Evidence
18 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-18).
-
[1]National Archives, file unit 'USS LCI(L) 331 - War Diary, 7/1/43 to 9/30/43' (NAID 78208954, WWII War Diaries series NAID 4697018, microfilm Roll A603, 30 digitized images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/78208954 - Roll A603 images; unit-designation and CO block on cover page; 2 July 1943 grounding entry; 15 August 1943 Vella Lavella (Barakoma/Beach B) entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The hull's own war diary, July-September 1943: the ship is identified as USS LCI(L) 331 of Division 27, Group 14, LCI(L) Flotilla 5, Lt. R. O. Shelton, USNR, commanding. Operating in the Solomons/New Georgia area, she ran aground on a reef on 2 July 1943 (later refloated). On 15 August 1943 she took part in the Vella Lavella landing - beaching at Barakoma anchorage, Beach B, during a Japanese dive-bomber attack - and continued Solomon Islands resupply runs through September.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-07-01 to 1943-09-30
- Population
- Ship's company (3 officers + 21 enlisted ship_specific complement); embarked troops on landing runs
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated record covering the LCI(L) period only; documents operations, movements, and commanding officer - contains no asbestos, material, or availability content. Read directly from digitized images (microfilm reproduction, legible; individual entry transcription is visual, not OCR-verified). Ship identified by letterhead and context, no photograph of hull number.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-01
-
[2]National Archives, file units 'USS LCI(L) 331 - War Diary, 10/1-31/43' (NAID 134348500, Roll A677, 10 images) and 'USS LCI(L) 331 - War Diary, 11/1-30/43' (NAID 78271105, Roll A788, 5 images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/134348500 (Roll A677, images beginning 0692.jpg); catalog.archives.gov/id/78271105 (Roll A788, images 0291-0295.jpg); 1 November 1943 Treasury Island landing entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Continuation war diaries for the same hull: October 1943 (NAID 134348500) covers Solomons-area operations between the Vella Lavella and Treasury Island landings; the November 1943 diary (NAID 78271105) documents the ship's participation in the 1 November 1943 Treasury Island landing (Treasury-Bougainville operation).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-10-01 to 1943-11-30
- Population
- Ship's company; embarked troops at the Treasury Island assault
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated records; operations content only - no asbestos, material, or yard-availability content. Read directly from digitized images. No diary months after November 1943 were located in the catalog for this hull - later records exist as action reports (ev-03 through ev-05) and deck logs (SL44 coverage to 6/30/1945, undigitized).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-02
-
[3]National Archives, file unit 'LCI(G)-331 - Rep of ops in the amphibious assault on Leyte Is, Philippines, 10/20-31/44, including AA acts on 10/24 & 31/44' (NAID 139865525, Roll A1411, 7 digitized images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/139865525 - Roll A1411 images beginning 0896.jpg; letterhead 'U.S.S. LCI (G) 331', date line 5 November 1944
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The hull's own Leyte action report, dated 5 November 1944 on 'U.S.S. LCI (G) 331' letterhead: 'This ship participated in action on 20 October 1944 with the PALO Attack Group (TG 78.1) ... in Task Unit 78.1.8' alongside 'LCI(R)'s 71(F), 72, 73, 74'; her specific mission was 'to lay a rocket barrage on the left flank of the beach-head, and to strafe the beach to the left.' The chronology records 'Salvoes, twelve salvoes of forty-four rockets each' fired at 10- and 20-second intervals for 800-yard penetration, the ship approaching within 500 yards of the shoreline. The report also covers antiaircraft actions on 24 and 31 October 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-10-20 to 1944-11-05
- Population
- Ship's company at the Leyte assault; troops/vehicle craft supported
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated record; operational content only - no asbestos or material data. Filed under the gunboat designation LCI(G)-331 while the narrative already calls the rocket unit 'LCI(R)'s' - contemporaneous evidence of the LCI(G)-to-LCI(R) transition, bracketing her administrative change between this report (5 Nov 1944) and her Lingayen report (10 Jan 1945, LCI(R) letterhead).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-03
-
