Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-348 ex USS LCI(L)-348 (page 150348) - construction milestones, flotilla/group/division assignments, campaign table, unit and individual awards, specifications, disposal; history sourced to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry' Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150348.htm - header block, campaign table, awards block, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 7 November 1942 at Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, TX; launched 21 December 1942; commissioned USS LCI(L)-348, 27 January 1943; redesignated Landing Craft Gunboat LCI(G)-348, 15 June 1944. Assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LCI Flotilla Three (CDR R. Eikel Jr. USNR), LCI Group Nine (LCDR C. J. Starkus USN Ret.), LCI Division Eighteen. Campaigns: Marshall Islands (occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January-8 February 1944); Marianas (capture and occupation of Saipan, 20 June-16 July 1944; Tinian, 10 July and 24-28 July 1944); Western Caroline Islands (capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September-14 October 1944); Iwo Jima (assault and occupation, 17 February-16 March 1945); Okinawa Gunto (assault and capture, 29 May-30 June 1945). Awards: six battle stars; Presidential Unit Citation for operations at Iwo Jima 17 February 1945; Navy Unit Commendation as a member of LCI(G) Flotilla 3 (31 January-28 July 1944); Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, Iwo Jima); Navy Cross to CO LTjg. Alvin E. Rosenbloom USNR. Decommissioned date unknown; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; transferred 18 March 1948 to the Maritime Commission for disposal; fate unknown. Specifications: 246 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; 158' 5.5" x 23' 3"; LCI(L) complement 4 officers + 24 enlisted, LCI(G) 5 + 65; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; two sets of 4 General Motors 6051-series-71 diesel engines, 4 per shaft, GM main reduction gears, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp; two 30 kW diesel-drive ship's service generators; LCI(G) armament two 40mm, four 20mm, six .50 cal, ten Mk 7 rocket launchers. Photo captions further document: LCI(G)-348 and LCI(G)-346 departing the floating drydock USS ABSD-1 at Guam - 'initial Central Pacific conversions, recognizable by the square gun tub forward of the bridge'; the ship at Naval Station Guam July 1945 (Life magazine photo by J. R. Eyerman); and underway past USS Hughes (DD-410) circa October 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1942-43); crew and embarked troops (1943-46); Guam conversion workforce
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation citing the Turner Publishing LCI history - milestone and campaign data generally track official records but no official registry page exists for this hull (no DANFS entry; NVR does not cover hulls disposed 1946/1948). Page verified live at navsource.net 2026-09-30. The photo captions describe her among the 'initial Central Pacific conversions' departing ABSD-1 at Guam but do not state the conversion work itself was done by that drydock. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-01
-
[2]Shipbuilding History, Brown Shipbuilding Houston TX yard table (hull 52: LCI(L) 348, keel 7-Nov-42, launched 21-Dec-42, delivered 27-Jan-43, 'To NDRF 1948') [other_primary]
- Locator
- Brown Shipbuilding yard table, hull #52 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The builder's yard tabulation confirms this hull as Brown Shipbuilding yard hull number 52: keel laid 7 November 1942, launched 21 December 1942, delivered 27 January 1943, disposition 'To NDRF 1948' - consistent with NavSource's 18 March 1948 transfer to the Maritime Commission for disposal (NDRF custody is the Maritime Commission reserve-fleet disposition channel). Brown built 32 LCI(L)s among 359 wartime vessels at the Green's Bayou/Houston Ship Channel yard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1942-43)
- Limitations
- Independent shipyard-production tabulation corroborating NavSource milestones; 'delivered' date equals NavSource commissioning date - common for minor landing craft accepted and commissioned on completion. Not an asbestos or materials record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-02
-
[3]NARA, Special List #44 - List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947, ship-number list (RG 24 Bureau of Naval Personnel, Entry 118, NAID 581208) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, page 23, LCI(L)-348 row (11/1/1943-6/30/1945)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List #44 (ship-number ordering) inventories a single deck-log series for LCI(L)-348: 11/1/1943-6/30/1945, physically held at the National Archives in Record Group 24, Entry 118. This window covers the ship's entire documented combat career from the eve of the Marshall Islands operation through the Okinawa Gunto operation's listed end date (30 June 1945) - including the LCI(G) conversion period and the 17 February 1945 Iwo Jima D-2 action. The uninventoried ends are the first nine months of commissioned life (commissioning 27 January 1943 through October 1943 - not otherwise documented in the sources located) and everything after 30 June 1945 (end-of-war through decommissioning).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-11-01 to 1945-06-30 (log window)
