Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-401 ex USS LCI(L)-401 (1944-1945) - construction/milestone timeline, campaign table, specifications, disposal; page history credited to 'USS LCI Landing Craft Infantry, Vol. II' (Turner Publishing, 1995); verified live 2026-09-30 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150401.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, and photo caption (President Warfield IX-169 Seine mooring, SC-222893)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 21 December 1943 at George Lawley & Sons Shipbuilding Corp., Neponset, MA; launched 2 January 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-401, 8 January 1944; assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater; campaign 'Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944'; reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) USS LCI(G)-401, 15 July 1945; decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register in 1946; sold 10 April 1946, fate unknown. Earned one battle star for WWII service (ribbon bar: American Campaign Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1), World War II Victory Medal). International radio call sign NJGF. Specifications: displacement 216 t. light / 234 t. landing / 389 t. loaded; length 158' 5.5"; beam 23' 3"; speed 16 kts max. Photo caption documents the hull alongside USS President Warfield (IX-169) on the Seine River, France, circa 1944-45, with LCI(L)s 412, 408, 539 and 556 - President Warfield serving as Base and Accommodations Ship for LCIs (US Army Signal Corps Photo SC-222893, from NHHC collections).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- George Lawley & Sons construction trades (1943-44); LCI(L) crew ~24 (1944-45); LCI(G) crew ~70 (1945-46); embarked troops (capacity 188)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; its page attributes the history text to the Turner Publishing LCI volume. Milestone dates are consistent across the page but unverified against DANFS (no DANFS entry exists for this numbered craft - all candidate NHHC URLs returned 404 on 2026-09-30) or NVR. 'Decommissioned, date unknown' and 'struck... in 1946' are unspecific; the sale date (10 April 1946) is exact. Spec block figures (216/234/389 t.; 3+21 complement) differ from sister-ship pages on the same site (e.g., LCI(L)-412's page: 246/264/419 t.; 4+24) - see gaps. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-01
-
[2]NARA Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' (Bradley, Kurtz, et al., comp., 1978) - 'Ships With Symbol and Number Designations,' printed page 338; scanned page image via Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center mirror (narasl44/364.jpg) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL44 printed p. 338 (ACPL scan narasl44/364.jpg), 'LCI(L)(G)-401' row between LCI(L)(G)-400 and LCI(L)(G)-402
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- SL44 inventories Navy deck logs for this hull as 'LCI(L)(G)-401 | Jan. 8, 1944-Sept. 30, 1945 | 3' - i.e., three logbooks covering 8 January 1944 through 30 September 1945 in NARA custody (the combined LCI(L)/LCI(G) styling reflects her July 1945 gunboat reclassification). The inventory documents that logs exist and their coverage; the underlying RG 24 logbooks are held at the National Archives. The opening date matches the documented commissioning date exactly.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-01-08 to 1945-09-30 (coverage); compiled 1978
- Population
- crew and officers generating the 1944-45 logbooks; NARA College Park holds the physical volumes
- Limitations
- The dates are logbook-coverage dates, not asserted commissioning or decommissioning dates: the span opens on the documented commissioning date (8 Jan 1944) but closes 30 September 1945 while the ship remained on the Naval Register into 1946 - SL44 records only what NARA held at compilation, so post-September-1945 logs are simply outside this inventory, not absent from service. The inventory lists the logs' existence; it does not include their contents. Physical volume count (3) is a logbook count, not a completeness guarantee. Image verified by direct fetch 2026-09-30.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-02
-
[3]NARA NAID 78555336, 'LCI(L) 401 - Report of Operations, Period 6/6-18/44 - Invasion of Normandy, France' - RG 38, 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (Office of Naval Records and Library), Roll A1082, micro serial 81179, report dated 15 July 1944; digitized (4 images) via Fold3 file 279803282 - read directly from the NARA scans this session [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 78555336 images 1-2 (Wolff letter, 15 Jul 1944) and images 3-4 (CTF-122 and Twelfth Fleet endorsements)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The hull's own after-action report, signed by her commanding officer Ahlert D. Wolff, Lt. (jg), USNR (Navy-manned hull): 'At 0030 6 June, 1944, LCI(L) 401, with 12 other LCI's and AKA 53, part of Force "B" got underway from Plymouth, England, bound for Omaha Beach, carrying troops of "C" Company, 26th Infantry, 1st Division who were to be part of the secondary assault on the beach.' She reached the assault area about 1530, anchored; getting underway at 1615 she first attempted a landing at Fox Green sector as scheduled, failed to beach troops (a sandbar with deep water forward per the veterans' reconstruction), retracted, and 