[4]National Archives, file units 'LCI(R)-331 - Rep of ops in the amphibious assault on Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines on 1/9/45' (NAID 139887229, Roll A1423, 3 images) and 'LCI(R)-331 - Rep of ops in the amphibious assault landing at Nasugbu, Luzon Is, Philippines on 1/31/45' (NAID 139887233, Roll A1423, 2 images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/139887229 (Roll A1423, images beginning 0718.jpg); catalog.archives.gov/id/139887233 (Roll A1423, images beginning 0723.jpg)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Two of the hull's own action reports on 'U.S.S. LCI (R) 331' letterhead. Lingayen (report dated 10 January 1945): she served in Support Unit CHARLIE, White Beach Three (TU 78.1.83), LCI Support Group (78.1.8), San Fabian Attack Force - 'LCI(R)'s 73(CTG 78.1.83), 74, 331 and 342' - assigned a rocket bombardment of the beach and close fire support; at 0715 on S-Day, 9 January 1945, she 'opened fire with No. 1 40MM gun, on Jap Betty.' Nasugbu (report dated 3 February 1945): she took part in the 31 January 1945 landing with the Attack Group TG 78.2 in Support Unit TU 78.2.6 alongside 'LCI(R)'s 73(F), 34 and 74,' her specific mission 'a rocket bombardment of the left flank of the beachhead' - carried out; no enemy fire observed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-01-09 to 1945-02-03
- Population
- Ship's company at the Lingayen and Nasugbu assaults
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated records; operational content only - no asbestos or material data. Both letterheads read LCI(R) 331 - establishing that by January 1945 the ship was carried and self-identified as a rocket ship, months before NavSource's 10 July 1945 formal-redesignation date (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-04
-
[5]National Archives, file units 'LCI(R)-331 - Rep of ops in the invasion of Palawan Is, Philippines on 2/28/45 - 3/2/45' (NAID 139916352, Roll A1458); 'LCI(R)-331 - Rep of opers in the invasion of Panay Island, Philippines, 3/18-24/45' (NAID 101751624, Roll A1761); 'LCI(R)-331 - Rep of opers in the invasion of Negros Island, Philippines, 3/29/45-4/5/45' (NAID 83557852, Roll A1843); 'LCI(R)-331 - Rep of opers in the assault landings at Balikpapan, Borneo, 7/1/45' (NAID 101751479, Roll A1761, 3 images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/139916352 (Palawan); /id/101751624 (Panay); /id/83557852 (Negros); /id/101751479 (Balikpapan, Roll A1761 images beginning 0675.jpg); CTU 78.2.8 group report NAID 77466913
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Four further action reports on LCI(R) 331 letterhead document the southern-Philippines consolidation and the Borneo operation: Palawan landings 28 February - 2 March 1945; Panay invasion 18-24 March 1945; Negros invasion 29 March - 5 April 1945; and Balikpapan, Borneo, 1 July 1945. The Balikpapan report (dated 1 July 1945, read directly) records assignment to the Oboe-Two Attack Group (TG 78.2) Close Support Unit TU 78.2.8 with 'LCI(R)'s 230, 73, 34, 31, 338, 226, 337, LCI(G)'s 21, 22, 24, 61, 66, 67 and LCS(L)'s 50, 8, 27, 28, 29, 30, 41, 45, 44, 48'; her mission was 'two rocket bombardments of Red Beach,' carried out successfully; after light enemy fire she 'reloaded the forward rocket launchers and retired to the rendezvous area.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-02-28 to 1945-07-01
- Population
- Ship's company at the Palawan, Panay, Negros, and Balikpapan assaults
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated records; operational content only - no asbestos or material data. Palawan, Panay, and Negros reports are cited from their catalog file-unit titles (digitized, unrestricted); the Balikpapan report text was read directly from the digitized images.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-05
-
[6]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(R)-331 ex USS LCI(L)-331 (page 150331) - milestones, campaign table, specifications, awards, and photo caption ('LCI(L)-331 near Palawan') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150331.htm - header 'USS LCI(R)-331 ex USS LCI(L)-331 (1943 - 1945)', milestone timeline, campaign table, specifications block, awards block (seven battle stars), Palawan photo caption
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: LCI-1 class; laid down 27 July 1942 at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX; launched 24 September 1942; commissioned USS LCI(L)-331, 16 November 1942; 'redesignated Landing Ship Infantry (Rocket) LCI(R)-331, 10 July 1945'; decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register 12 March 1946; sold 12 December 1946, fate unknown. Asiatic-Pacific Theater campaigns: New Georgia Group (Vella Lavella occupation, 15 August 1943); Treasury-Bougainville (Treasury Island landing, 1 November 1943); Leyte (12 October - 29 November 1944); Luzon (Lingayen Gulf landings, 4-16 January 1945); Manila Bay-Bicol (Nasugbu, 31 January - 2 February 1945; Carabao Island, 16 April 1945); Consolidation of the southern Philippines (Palawan, 28 February - 3 March 1945; Visayan