- Population
- Crew and embarked personnel recorded in the logs (1943-45)
- Limitations
- Log-coverage dates only - they do not mark commissioning, decommissioning, or any other milestone, and the inventoried window begins nine months after commissioning (January-October 1943 not covered) and ends 30 June 1945 (post-war disposition not covered). No separate LCI(G)-348 listing exists; unlike some sisters the entry carries no '(later LCI(G)-348)' annotation even though the window spans the conversion. Logs are not publicly digitized (checked against the NARA digitized deck-logs page - the single LCI-named entry there is Kestrel AMCU/MHC-26/LCI-874); contents unverified. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-03
-
[4]uboat.net Allied Warships, USS LCI(L)-348 - ship data table [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship page 21371 - data table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- uboat.net's data table independently confirms: built by Brown Shipbuilding Company, Houston, Texas; laid down 7 November 1942; launched 21 December 1942; commissioned 27 January 1943; 'Reclassified as LCI(G), Landing Craft Guns on 15 June 1944.' No commanding-officer or end-service entries are listed for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1944
- Limitations
- uboat.net is a reputable secondary compilation - milestones corroborate NavSource and the Brown yard table; no operational narrative is offered for this hull. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-04
-
[5]NavSource, Presidential Unit Citation - LCI(G) Group Eight including the flagship of LCI Flotilla Three, Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945 (citation text, signed James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/15000030.htm - PUC citation text and Group Eight ship list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Presidential Unit Citation to LCI(G) Group Eight names this hull in the unit roster (LCI(G)s 346, 348, 438, 441, 449, 450, 455, 466, 469, 471, 473, 474, plus LC(FF)-627). Citation text: 'For extraordinary heroism during action in support of beach reconnaissance by Underwater Demolition Teams at enemy Japanese-held Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on February 17, 1945. Opening heavy strafing fire as they moved in from two thousand yards off shore, the lightly armored ships of LCI(G) Group EIGHT advanced steadily under sporadic fire of the enemy until they reached the one thousand yard line to blast the heavy coastal defenses with barrage rockets. Almost immediately the shattering counterfire from well concealed and strongly fortified Japanese positions began to exact a terrific toll. One by one their guns were silenced; fires started and spread in ready ammunition; under the sustained deadly blast of hostile fire, their engine rooms flooded and those of the gallant ships still operable towed their powerless companion ships clear of the overpowering fire of the enemy. Suffering desperate casualties, the units of this valiant group evacuated the wounded, extinguished their fires and resolutely returned to the firing line. Only when the beach reconnaissance had been accomplished did LCI(G) Group EIGHT retire after absorbing an hour and a quarter of devastating punishment in support of the stout-hearted swimmers of the Demolition Team.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-02-17
- Population
- LCI(G) Group Eight crews, including this hull's crew (17 Feb 1945)
- Limitations
- Official citation text as hosted by NavSource (secondary host for a primary document); the appended ship list is NavSource's editorial roster, not part of the citation. The citation covers the group collectively - it establishes this hull's participation and unit award, not her individual hit/damage state. Roster discrepancy: this page lists LCI(G)-455 where the Group 8 action-report excerpt (ev-08) and Rielly's history list LCI(G)-457 as Group Flag - logged in gaps; both rosters include this hull. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-05
-
[6]NavSource, Navy Unit Commendation - LCI(G) Flotilla Three, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, 31 January-28 July 1944 (citation text, signed James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/15000031.htm - NUC citation text and Flotilla Three ship list
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Navy Unit Commendation to LCI(G) Flotilla THREE names this hull in the ship list (LCI(G)s 77-82, 345-348, 365, 366, 371-373, 437-442, 449-463, 470, 725, 726). Citation text covers 'outstanding heroism in action in support of amphibious landings on enemy Japanese-held Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls in the Marshall Islands, and on Saipan, Guam and Tinian in the Marianas, from January 31 to July 28, 1944,' operating 'dangerously in poorly charted waters off the reef-studded shores' to deliver rocket and gunfire at close range - during which 'the ships of Flotilla THREE suffered serious damage under heavy Japanese gunfire and the intense cross-fire of our own ships and, despite numerous casualties, rendered substantial aid to our invasion forces.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-01-31 to 1944-07-28
