Com LCI(L) Flot 25' (numeral as printed, partially handwritten), ComLCS(L)(3) Flot 1; advance copies to CominCh and ComPhib Group 8, 7th Fleet.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945-04-14 to 1945-04-17
- Population
- Ship's gunboat crew (LCI(G) complement ~5 officers + 65 enlisted, class spec)
- Limitations
- Primary operational document establishes the April 1945 operation, the Seventh Fleet/TF 78 chain, LCI(G) Group 20 attachment, and CO Gent - no material-condition or asbestos content. 'Flot 25' in the cc line is transcribed as printed; the last digit appears hand-corrected and is flagged, not resolved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-05
-
[7]National Archives Catalog: LCI(G)-21 - Rep of opers in the assault landings at Balikpapan, Borneo, 7/1/45 (NAID 101750181), RG 38, Roll A1760, micro serial 133217 - digitized, 2 images, read in full [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 101750181, images 0211-0212 on Roll A1760 (basic letter + chronological order/ammunition page); stamped REG. NO 4114 / R.S. NO 7 04590
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull's action report dated 2 July 1945 for the Balikpapan, Borneo operation (Operation Oboe II, 'Fox' Day 1 July 1945), signed by Lt.(jg) J. C. Gent, USNR. As part of Close Support Unit 78.2.8 she departed Morotai 26 June 1945 in convoy with CTG 78.2; her assigned assault position was 200 yards to starboard of the right flank of Green Beach, 500 yards off the beach, providing additional fire support with LCI(R)s on the initial firing run and covering the landing waves' right flank with automatic weapons. She executed 'Deploy' 0555, on station 0720, made two firing runs (0738 and 0837) on targets of opportunity; enemy fire splashed ~100 yards ahead and between her and USS LCI(G) 22; at 1540 an enemy shell exploded ~10 yards off the starboard bow and shrapnel struck the bow - 'no apparent damage was observed'; no personnel casualties. Ammunition expended: 3"/50 - 87 rounds HC + 16 AA (103 total); 40mm - 869 rounds; 20mm - 240 rounds; .50 cal - 1,400 rounds. Withdrew from fire-support station 1640. Routing: CTU 78.2.8 / CTG 78.2 / CTF 78 / Commander Seventh Fleet; advance copy to ComPhib Group Eight. The documented armament (3"/50 + 40mm + 20mm + .50 cal) matches the converted-gunboat fit, not the class-standard LCI(L) fit.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945-06-26 to 1945-07-02
- Population
- Ship's gunboat crew (~5 officers + 65 enlisted, class spec)
- Limitations
- Primary operational document establishes the final assault operation, ammunition expenditure, and a documented shrapnel strike on the bow - no material-condition or asbestos content. A bow shrapnel hit is a repair event in principle; no repair record for it was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-06
-
[8]National Archives Catalog: file unit 'LCI(L)-21' (NAID 175662682), RG 19 'Records of the Bureau of Ships', series 'Microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings' (1945-1955), creator Bureau of Ships Preliminary Design Branch - paper, unrestricted, Not Yet Available Online, College Park Cartographic [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 175662682; RG 19 series 559593 'Microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings'; paper copy at College Park - Cartographic
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a hull-specific Bureau of Ships engineering-drawing microfilm file for LCI(L)-21 - the plan set that would depict the craft's insulation arrangements, machinery layout, and material callouts for the 1942 build. This is the strongest unexamined lead for ship-specific material condition for this vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942 construction; series coverage 1945-1955
- Limitations
- Unexamined paper/microfilm - existence verified, contents unknown. Whether the drawings carry insulation or material schedules, and whether the set predates or includes the 1943 Noumea gunboat conversion, is undetermined; may contain no asbestos-relevant callouts. Requires a College Park cartographic pull or reproduction request.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-07
-
[9]National Archives Catalog: file unit '[1941-1945] USS LCI (L) 21' (NAID 6848159), RG 24 'Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel', series 'Navy Unit and Presidential Unit Commendations Case Files' (1942-1963) - paper, unrestricted, Not Yet Available Online, College Park Textual Reference, container 6 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 6848159; series NAID 6282606 'Navy Unit and Presidential Unit Commendations Case Files'; container 6, College Park