landings, 18-19 March 1945); Borneo (Balikpapan, 26 June - 7 July 1945). Seven battle stars. Specifications: 216 t light / 234 t landing / 389 t loaded; 158'5.5" x 23'3"; draft light 3'1.5" mean; 16 kts max, 14 kts continuous; LCI(L) complement 3 officers + 21 enlisted, LCI(R) 3 + 31; troops 6 officers + 182 enlisted; 2" plastic splinter protection on gun turrets, conning tower, pilot house; endurance 4,000 miles at 12 kts loaded; LCI(L) armament four single 20mm (one forward, one amidship, two aft) + two .50 cal; LCI(R) armament one bow 40mm, four 20mm, two .50 cal, six 5" rocket launchers; propulsion two sets of 4 General Motors 6-71 diesels (8 total, 4 per shaft), GM main reduction gears, two diesel-drive 30 kW 120V DC generators, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Ship's company (Navy-manned, USNR officers); embarked troops
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry. Its '10 July 1945' redesignation date conflicts with the hull's own LCI(R)-letterhead reports from January 1945 onward - the operational rocket-ship transition is primary-documented months earlier (see gaps); the date likely reflects Ships' Data Book normalization. Its spec block mixes early-model figures (216/234/389 t, 3+21 complement, four 20mm - consistent with ONI-226 for hulls 1-350) with the later-model 2,320 shp figure (ONI-226 carries 1,600 bhp for this group - see gaps). 'Landing Ship Infantry (Rocket)' is NavSource's gloss; the correct expansion is Landing Craft Infantry (Rocket). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-06
-
[7]National Archives, Special List 44 - List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947, by ship numbers (NARA PDF, page 22) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf page 22 - rows 'LCI(L)-331 | 11/16/1942 | 1/31/1943' and 'LCI(L)-331 | 1/1/1944 | 6/30/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 inventories Navy deck logs for LCI(L)-331 in two coverage blocks: 11/16/1942 - 1/31/1943 and 1/1/1944 - 6/30/1945. Log coverage begins on the 16 November 1942 commissioning date carried by NavSource. The interval 2/1/1943 - 12/31/1943 - which includes her Vella Lavella and Treasury Island operations documented in her own war diaries - has no coverage in the SL44 inventory. These are log-coverage dates, not service-period boundaries; the war diaries (ev-01, ev-02) prove continuous operational service inside the inventory gap.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (inventory coverage)
- Population
- Crew and embarked troops during logged periods
- Limitations
- Inventory coverage only - the deck logs themselves are not digitized (WWII-era deck logs remain at NARA College Park). SL44 coverage gaps do not prove logs do not exist - the 1943 interval may be held in another accession; the ship's own war diaries document that period. No LCI(R)-331 rows exist in SL44 - post-conversion logs remain filed under LCI(L)-331. Deck logs record movements/availabilities, not materials - an archival lead, not an asbestos record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-07
-
[8]National Archives, muster-roll file units for hull 331 under three designations: 'LCI(L) 331 - Muster Rolls' (NAID 120168991, 48 images); 'LCI(G) 331 - Muster Rolls' (NAID 120169040); 'LCI(R) 331 - Muster Rolls' (NAID 120169055) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/120168991 (LCI(L) 331); /id/120169040 (LCI(G) 331); /id/120169055 (LCI(R) 331)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds separate digitized muster-roll file units for this hull under each of her three designations - LCI(L) 331 (48 images), LCI(G) 331, and LCI(R) 331 - independently documenting the designation sequence LCI(L) -> LCI(G) -> LCI(R) in personnel records. Muster rolls are quarterly crew rosters: names, rates, and reporting/detachment dates.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1946 (muster-roll era)
- Population
- All hands by quarter across the three designations
- Limitations
- Archival lead: the catalog entries and digitization status are confirmed; individual roster pages were not transcribed. Muster rolls document personnel, not materials - they could corroborate crew population for exposure estimates but contain no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-08
-
[9]National Archives, file unit 'LCI(L)-331' - Bureau of Ships engineering drawings file (NAID 175662817), not digitized [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/175662817 - textual records, not digitized
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a Bureau of Ships engineering-drawings file for LCI(L)-331 specifically - hull-specific technical drawings at College Park. The file is not digitized; its catalog entry establishes existence only. A ship-specific drawing set is the strongest surviving lead for material-level detail on this hull (insulation schedule, joiner materials) if the sheets contain such schedules.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942 (build era)