'finally beached at sector Easy Red at 1800. All troops reached the beach safely in spite of enemy fire concentrated in the area. One man of ships company was wounded by a shrapnel burst. Anchor cable was cut to get clear of the beach and we proceeded to the Ancon. During the Air Raid about 2300 that night, an enemy plane dropped 5 bombs in a straddle around the ship, evidently attracted by the wake, for we were still underway, attempting to land wounded man on an LST.' She returned to Portland 7 June, repaired at Weymouth (new anchor; renewed the stern-winch radiator damaged by shrapnel), then made two more cross-Channel lifts: 12-13 June carrying 220 British Artillery/Engineer troops Newhaven to Gold Beach (causeway unload), and 16-17 June carrying 200 U.S. Army troops Southampton to Utah Beach; on the 17-18 June return she escorted LCTs and towed LCT 704 to Weymouth. Distribution: via chain to Naval Commander Western Task Force; endorsements CTF 122 (A.D. Struble, Chief of Staff, 25 July 1944) and Commander Twelfth Fleet (Geo. B. Wilson, 3 Aug 1944) forwarding to COMINCH; copies to CTF 126 (Follow-Up Force 'B'), Commander LCI(L) Flotilla 12, and 'Commander, LCI(L) Group 34' - the last a stencil-line discrepancy with the documented Group 35 assignment (see gaps).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-06-06 to 1944-06-18 (report coverage)
- Population
- crew of LCI(L)-401 (~24, Navy-manned under Lt.(jg) Ahlert D. Wolff USNR); embarked troops - C Co. 26th Infantry 1st Div. (6 Jun), ~220 British troops (12-13 Jun), ~200 U.S. Army troops (16-17 Jun)
- Limitations
- Primary record of service only - no asbestos or material content; the document describes operations, one shrapnel casualty, and the anchor/winch repairs, not construction materials. Digitized microfilm read directly; occasional legibility limits ('Group 34' vs 'Group 35' copy-list line resolved against the group's own action report - see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-03
-
[4]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual - 1953 (NAVPERS 15,790), Part IV Section 2-16, 'List of Ships and Units eligible for Engagement Stars' - HyperWar transcription; verified live 2026-09-30 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Awards Manual 1953 Part IV, Section 2-16 - 'LCI(L) 401' entry in the ships/units eligible-for-engagement-stars list; operation code E5 in the Part III authorized-operations list on the same page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official awards manual lists 'LCI(L) 401: 6 Jun 44 - 25 Jun 44, E5' - i.e., this hull is named as eligible for the engagement star for operation E5, 'Invasion of Normandy (including bombardment of Cherbourg), 6-25 Jun 44.' This is the Navy's own adjudicated campaign-participation record: one engagement star, Europe-Africa-Middle East area - matching NavSource's one battle star.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-06-06 to 1944-06-25
- Population
- crew of LCI(L)-401 during the star window
- Limitations
- Establishes documented participation in the Normandy operation and the single battle star; the manual gives no beach, unit, or damage detail. No asbestos content. HyperWar is a transcription of the official manual - the underlying document is a Navy Department publication.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-04
-
[5]USS LCI National Association, Elsie Item newsletter No. 95 (November 2016), 'Final Assault on Omaha Beach' - unit reconstruction citing the after-action reports of Lt.(jg) Ahlert D. Wolff (CO, LCI 401) and Ensign Melvel W. Duncan (XO, LCI 537) from Fold3, WWII Navy muster rolls for 'LCIs of Group 35, Flotilla 12,' WWII Navy casualty lists, and 26th RCT Field Order No. 4 NEPTUNE troop list (http scheme; https fails TLS on this host; page verified live via direct PDF download 2026-09-30) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Elsie Item No. 95 (Nov 2016), 'Final Assault on Omaha Beach' feature (pp. 12-26): Group 35 roster, TG 126.3 sailing, Easy Red/Fox Green account, sources list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The unit-level reconstruction identifies this hull's formation: LCI(L) Group 35, Flotilla 12 (Commander T.S. Cameron, flagship LCI 414; Group 35 under Lt. Cmdr. Clinton B. D. Brown aboard LCI 420) - 'LCI Group 35, Flotilla 12 was born in the George Lawley & Sons Shipbuilding Corporation, Neponset, Massachusetts and the New Jersey Shipbuilding Corporation, Barber, New Jersey where LCI(L)s 401, 403, 415, 416, 417, 418, 420, 537, 538, 539, 542 and 556 were launched during January and February, 1944.' Group 35 sailed in two columns with Task Group 126.3 at 0300 6 June 1944 carrying the reserve 26th RCT of the 1st Infantry Division to Omaha. For this hull specifically: 'LCI 401 beached 30 yards to [LCI 415's] starboard. The 401 was assigned to land C Company, 1st battalion, 26th RCT on Fox Green beach sector but was unsuccessful due to hitting a sandbar with deep water forward. The 401 retracted and beached on Easy Red and safely landed the troops without army casualties. However, during the beaching, one of the 401s crewmen suffered shrapnel wounds.' Her stern anchor cable entangled with LCI 415's; Ensign Ahlert Wolff, 'the Skipper of the 401,' and the 415's skipper maneuvered clear; both cables were cut and the 401's stern drifted into the 415 without damage; both rejoined Group 35 near USS Ancon. That night a Ju 88 'dropped a stick of five bombs at her' while she was underway delivering her wounded crewman to an LST - all missed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- crew of LCI(L)-401; embarked C Co. 1st Bn 26th RCT troops, 6 June 1944