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a hull-specific commendations case file for USS LCI(L)-21 covering 1941-1945 - the administrative record behind a unit commendation (the NavSource ribbon block credits the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation). The file would contain the citation nomination, endorsement chain, and award text documenting the unit-level recognition of this craft's wartime service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Ship's wartime crew (as the commended unit)
- Limitations
- Unexamined paper file - existence verified, contents unknown; which commendation the case covers is undetermined from the catalog description alone. No material-condition or asbestos content expected; the file's value is service/identity documentation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-08
-
[10]NARA 'Special Lists 43 - 44' (NAID 178406296), digitized as M248-40.pdf (837 images): Special List 44 'Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Units' p.332 (combined-file PDF p.604), entry 'LCI(L)-21 (later LCI(G)-21) - Dec. 8, 1942-June 30, 1945 - 3 logbooks'; NARA deck-log program page (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-deck-logs-1941-1959) describes log contents [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL44 printed p.332 = M248-40.pdf (NAID 178406296 digitized file) PDF page 604; deck-log program page describes log content
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List 44 inventories three Navy deck logbooks for LCI(L)-21 (later LCI(G)-21) spanning 8 December 1942 - the commissioning date itself - through 30 June 1945, verified against the digitized inventory scan. The run covers essentially her entire LCI(L) career from Camden commissioning through the eve of the formal LCI(G) redesignation (15 July 1945); no separate LCI(G)-21 line appears in this inventory, so logs after June 1945 (occupation-service period through the 19 November 1947 Maritime Commission transfer) are not represented in this entry. The logs themselves are undigitized - a College Park pull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-12-08 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- Ship's crew (log entries include personnel, injuries, disciplinary actions)
- Limitations
- Coverage interval per the digitized SL44 scan (read at p.332/PDF p.604); endpoints bound the inventoried log run only and are not asserted as milestone dates - though here the start coincides with the documented commissioning date (NavSource, uboat.net). Deck logs are operational/disciplinary records, not hazmat records - they would document machinery events and underway periods, not insulation materials. Unexamined.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-09
-
[11]National Archives Catalog formation-level records surfacing on the hull-designation search: 'COM LCI(L) GR 14 3rd PHIBFOR - War Diary, 1/1-31/44' (NAID 78348722, Roll A876); 'COM LCI(L) GR 13 - War Diary' 3/1-18/44 (NAID 78366571, Roll A896) and 3/19-31/44 (NAID 78416701, Roll A945); 'COM LCI(L) FLOT 5 - War Diary, 4/1-30/44' (NAID 78438041, Roll A970); 'COM LCI(G) GR 13 - War Diary' 7/44 (NAID 78712041) and 8/44 (NAID 78712037), Roll A1293; 'COM LCI(G) GR 45 - War Diary' 9/44 (NAID 139848531, Roll A1391) and 11/44 (NAID 77536773, Roll A1923); 'COMTASKUNIT 78.2.58 - Rep of ops & actions in Davao Gulf, Mindanao, 5/11-19/45' (NAID 77546196, Roll A1931); LCI(L) Group 13 muster rolls (NAID 120302879), LCI(L) Group 14 muster rolls (NAID 120306689), LCI(L) Flotilla 5 muster rolls (NAID 120301017), LCI(G) Group 45 muster rolls (NAID 120302908) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog searches "LCI(L)-21" (60 results) and "LCI(G)-21" (130 results); formation file units as listed
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA catalog searches on 'LCI(L)-21' (60 records) and 'LCI(G)-21' (130 records) return the hull's own file units plus a run of formation-level operational records in which the hull appears in unit context: LCI(L) Group 13/14 diaries under Third Amphibious Force (early 1944), the Flotilla 5 April 1944 diary, LCI(G) Group 13 diaries (Jul-Aug 1944), LCI(G) Group 45 diaries (Sep-Nov 1944), a Task Unit 78.2.58 Davao Gulf operations report (May 1945), and group/flotilla muster rolls - tracing the documented administrative migration Group 13 (Jul 1943) through LCI(G) Groups 13/45 (1944) to LCI(G) Group 20 and Seventh Fleet units (1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Flotilla/group staffs and craft crews, 1943-1945
