Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet pc-packet.md (2 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS LCI(L)-426
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-pkt-pc-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LC(FF)-426 ex USS LCI(L)-426 (history credited to Turner Publishing, USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry,' Vol. II, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150426.htm header block, service narrative, awards block, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LCI-351 class Landing Craft Infantry (Large); laid down 1 April 1943 at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.; launched 2 June 1943; commissioned USS LCI(L)-426, 26 June 1943, LTjg. C. A. Ehm Jr., USNR, in command; redesignated Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship) LC(FF)-426, 31 December 1944. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LC(FF) Flotilla Twenty-Three (LCDR R. H. Brazeal), LC(FF) Group Sixty-Seven, LC(FF) Division One Hundred Thirty-Four. Postwar occupation service in the Far East 28 September 1945 to 10 April 1946. Decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register in 1946; transferred to the Maritime Commission 17 November 1947; final disposition, fate unknown. Awards displayed: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Medal with Asia clasp. Specs: 246 t. light/419 t. loaded, 158'5.5" x 23'3", 16 kts max, 4 officers + 24 enlisted, troop capacity 6 + 182, five single 20mm, two sets of 4 GM diesels (4 per shaft), 1,600 BHP, twin variable-pitch propellers. No images of this hull held by NavSource.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); crew and embarked flag staff (1943-46)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestones generally track official records but the underlying source here is the Turner Publishing collective volume, not a hull file. Page lists no campaign entries and no battle stars for this hull. Contains no asbestos content. NavSource parenthetical '(May 1045)' after the CO line is a scan-typography artifact (May 1945).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-01
-
[3]NARA Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 - 'Special List #44, by Ship Numbers' index PDF (archives.gov) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf p. 14 (LC(FF) block) and p. 15 (LCI(L)(FF) block); PDF verified live and text-extracted 2026-09-30
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List 44's ship-number index carries two logbook-coverage lines for this hull: PDF page 14 lists 'LC(FF)-426, 1/1/1944 to 6/30/1945' and PDF page 15 lists 'LCI(L)(FF)-426, 6/26/1943 to 6/30/1945' - the second entry beginning on the hull's documented commissioning date. Together they inventory NARA-held deck logs covering the hull's commissioned wartime service (26 June 1943 through 30 June 1945 accession cutoff).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (log coverage indexed)
- Population
- Crew and flag staff whose activities the logs record (1943-45)
- Limitations
- Index coverage dates, not asserted service dates: the 'LC(FF)-426 - 1/1/1944' start predates the documented 31 December 1944 redesignation because NARA filed logs under the final designation; the composite 'LCI(L)(FF)-426' line shows the full run from commissioning. Special List 44 indexes the first accession only - deck logs after 30 June 1945 (including the documented 28 Sep 1945 - 10 Apr 1946 occupation service) are not represented in this index. Logbooks are paper holdings; contents not extracted or reviewed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-02
-
[4]National Archives Catalog file units: USS LCI(L) 426 war diaries, RG 38 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (NAID 78211868 covering 6/26/43-9/30/43, 97 images, Fold3 scanning collaboration; also 10/43 NAID 134328619, 11/43 NAID 136000651, 12/43 NAID 78465667, 1/44-4/44 NAID 78400558, 5/44 NAID 78448616); muster rolls RG 24 (LCI(L) 426 NAID 120225660; LC(FF) 426 NAID 120225759) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/78211868 and sibling NAIDs; catalog search 'LCI(L)-426' / 'LC(FF)-426' 2026-09-30
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds digitized ship-specific records for this hull beyond the deck logs: monthly war diaries in RG 38 cataloged from commissioning (26 June 1943) forward, and muster rolls in RG 24 under both designations. The hull's designation also surfaces in the digitized operational records of other commands (e.g., COM LST FLOT 34 War History NAID 77706670; USS TATUM war diary April 1945 NAID 77464267; COM LSM GR 44 diaries late 1945) - full-text catalog hits indicating flag/operational associations that may document where LC(FF)-426 served.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Crew, flag staff, and associated formations (1943-45)
- Limitations
- Archival leads only. Catalog entries establish that these records exist and are digitized; the war-diary images are handwritten/typewritten operational remarks that resist reliable OCR - no content was extracted this session, so no operational detail is asserted from them. Other-command mentions are name matches in catalog full-text; the contexts were not opened.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-03
-
[5]HyperWar transcription, 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' - LC(FF) and LCI(L) type sections (wartime Navy ship-type listing) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ships-lc.html LC(FF) section and LCI(L)-351 class block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The type listing defines the LC(FF) conversion: 'Converted from Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) - LCI(L) - to carry flag officers and crew,' with type specs of 387 tons, 160', 15.5 knots, 4x20mm, 3 officers + 21 enlisted, 8 GM diesels (4 per shaft) twin variable-pitch screws; the ship-number block lists LC(FF)-423-427 as commissioned 1943-44, covering this hull's conversion group.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- LCI(L)/LC(FF) crews and flag staffs (class)
- Limitations
- Type-level data for the conversion design, not a record of the work done on this specific hull - conversion yard, date of physical work (as distinct from the 31 December 1944 designation change), and fitted equipment are not documented here. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-04