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (drawings' origin context)
- Limitations
- Existence documented, content unverified - the file is not online and was not examined. BuShips drawings of this type are typically structural/machinery plans; whether they include insulation or material schedules is unknown until pulled. Lead only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-09
-
[10]Shipbuilding History (T. Colton), Brown Shipbuilding, Houston TX - yard history and per-hull construction table [other_primary]
- Locator
- Brown yard table, LCI(L)-331 row; Houston TX yard-history paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-record table for this hull: Brown Shipbuilding's LCI(L)-331 row carries laid down 27 July 1942, launched 24 September 1942, delivered 9 November 1942, 'sold 1946' - matching NavSource's laid/launched dates. Yard context: Brown Shipbuilding was built in 1941 by George and Herman Brown at the junction of Green's Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel with ~$9 million from the Navy; wartime output was 12 PCs, 32 LCI(L)s, 61 DEs, and 254 LSMs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1941-1946
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1942)
- Limitations
- Secondary reference compilation (Colton's Shipbuilding History), not a primary builder's ledger - dates corroborate NavSource. 'Delivered' 9 November 1942 precedes the 16 November commissioning by a week (acceptance-then-commission interval). No asbestos or material content; yard-level asbestos use is era inference only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-10
-
[11]Robin L. Rielly, American Amphibious Gunboats in World War II: A History of LCI and LCS(L) Ships in the Pacific (McFarland, 2013) - Appendix II Building and Conversion Locations, plus Chapter 5 Leyte/Lingayen narrative (online transcription at erenow.org) [other_primary]
- Locator
- erenow.org/ww/american-amphibious-gunboats-wwii-history-lci-lcsl-ships-pacific/ - 16.php (Appendix II, Milne Bay list incl. 331); 6.php (Chapter 5: Leyte 20 Oct - '331(F)' in TU 78.1.8, port-bulwark shell hit; Sonoma assist 24 Oct; Ormoc 7 Dec Zeke kill/assist; Lingayen 9 Jan 1945)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Rielly's conversion appendix lists LCI(R)-331 among the rocket-ship conversions performed at Milne Bay, New Guinea ('Milne Bay, New Guinea: LCI(R)s 31, 34, 73, 74, 224-226, 230, 331, 337, 338, 340-342'; the appendix notes some ships underwent two conversions, LCI(L)-to-(G) to -(R)). Chapter 5 places 'LCI(R) 331(F)' in the TU 78.1.8 rocket unit at Leyte on 20 October 1944; records LCI(G) 331 taking a 3-inch shell hit on her port bulwark causing minor damage and wounding one man; on 24 October lists 'LCI(R)s 71, 72, 331, 337 and Chickasaw ATF 83' putting out fires aboard the crashed-into tug USS Sonoma; on 7 December 1944 at Ormoc (TU 78.3.7: 'LCI(R)s 31, 71, 73, 331') records LCI(R) 331 engaging two incoming Zekes at 1215 - 'she shot down one and was credited with an assist on the second'; and at Lingayen lists 'LCI(R)s 72 and 331' leading landing craft to the White Beaches on 9 January 1945. Conversion at Milne Bay predates both secondary reclassification dates (uboat 15 June 1944; NavSource 10 July 1945).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Ship's company at conversion (Milne Bay), Leyte, Ormoc, and Lingayen
- Limitations
- Secondary published history (McFarland, 2013), not a primary record - consulted via erenow.org transcription mirror; its conversion-location list and narratives are consistent with the hull's own action reports (ev-03, ev-04) but give no Milne Bay conversion date. Flag-marker discrepancy: Rielly prints '331(F)' at Leyte while the hull's own action report lists 'LCI(R)'s 71(F), 72, 73, 74' - the flagship marker rests on 71 in the primary document; not asserted. Rielly styles her variously 'LCI(G) 331' and 'LCI(R) 331', matching the transitional designation evidence in the primary record. The Ormoc action (7 Dec 1944) falls outside NavSource's stated Leyte campaign window (12 Oct - 29 Nov 1944) - unlisted operation detail carried here only. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-11
-
[12]uboat.net warship file, USS LCI(L)-331 / LCI(R)-331 (ship 21354) - milestones and transcribed operation-report material [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/21354.html - milestone table ('Reclassified as LCI(R), Landing Craft Rocket on 15 June 1944'), Balikpapan operation-report excerpt