- Population
- LCI(G) Flotilla Three crews, including this hull's crew (Jan-Jul 1944)
- Limitations
- Official citation text as hosted by NavSource. Covers the flotilla collectively across January-July 1944; establishes this hull's membership and unit award, not hull-level damage detail. The citation period spans her 15 June 1944 gunboat conversion. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-06
-
[7]USS LCI National Association, Combat Awards page - Navy Cross citation, LTjg. Alvin Elliott Rosenbloom USNR, CO LCI(G)-348 (also carried by Military Times Hall of Valor, Commander Amphibious Forces Pacific Serial 00409 of 5 May 1945) [other_primary]
- Locator
- usslci.org Combat Awards page, 'The Navy Cross' section; corroborating Hall of Valor recipient page (recipient-20133)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Navy Cross citation to this hull's commanding officer documents her role at Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945: 'For extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of Landing Craft Infantry Gunboat THREE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT (LCI(G)-348), operating as a unit of LCI(G), Group EIGHT, a close-in fire support ship, during the pre-invasion bombardment of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 17 February 1945. By cool and capable direction when ordered into the field of enemy fire to render assistance to seriously-damaged ships of his Task Unit, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Rosenbloom fearlessly closed the range and materially contributed to the salvage of several ships.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-02-17
- Population
- LTjg. Rosenbloom and LCI(G)-348 crew (17 Feb 1945)
- Limitations
- Award citation as transcribed by the veterans' association (and independently by the Hall of Valor database, award authority Commander Amphibious Forces Pacific Serial 00409, 5 May 1945). Establishes that LCI(G)-348 entered the field of fire to assist damaged consorts and contributed to salvage of several ships - consistent with the action-report excerpt placing her in the Group Eight reserve element detached at 08:00 (see ev-08). Does not itself state whether the ship was hit. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-07
-
[8]USS LCI National Association, 'LCI (G) 474 at Iwo Jima' by Ens. Robert J. Harker, engineering officer of LCI(G)-474 - including excerpts from the LCI(G) Group 8 Action Report and the November 1945 All Hands awards account [other_primary]
- Locator
- usslci.org/lci-g-474-at-iwo-jima - Group 8 composition paragraph, action-report timestamped excerpts, awards section
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Excerpts transcribed from the LCI(G) Group 8 Action Report document this hull's tasking and the action's cost: Group Eight comprised LCI(G)s 346, 348, 438, 441, 449, 450, 457 (Group Flag), 466, 469, 471, 473, and 474, with LC(FF)-627 carrying Flotilla Commander Cdr. M. J. Malanaphy; the group assembled at Ulithi and completed training at Saipan and Tinian, departed Saipan 13 February 1945 and arrived off Iwo Jima 17 February. At 08:00 'Reserve and unassigned LCI(G)s 346, 348, 466, 469, and 471 detached with 466 as the guide' while seven gunboats (457, 441, 449, 438, 474, 450, 473) made the first run-in; by 11:05 all seven had been hit, and relief gunboats were ordered in one by one (469 to relieve 449; 471 to relieve 438; 466, 441 hit; 450 fighting a forecastle fire). LCI(G)-474 capsized and was sunk by friendly 40mm fire at 13:30 (position 24 deg 44'30" N, 141 deg 19'05" E). The article records 'the ten LCI(G)s supporting the Underwater Demolition Teams suffered a total of 201 casualties or thirty percent. Of this number 47, or seven percent were fatalities,' and quotes the November 1945 All Hands account: Medal of Honor to Lt. Rufus G. Herring (LCI(G)-449), Navy Crosses to ten other Group Eight commanding officers including 'Lt.(jg) Alvin E. Rosenbloom, CO, LCI(G) 348,' and the Presidential Unit Citation to the group.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-02-13 to 1945-02-17
- Population
- LCI(G) Group Eight crews (17 Feb 1945); UDT swimmers covered
- Limitations
- Action-report excerpts published by the veterans' association in a member-authored article - near-primary content, but a hosted transcription; the underlying action report is not publicly digitized and could not be checked line-for-line. The excerpt does not record a hit or casualty aboard LCI(G)-348 specifically (she is listed only in the 08:00 reserve detachment), consistent with the Rosenbloom citation's assistance/salvage framing and with the association's Honor/Valor/Sacrifice table, which lists no damage or KIA row for 348. Casualty totals here (201/47) differ slightly from the NHHC narrative (44 killed, 150+ wounded) - both carried, see gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-08
-
[9]Naval Historical Center (NHHC) Online Library, 'Iwo Jima Operation, February - March 1945 - Minesweeping and Underwater Demolition Team Activities, 17-19 Feb. 1945' (verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio mirror of the NHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- iwo-3m.htm narrative paragraph 'A more serious incident...'; photo NH 65309 caption ('Most of these LCI(G)s were badly shot up')