- Limitations
- Formation-level files name the hull as a unit of the formation (catalog full-text hits) - they establish organizational context and operations, not this craft's material condition. Contents largely unexamined; group/flotilla muster rolls are staff rolls, not hull crew rolls - no hull-specific muster-roll file unit surfaced for LCI(L)-21 (contrast sister hulls' digitized rolls).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-10
-
[12]Era inference built on: NavSource LCI-1-class specification block for this hull (two sets of four GM diesels, four per shaft, BHP 1,600, twin variable-pitch propellers - no boilers); shipyard-exposure-map Atlas record for new-york-shipbuilding (documented asbestos products: Pabco Six-Ply Super Caltemp Block 15% chrysotile, Ehret 85% magnesia insulation, Johns Manville Transite panels, asbestos gaskets, packing, asbestos-coated welding rod 5-15%, ebonized asbestos lumber, wire insulation 75-85% chrysotile, felt insulation 5-50%; shipyard-worker cohort SMRs incl. 16x mesothelioma risk for electricians, PMC6280925, and asbestosis findings PMC6310930 / PMID 7342758); the hull's own documented repair/conversion events (ev-02 exhaust welding and Tulagi ramp work; ev-03 in-service gunboat armament by Nov 1943; ev-04 Carter City overhaul May-June 1944; ev-12 Noumea conversion) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; shipyards.json entry new-york-shipbuilding; NARA ev-02/ev-04 repair-event passages; AFMM ev-12 conversion passage
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered welded-steel landing craft built late 1942 at New York Shipbuilding sits inside both the Navy asbestos era and that specific yard's documented asbestos-use window. Asbestos-relevant applications for a small diesel craft of this type and period concentrate in engine and exhaust lagging in the engine room, machinery gaskets and packing, thermal/acoustic insulation in accommodation spaces and the deckhouse, deck coverings, and brake linings on the ramp winch. This hull additionally underwent documented machinery/yard events that disturbed such systems in service: welding of elbows in the exhaust lines at Carter City (9 July 1943), Construction Battalion work on ramp gear at Tulagi (18-19 July 1943), gunboat conversion at the Noumea navy yard (1943 - bow 20mm tubs removed and a 3"/50 mounted), and a forward-base overhaul at Carter City (23 May-June 1944).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Construction trades (NY Shipbuilding, 1942); engine-room crew; Noumea yard conversion trades (1943); Carter City and Tulagi repair parties (1943-1944)
- Limitations
- Class/era/yard inference only - no material schedule or asbestos survey for the LCI-1 class or this hull was located, and the BuShips drawing file (ev-07) that might carry insulation callouts is unexamined. Establishes no asbestos aboard this hull, no quantities, and no exposure for any individual. Yard-product documentation is yard-level, not hull-level; the forward-base repair events are documented but their materials are not.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-11
-
[13]uboat.net Allied Warships database, USS LCI(L)-21 page (milestone dates, Balikpapan order of battle) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship page 20847 (spec table + '1 Jul 1945 Operation Oboe II' event entry, TG 78.2.8 composition)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- uboat.net corroborates the milestone chain with fuller dates than NavSource: ordered 3 June 1942; laid down 19 September 1942; launched 10 October 1942; commissioned 8 December 1942; reclassified as LCI(G) on 15 July 1945. Its Operation Oboe II order-of-battle for Balikpapan lists USS LCI(G)-21 (Lt.(jg) J.G. Gent, USNR) in Close Support Unit TG 78.2.8 under T/Cdr. D.H. Day - independently matching the hull's own action report (ev-06).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Ship's crew