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- uboat.net's file for this hull corroborates Brown Shipbuilding, Houston; laid down 27 July 1942; launched 24 September 1942; commissioned 16 November 1942; sold 12 December 1946. It states 'Reclassified as LCI(R), Landing Craft Rocket on 15 June 1944' - a date that conflicts with the primary record (she filed her 5 November 1944 Leyte report on LCI(G) 331 letterhead). Its transcribed Balikpapan order-of-battle material confirms LCI(R)-331 in the TU 78.2.8 close-support unit under Lt.(jg) E. F. Sheeran, USNR, for the 1 July 1945 Oboe II landing.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Ship's company (Lt.(jg) E. F. Sheeran, USNR, commanding at Balikpapan)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation; carried for corroboration and for the conflicting reclassification date. Its 15 June 1944 date is contradicted by the hull's own November 1944 LCI(G) letterhead - kept visible as a correction, not adopted. CO Sheeran name corroborated by the Balikpapan report's via/command chain. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-12
-
[13]Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) OR-180, LCI(L)-713, National Park Service / Library of Congress - short-form written historical and descriptive data [other_primary]
- Locator
- HAER OR-180 data pages 1-2 (Type of Craft, Propulsion, Significance, Description)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Government engineering record for the LCI(L) type: Bureau of Ships design; built 'of welded 1/4-inch steel plate'; propulsion eight General Motors 6-71 diesel engines (four pairs to two shafts, variable-pitch propellers); two decks - lower deck divided into troop compartments and crew space with engine room; main-deck deckhouse containing troop and ship-officer accommodations, mess, wardroom, and galley; enclosed foredeck with ramp; pilothouse/conning station on the deckhouse. LCI(L)-713 is documented as the last surviving LCI(L)-351-class vessel in original configuration.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944 (713 build); LCI(L) design era 1942-45
- Population
- Construction trades (class context); crew and troops in accommodation spaces
- Limitations
- Class/design record, not a hull record: LCI(L)-713 is the later LCI(L)-351 subclass (cylindrical pilothouse, centerline ramp); LCI(L)-331 is the earlier LCI(L)-1 subclass (different conning tower and side-ramp arrangement) - shared BuShips design, dimensions, diesel plant, and accommodation arrangement, but subclass differences exist. The record names no insulation material and contains no asbestos reference - it does not establish materials aboard this or any hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-13
-
[14]Office of Naval Intelligence, ONI-226 Allied Landing Craft and Ships (wartime recognition/design manual), 'Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) - Numbers 1-350' plate (HyperWar/ibiblio PDF) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI-226 PDF, 'LANDING CRAFT, INFANTRY (LARGE) - Numbers 1-350' plate (Nos. 351- plate for later-model comparison)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The wartime ONI recognition manual's plate for 'LANDING CRAFT, INFANTRY (LARGE) - Numbers 1-350' covers hull 331 within the early-model group: side-ramp troop debarkation, early-model conning tower, complement 3 officers + 21 enlisted, 1,600 bhp diesel plant, displacement 216/234/380 t, armament four single 20mm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1944 (manual era)
- Population
- Crew and embarked troops (class context)
- Limitations
- Class-level design plate, not a hull record - figures are the early-model group spec. Conflicts with NavSource's mixed spec block on power (1,600 bhp vs 2,320 shp) and loaded displacement (380 vs 389 t) - see gaps; NavSource's complement and light/landing figures match ONI-226's early-model set. No material or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-14
-
[15]NHHC / National Museum of the U.S. Navy, 'Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) - LCI(L)-10' class page with official Bureau of Ships photographs [other_primary]
- Locator
- history.navy.mil NMUSN 'Ships - USN - L' page for LCI(L)-10 class
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC's class context page documents the Navy-designed LCI craft launched by the hundreds in 1942-44: approximately 157 feet, up to 14 knots, differing early and later ramp arrangements, and hulls modified into mortar (LCI(M)), gunboat (LCI(G)), and rocket (LCI(R)) versions - the conversion program this hull passed through. Official BuShips photos of the type.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Class-level crews and conversion-yard trades
- Limitations
- Class-level program documentation; contains no hull-331-specific content and no asbestos or material data. Confirms only that LCI(L)-to-LCI(G)/LCI(R) conversion was a standard wartime modification program.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-15
-