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official Naval Historical Center account of the 17 February 1945 D-2 action documents the engagement this hull fought in: 'seven LCI(G) gunboats moved inshore to provide rocket and gunfire support for UDT "frogmen" operating along the eastern beaches. Thinking that these represented an actual landing attempt, Japanese coast defense guns, mortars and light arms were ordered to open fire... The badly battered LCI(G)s maintained their position until damage forced some to withdraw. Others advanced to take their place and were also hit, but the little gunboats carried on until the swimmers had successfully completed their mission. One craft, USS LCI(G)-474, was sunk. Eight others were badly damaged. Forty-four of gunboat crew members were killed and more than 150 were injured.' The page also records six hits on USS Pensacola (17 killed) and hits on destroyer Leutze (7 killed, 30+ wounded) the same morning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-02-17
- Population
- LCI(G) gunboat crews and UDT swimmers (17-19 Feb 1945)
- Limitations
- NHHC narrative does not name LCI(G)-348 - documents the character and cost of the engagement the ship is documented (by the PUC, NUC, Navy Cross, and action-report rows) to have participated in; carried as event context, not as a hull-level record. Verbatim mirror on ibiblio/HyperWar (header identifies the Naval Historical Center, Washington Navy Yard). Casualty figures differ from the action-report excerpt's 201 casualties/47 fatalities - both carried, see gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-09
-
[10]Era inference built on: NavSource LCI(G)-348 specifications block (GM 6051-series-71 diesel plant, no steam); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (ev-11); general LCI-1 class construction context (158-ft welded-steel diesel landing craft built to emergency WWII programs); documented in-theater gunboat conversion at Guam (ABSD-1 photo caption) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block and ABSD-1 photo caption; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered infantry landing craft built in late 1942 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period: diesel exhaust lagging, thermal insulation around machinery spaces, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation in a small, minimally subdivided steel hull. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply. Her documented 1944 gunboat conversion in the forward area (among the 'initial Central Pacific conversions' photographed departing floating drydock ABSD-1 at Guam - square gun tubs forward of the bridge, added 40mm/20mm guns and Mk 7 rocket launchers) involved welding, decking, and ordnance work of the kind that historically disturbed or installed insulation and packing materials, but no material list for that work was located.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1942-43); crew (1943-46); Guam forward-area conversion trades (1944)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or abatement record located for LCI(L)-348/LCI(G)-348. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. LCIs were deliberately austere craft - the scope of insulation aboard may be materially less than on larger vessels. The conversion inference describes the kind of work documented, not any material identified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-10
-
[11]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 entire construction (1942-43), service era (1943-46), and conversion period (1944).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- 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, standing defect since Batch 01/98) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-11
-
[12]Batch-5071 search ledger (this record): NavSource 150348 main page plus PUC/NUC citation pages; shipbuildinghistory Brown yard table; NARA Special List 44 ship-number PDF; NARA digitized deck-log list; NHHC DANFS candidate URLs; uboat.net; USS LCI National Association (combat awards, LCI(G)-474 action-report article, Honor/Valor/Sacrifice table); NVR; CourtListener API (authenticated); secondary web litigation sweep; shipyards.json yard check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material list, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or museum/registry record naming LCI(L)-348 / LCI(G)-348 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the authenticated helper's fleet-wide pacing budget (shared ~114 req/hr token bucket) was continuously exhausted by concurrent batch sessions across eight spaced attempts over ~65 minutes, so the litigation repository search is blocked, not negative. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no law-firm listicle coverage of this hull.
- 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 - the hull went to Maritime Commission disposal in 1948 with materials aboard unrecorded, and no scrapping or survey record exists to audit. The litigation-repository search is a genuine open gap (pacing-blocked, not run): deck logs (single inventoried series, Nov 1943-Jun 1945), Brown Shipbuilding construction records, Guam conversion work records, and CourtListener are all open leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-348-lcil348-12