- Limitations
- Veterans-association newsletter (secondary compilation) - but it reproduces the hull's own after-action report and cites Fold3-hosted primary records (muster rolls, casualty lists, 26th RCT Field Order No. 4); hull-level facts corroborate the primary AAR at NAID 78555336. The newsletter styles the unit 'Group 35' throughout while the AAR's typed copy-list reads 'LCI(L) Group 34' - see gaps (the separately-located Group 34 action report lists a different hull set entirely, so Group 35 stands). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-05
-
[6]Shipscribe (S. S. Roberts / NHHC-derived photo catalog), USS President Warfield (IX-169) photographs page - caption for US Army Signal Corps photo SC-222893 sourced to U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command; verified live 2026-09-30 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe IX169-p.html, SC-222893 caption block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Photo caption: 'USS President Warfield (IX-169) Serving as a base ship on the Seine River circa winter 1944-45. Alongside are USS LCI-412, LCI-408, LCI-539, LCI-401, and LCI-556. In the right foreground is HMS ML-248. The nameboard that President Warfield displayed at Omaha Beach in June 1944 is still present' - documenting this hull moored at the Seine LCI base-ship group in the winter of 1944-45, months after the invasion, alongside hulls of both her own Group 35 (539, 556) and Group 34 (408, 412).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-12 to 1945-03 (approximate)
- Population
- crew of LCI(L)-401 during Seine base-ship period, winter 1944-45
- Limitations
- Photographic caption only - establishes physical presence at the Seine base ship circa winter 1944-45, not what duties or yard work were performed there. Secondary compilation hosting an official NHHC-captioned Signal Corps photo. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-06
-
[7]NARA catalog records located via catalog.archives.gov rendered search ('LCI(L) 401' phrase, 28 file-unit results, 2026-09-30): NAID 120184427 'LCI(L) 401 - Muster Rolls' (RG 24, Bureau of Naval Personnel); COM LCI(L) FLOT 12 war diaries - NAID 633387119 (9/1-30/44, Roll A1182), NAID 78659875 (10/1-31/44, Roll A1239), NAID 139774341 (11/1-30/44, Roll A1310); NAID 120301315 'LCI(L) Flotilla 12 - Muster Rolls'; NAID 101745497 'COM LCI(L) GR 35 - War Diary, 12/6/44 to 2/25/45' (Roll A1752); NAID 101742206 'COM LCI(L) GR 35 - Rep of the torpedoing of LST 359 and USS FOGG in the Atlantic and rescue opers, 12/20-21/44' (Roll A1748) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov phrase search '"LCI(L) 401"' - item pages mapping to /id/120184427, /633387119, /78659875, /139774341, /120301315, /101745497, /101742206
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship-specific primary records exist in the NARA catalog for this hull beyond the ops report already read: the LCI(L) 401 muster-roll series (RG 24) and the parent Flotilla 12 / Group 35 command records (war diaries Sep-Nov 1944 for the flotilla; the Group 35 war diary Dec 1944-Feb 1945 and its report on the LST 359 / DE-57 Fogg torpedoing and rescue, 20-21 Dec 1944). These are the primary-source leads for her post-Normandy Channel/Atlantic service and crew documentation. NOTE from direct read of the Group 35 action report (NAID 101742206): the 20 Dec 1944 convoy position table lists Group 35 hulls 420 (group flag), 417, 421, 418, 419 and 542 - LCI(L)-401 is NOT among them; the unit's composition had shifted and this hull was on other duty during that convoy (the Seine photo places her with the LCI base-ship group circa winter 1944-45).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- crew of LCI(L)-401 (muster rolls); Flotilla 12 / Group 35 staffs (war diaries)
- Limitations
- Records located via the rendered NARA catalog (catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered; its public API endpoints returned only the SPA shell this session - search results obtained through a rendered fetch). Metadata verified; contents unexamined except where noted - presence of these records does not indicate asbestos content; no asbestos term appears in the located metadata. Group-35 roster absence in the Dec 1944 convoy table is a snapshot, not proof of where 401 was that month.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-07
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) - product page and full report PDF (gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf) retrieved via Firecrawl 2026-09-30 [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 and full report PDF (asbestos narrative and Navy Q&A sections)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented Navy-era asbestos practice: 'thermal insulation for machinery, equipment and piping systems has been the major application of asbestos' aboard Navy ships; product specifications 'had been changed in 1973 to specify the use of asbestos-free materials,' yet 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978' because materials had already been purchased and installed in ships under construction; 'all ships presently in service contain some quantity of asbestos' (1979). The Navy's October 1975 policy was to remove/replace only damaged insulation or that requiring removal for repairs; modified January 1979 toward selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This hull's entire construction (Dec 1943-Jan 1944) and service era (1944-46) precedes the substitution era - squarely inside the documented asbestos period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era covered includes 1943-46