[16]Era inference built on: ONI-226 design plate for the Nos. 1-350 group and HAER OR-180 BuShips design record (diesel propulsion, welded steel, enclosed accommodations); NavSource specifications block (8 x GM 6-71 diesels, no steam plant); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product pattern for diesel amphibious types (lst-1-class profile); GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation (ev-17) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI-226 LCI(L) 1-350 plate; HAER OR-180 design description; NavSource spec block; lst-1-class.class.json era-inference pattern; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered, BuShips-designed amphibious assault craft built in 1942 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard asbestos applications aboard a craft of this type and period were diesel-exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal and acoustic insulation, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and deck coverings, applied within confined crew, engine-room, and deckhouse accommodation spaces. She carried no boilers or steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply - but the small-ship confined-space exposure dynamic applies to engine spaces and accommodation joiner materials. Her mid-war conversion at Milne Bay (rocket launchers, 40mm gun, revised armament) is a period availability during which era-standard materials would have been disturbed or installed - the conversion work package itself is not documented.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1942); Milne Bay conversion trades (1944); Navy crew (1942-46); embarked troops
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LCI(L)-331. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Does not establish asbestos presence aboard this specific vessel, individual exposure, or present-day condition (hull sold 1946, fate unknown).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-16
-
[17]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 product page, Highlights section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure, 'specifically... the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities.' The Navy's 1975 policy removed and replaced with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for necessary repairs, modified in 1979 to include selectively replacing asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas - program-level documentation that asbestos insulation was extensively present aboard Navy ships of this era, spanning this hull's entire construction and service window (1942-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1975-1979 (policy window); era context 1942-46
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull - fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not Brown Shipbuilding or Milne Bay. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to direct automated fetch; content via firecrawl-retrieved product-page description).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-17
-
[18]Batch-5053 search ledger (this record): NARA Catalog digitized war diaries (3 file units), action reports (7 file units), muster rolls (3 designation file units), and BuShips drawings file; NARA Special List 44 ship-number PDF; NavSource 150331; shipbuildinghistory Brown table; uboat.net ship file; Rielly American Amphibious Gunboats (HyperWar); NHHC/NMUSN LCI(L) class page; ONI-226 PDF; HAER OR-180; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; USCG-manned LCI(L) list (hull absent); DANFS/NHHC; NVR; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-331-01 through sl-uss-lci-l-331-22
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LCI(L)-331, LCI(G)-331, or LCI(R)-331 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Authenticated CourtListener opinion queries for 'LCI-331', 'LCI(L)-331', 'LCI(R)-331', and 'LCIR-331' returned zero results; the remaining name-variant and docket-index queries were blocked by the shared fleet pacing limiter (status pending - see gaps). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case - the only asbestos content found is law-firm marketing material asserting asbestos aboard LCI(L)s and at Brown Shipbuilding without primary sourcing (excluded by source policy). The hull's extensive digitized NARA record (war diaries, action reports, muster rolls) contains no asbestos-related material entries.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - it establishes only that no public ship-specific record was located. CourtListener coverage is partial: five of nine planned queries completed (all count 0), including the RECAP/docket index; the remainder were deferred by fleet pacing, so the negative finding is interim for litigation. The digitized war diaries and action reports are operational records - they do not log materials; the undigitized deck logs, BuShips drawings file (NAID 175662817), and any 1946 sale/survey records remain unexamined leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-331-18