-
[6]ShipbuildingHistory (T. Colton), 'New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber NJ' - yard profile and production table [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com New Jersey Shipbuilding yard page, production table row for hull 426
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The builder's production table lists hull 426 by number: 'LCI(L) 426, US Navy, Landing Craft, Jun-43 - Later LC(FF) 426, struck 1946, to USMC 1947.' The yard profile documents the builder itself: an assembly-line LCI yard on Arthur Kill at Barber (now Maurer, Perth Amboy), placed under Todd Shipyards management in 1942 at the Navy's request, and closed after the war.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943)
- Limitations
- Secondary compiled table corroborating NavSource; 'to USMC 1947' means the U.S. Maritime Commission - an initialism collision with the Marine Corps worth flagging. Yard profile describes the facility; no materials, insulation, or asbestos content for the yard's LCI work was located. New Jersey Shipbuilding is not a shipyards.json yard_id - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section (full text blocked to curl, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation aboard ships across the era and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's construction (1943) and service life. The Navy's 1975 policy removed/replaced with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era coverage spans this hull's build and service
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; Navy asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports Navy-era context only, not any fact specific to this hull or the LCI(L) type. Full-text PDF not retrieved this session (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to plain curl; product page and Highlights fetched via Firecrawl) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block (two banks of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, twin variable-pitch propellers - no steam plant); HyperWar LCI(L)-351/LC(FF) type specs; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-era asbestos context (ev-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; ships-lc.html LCI(L)-351 class block; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LCI(L) built in 1943 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era, but its propulsion layout narrows the plausible applications: with no boilers or steam lines aboard, the steam-plant lagging pathway does not apply. Era-standard applications aboard a small diesel landing craft of this period were engine and exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets, valve packing, and electrical/wiring insulation; any accommodation-space insulation or fireproofing is undocumented for the type.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); crew and flag staff (1943-46)
- Limitations
- Era and layout inference only - no hull-specific or LCI(L)-class-specific insulation survey, material list, plans, or work package was located, so no application is confirmed installed on this hull. No quantity. Absence of a steam plant bounds the pathways; it does not establish absence of asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-07
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[9]World War II campaign/battle-star listings checked this session: NavSource ship page (no campaign table for this hull; awards block shows no stars) and the awards-manual-derived WWII campaign listing for LCI hulls 83-626 (officialmilitaryribbons.com transcription), which contains no LCI-426/LC(FF)-426 entry while listing sister flagships LC(FF)-425 (Iwo Jima, Okinawa) and LC(FF)-423 (Bungo-Suido minesweeping) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150426.htm awards block; officialmilitaryribbons.com 'uss_lc1_83-lci_626_world_war_2.html' (LCI-426 not present); navy_occupation_china_service_L.html row 'LC (FF) 426: 28 Sep 45 - 10 Apr 46'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- No battle stars or credited campaign participation are documented for LCI(L)-426/LC(FF)-426: the hull is absent from the awards-manual-derived campaign listing covering LCI hulls, and NavSource displays no campaign entries for her - in contrast to sister LC(FF)s in the same flotilla (425, 423) which carry documented entries. Her documented wartime record is theater assignment plus flotilla-flagship staff service; her documented decorations are the American, Asiatic-Pacific, Victory, and Navy Occupation (Asia) medals.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Crew and flag staff (1943-45)
- Limitations
- Absence from campaign-credit listings does not prove absence at an operation - flotilla flagships performed staff/command roles that did not always earn engagement credit, and her war diaries (digitized, unextracted) may document presence at operations. This is a record-level finding only; a positive campaign claim would need a primary source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-08
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[10]Batch-5140 search ledger (this record): NARA Special List 44 ship-number PDF; NARA Catalog (war diaries, muster rolls, other-command mentions); NavSource; ShipbuildingHistory; HyperWar; CourtListener API v4 (opinion + docket); MARAD vessel history database; NVR; NHHC DANFS index; USS LCI National Association site; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming LCI(L)-426 / LC(FF)-426 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener was queried successfully this session (authenticated API v4): zero opinion results across 'LCI(L)-426', 'LC(FF)-426', 'LCI-426', 'LCI(L) 426', 'LC(FF) 426', 'L.C.I.(L.) 426' and zero docket results for the combined variants - a true negative, not a throttle gap. No DANFS/NHHC ship history exists (DANFS is name-indexed; this hull was never named). No NVR entry (disposed before the register's coverage era). No MARAD status card. The only 'asbestos aboard' content located is law-firm marketing material naming landing craft generally - excluded by source policy.
- 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's war diaries, muster rolls, and deck logs are real but unextracted records, and any disposal/sale file after the 1947 Maritime Commission transfer was not located. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-426-lcil426-09