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and ship crews of the asbestos era
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. GAO's fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - not the builder. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, or quantity. Full text was retrievable this session via Firecrawl (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to plain curl).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-08
-
[9]Rushworth, Denis H., 'The Navy and Asbestos Thermal Insulation,' Naval Engineers Journal 117(2), 1 April 2005, pp. 35-48, DOI 10.1111/j.1559-3584.2005.tb00336.x; verified live 2026-09-30 (direct curl 403, full page via Firecrawl) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- NEJ 117(2) 2005 article record + abstract, ingentaconnect art00012
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed Naval Engineers Journal article (American Society of Naval Engineers) documents that asbestos 'was once used in U. S. Navy shipboard pipe and machinery thermal insulation and in many other shipboard products,' that plaintiffs in asbestos lawsuits 'include many who were exposed to asbestos while serving in Navy ships built during and following WWII,' and that 'the most likely source of their Navy shipboard exposures was thermal insulation' because the materials are 'dry, friable, and easily accessible.' Covers this hull's construction and service era at the practice level.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2005 (article); WWII-era practice documented
- Population
- WWII-and-later Navy ship crews; shipyard insulation workers
- Limitations
- Era/practice-level documentation - names no hull and no product list for this vessel; establishes the Navy-era practice, not installed materials aboard LCI(L)-401. Abstract-level read; article body not retrieved. No quantity, product, or individual exposure data.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-09
-
[10]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block (diesel propulsion: two sets of four GM 6051-series 71 diesel engines, 4 per shaft; single GM main reduction gears; twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp; two diesel-driven 30 kW 120 V DC ship's-service generators); GAO HRD-80-2 (ev-08); Rushworth NEJ 2005 (ev-09) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 150401.htm specifications block; GAO HRD-80-2 product page/PDF; NEJ 117(2) 2005
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A geared-diesel landing craft built December 1943-January 1944 at George Lawley & Sons, Neponset, sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard asbestos applications aboard a diesel amphibious craft of this type and period were engine and exhaust thermal insulation/lagging, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; exposure-relevant confined spaces were her engine room and machinery spaces.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46), esp. engine-room personnel; repair trades during the June 1944 Weymouth availability and later Channel availabilities; purchasers/scrappers post-1946
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LCI(L)-401; the wartime repairs documented in her AAR (anchor and stern-winch radiator, Weymouth, June 1944) carry no material record. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-10
-
[11]Batch-5113 search ledger (this record): NavSource main page; NARA SL44 printed p.338 via ACPL scan; NARA catalog rendered search (ops report NAID 78555336 read directly; muster rolls and Flotilla 12/Group 35 war-diary NAIDs located); Navy/MC Awards Manual 1953 via HyperWar; usslci.org Elsie Item 95; shipscribe IX-169 photo catalog; GAO HRD-80-2 product page + full PDF; NEJ 117(2); USCG Historian's Office LCI(L) pages; CourtListener API v4 (opinions x2, dockets x1 - all zero); secondary web litigation sweep; batch intake cross-check (no PRIMARY match at any tier under LCI/LSI spellings, same-number conversions, or documented renumberings) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-401-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LCI(L)-401 / LCI(G)-401 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener returned zero results for opinions under both the hyphenated spellings ('LCI(L)-401' OR 'LCI(G)-401' OR 'LCI-401') and the spaced variants ('LCI 401' OR 'LCI(L) 401' OR 'LCI(G) 401' OR 'USS LCI-401'), and zero results at docket level ('LCI(L)-401' OR 'LCI(G)-401' OR 'LCI-401' OR 'LCI 401'), all authenticated via the fleet helper on 2026-09-30 - a genuine negative, not a throttle. Batch intake records 'No PRIMARY match at any tier' under the checked spellings/conversions. The secondary web sweep surfaced no qualifying case and no marketing content asserting asbestos aboard this specific 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. NARA deck logs (SL44: 3 logbooks, 1944-01-08 to 1945-09-30), muster rolls (NAID 120184427), and Flotilla 12/Group 35 war diaries are unexamined primary leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-401-11