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary database - not a primary record. Its launch date (10 October 1942) conflicts with NavSource's 'November 1942' (see gaps); it lists no early commanding officers ('we don't have any commands listed'). Used for milestone dates and OOB corroboration only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-12
-
[14]Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum, 'Deck Log of the LCI-713' newsletter, June 2022 issue - LCI gunboat-conversion feature [other_primary]
- Locator
- 2022 June ELSIE Deck Log (issue 117) PDF, 'Evolution of gator gunboats' feature pp. 17-18 - conversion passage and LCI(G) 23 veteran account
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The AFMM newsletter documents the field gunboat-conversion program and names this hull: 'Noumea Harbor had a navy shipyard and repair facility. LCI(L)s 21, 22, 23, and 70 were sent there for conversion to gunboats' - one of the first four LCI gunboat conversions. Conversion specifics given: the bow 20mm gun tubs were removed and the proven 3-inch/50 deck gun mounted, with additional 40mm, 20mm, and .50-caliber armament; crew grew from 4 officers + 25 enlisted (LCI(L)) to 5 officers + 65 enlisted (LCI(G)). The account ties the first four conversions to the Treasury Islands campaign (Nov 1943) and describes LCI(G) 23's 29 November 1943 bombardment supporting 'a raiding force of 739 Marines' in the Empress Augusta Bay area - the same Koiari evacuation action documented by this hull's own report (ev-03).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Noumea yard conversion trades; gunboat crews
- Limitations
- Veterans-association newsletter (secondary; quotes memoir material and a YouTube video) - corroboration level only, not a primary record. Its '739 Marines' figure for the raid differs from the hull report's 'approximately six hundred men' (as printed); complement figure 4+25 conflicts with NavSource's 3+21 (see gaps). Confirms the conversion, not its materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-13
-
[15]USCG Historian's Office, 'US Coast Guard-Manned LCI(L)s' roster (history.uscg.mil); NavalCoverMuseum wiki checked for LCI(L) 21 and LCI(G) 21 pages [other_primary]
- Locator
- history.uscg.mil USCG-Manned LCI(L)s roster page (28-hull list); navalcovermuseum.org search - no LCI(L) 21 / LCI(G) 21 page exists
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The USCG Historian's Office roster of the 28 Coast Guard-manned LCI(L)s (hulls 83-96, 319-326, 349-350, 520, 562, 581, 583 - Flotillas 4/10/35) does not include LCI(L)-21: she was Navy-crewed, consistent with her Third/Seventh Amphibious Force Pacific service documented in her own reports. NavalCoverMuseum has no page for LCI(L) 21 or LCI(G) 21 - no postal-service evidence for this hull (many small combatant craft carried no post office).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- USN crew (wartime)
- Limitations
- Crew-service determination only - establishes Navy (not USCG) manning; roster rendered live via firecrawl after a direct curl returned a partial page. Absence of a NavalCoverMuseum page is a negative indicator of philatelic coverage, not of service. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-14
-
[16]Batch-4999 search ledger (this record): NARA catalog (60 + 130 hull-designation records; 6 digitized hull-specific file units read, plus BuShips drawing file and commendations case file verified); SL44 digitized inventory read at p.332; NavSource; NHHC/DANFS; CourtListener API v4 (opinion and docket); shipbuildinghistory.com yard table; uboat.net; USCG Historian's roster; usslci.org; NavalCoverMuseum; Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum newsletter; live-web hull+asbestos searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-01 through -18
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material schedule, or docketed case naming LCI(L)-21 / LCI(G)-21 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). All seven CourtListener queries completed - five opinion searches (hull-designation variants and exact name) and two docket searches returned zero hits each; live-web searches surfaced no asbestos or litigation content naming this hull - not even law-firm listicle treatment.
- 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 - era- and yard-level inference stands (see ev-11). The strongest unexamined leads are the BuShips engineering-drawing file (NAID 175662682), the SL44 deck-log run at College Park, and the flotilla/group-level operational files. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-21-lcil21-15