USS LCI(L)-474

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

1. [1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-474 ex USS LCI(L)-474 (1943-1944) - construction, LCI(G) reclassification, flotilla assignments, campaign table, awards, loss, and specifications (history credited to 'USS LCI "Landing Craft Infantry", Vol. II,' Turner Publishing, 1995) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/15/150474.htm header block, awards block, assignment block, campaign table, loss/strike lines, specifications block, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: laid down August 1943 at New Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Barber, NJ; launched October 1943; commissioned USS LCI(L)-474, 5 October 1943; international radio call sign NQQF. 'Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-474, 15 June 1944.' WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater - LCI Flotilla Thirteen and LCI Flotilla Three (CDR M. J. Malanaphy), LCI Group Eight (CDR Nash). Campaign table: Marianas operation - capture and occupation of Guam, 21 July to 15 August 1944; Iwo Jima operation - assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945. 'Lost through enemy action at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945.' Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown. Earned two battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for operations at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945; ribbon display includes Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - Iwo Jima). Individual awards: Navy Cross, LTjg. Matthew J. Reichl, USNR, CO LCI(G)-474. Photo captions document: the Black Cats of Flotilla Thirteen conning-tower emblem; 474 and LCI(G)-438 passing Nevada (BB-36) en route to the beach at Iwo Jima; a Flotilla 3 Group 8 gunboat column in the UDT-support attack; 474 capsizing and sinking off Iwo Jima while Capps picked up survivors and 'later completed the sinking' of the hulk; hits received 'while supporting UDT swimmers on a pre-invasion mission.' Spec block: displacement 216 t light / 234 t landing / 389 t loaded; length 158' 5.5"; beam 23' 3"; speed 16 kts max / 14 kts continuous; LCI(L) complement 3 officers + 21 enlisted; LCI(G) complement 5 officers + 65 enlisted; LCI(L) troops 6 officers + 182 enlisted; cargo 75 t; LCI(L) armament four single 20 mm + two .50 cal MG; LCI(G) armament two 40 mm, four 20 mm, six .50 cal MG, ten Mk 7 rocket launchers; propulsion two sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, 1,600 BHP, twin variable-pitch propellers; fuel 130 t; endurance 4,000 mi at 12 kts loaded.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (Barber, 1943); crew (1943-45); embarked troops in LCI(L) role (up to ~188 per landing cycle)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones generally track official Navy data and the page credits Turner Publishing's USS LCI Vol. II as its source. 'Launched in October 1943' conflicts with uboat.net's 'Launched Sep 1943' and sits awkwardly against a 5 October commissioning - carried in gaps. Photo-caption attributions are contributor-supplied. Contains no asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-01

2. [2]Shipbuilding History (T. Colton), 'Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) - LCI(L)' construction table and program summary [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/lcil.htm - table row '474', intro paragraphs

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The construction table lists hull 474 under 'LCI(L), New Jersey SB, Barber NJ,' variant flag G, delivery 5-Oct-43, disposition 'Lost at Iwo Jima 17-Feb-45.' Program summary: 923 LCI(L)s built by only ten shipyards; the basic design (first 350 boats) was 158.5 ft / 216 t light, the remainder six inches longer and 30 tons heavier - hull 474 sits in the later band; variants LC(FF), LCI(G), LCI(M), LCI(R). Nearly every New Jersey SB hull from 439 through 484 is flagged G - the yard's output block converted predominantly to the gunboat variant.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943)

   Limitations

   Editorially maintained shipbuilding reference, not a registry - the table's 'Delivery' column tracks delivery-to-Navy (here = commissioning date). Says nothing about materials or asbestos.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-02

3. [3]National Archives, Special List #44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 (ship-number index for RG 24 Entry 118 deck-log holdings) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Special List #44 ship-number PDF, p. 18, LCI(L)(G) section, row 'LCI(L)(G)-474 10/5/1943 2/17/1945'

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA's own logbook inventory lists 'LCI(L)(G)-474 | 10/5/1943 | 2/17/1945' - deck logs for this hull covering the documented commissioning date (5 October 1943) through 17 February 1945, the documented loss date, held in the RG 24 Entry 118 Navy deck-log collection (series NAID 581208). Unlike the block of sibling LCI(L)(G) entries whose coverage uniformly ends 6/30/1945 (a 1947 accession boundary), this hull's coverage ends on the sinking date - consistent with the logs terminating when the ship was lost.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1943-10-05 to 1945-02-17 (inventoried coverage)

   Population

   Officers of the deck and crew recorded in the logs (1943-45)

   Limitations

   Inventory-level record: establishes that deck logs for this hull exist in NARA custody (and their coverage span), not their contents - the logs are not digitized (confirmed against NARA's 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' list, which contains no WWII LCI(L) entries). Log-coverage dates are not asserted service dates; the 2/17/1945 end matches the combat loss but whether the physical logbooks were recovered from the abandoned ship or reconstructed is not stated by the index. The '(G)' styling is the filing designation at inventory time; the formal LCI(G) reclassification was 15 June 1944 per NavSource/uboat.net.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-03

4. [4]uboat.net Allied Warships entry, USS LCI(L)-474 (LCI 351 class) - construction data, LCI(G) reclassification, loss [other_primary]

   Locator

   uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/21516.html - data table ('History' line); type index war-losses row

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Corroborates the construction, designation, and loss record: pennant LCI(L)-474; built by New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp. (Barber, NJ); ordered 22 March 1943; laid down 26 August 1943; launched September 1943; commissioned 5 October 1943; 'Reclassified as LCI(G), Landing Craft Guns on 15 June 1944'; 'Sunk off Iwo Jima on 17 February 1945'; 'Lost 17 Feb 1945.' uboat.net additionally indexes the hull in its war-losses listing for Landing Craft Infantry on 17 February 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary index; construction data corroborate NavSource/shipbuildinghistory rather than add new authority. 'Launched Sep 1943' conflicts with NavSource's 'October 1943' - carried in gaps. No CO list and no event history exists for this hull in the index ('We don't have any commands listed'). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-04

5. [5]NHHC H-Gram 086-2, 'Iwo Jima: The Battle of the LCI Gunboats' (Samuel J. Cox, Director of Naval History, January 2025) - official NHHC historian account of the 17 February 1945 UDT-support action [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC H-Gram 086-2 (Jan 2025), battle narrative and awards paragraphs

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official NHHC historian's account naming this hull: on 17 February 1945 (D-2), LCI gunboats under Lt. Cdr. Willard Nash, USNR (embarked on LCI(G)-457) covered four underwater demolition teams reconnoitering the southern landing beaches; at about 1100 Japanese positions opened heavy, well-aimed fire including shells as large as 6-inch, and every gunboat was hit repeatedly. 'LCI gunboat 474 was so badly damaged that it had to be abandoned before it was scuttled by gunfire from destroyer Capps (DD-550).' 'LCI(G) 474 was lost and LCI(G) 441 and 473 would have to be towed away.' All 12 gunboats were damaged, with total casualties of 52 crewmen killed and 148 wounded; all gunboats were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation; Commander Michael Malanaphy, Lt. Cdr. Nash, and 11 of the LCI gunboat skippers were awarded the Navy Cross. The gunboats' typical fit is given as two 40 mm, four 20 mm, six .50-caliber MG, and 10 Mk 7 4.5-inch rocket launchers - matching this hull's documented LCI(G) armament.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-02-17

   Population

   LCI(G) Group Eight crews (12 gunboats, 17 Feb 1945); embarked UDT swimmers under their cover

   Limitations

   Ship-specific on the loss narrative (names hull 474 three times) but aggregate on casualties - the 52/148 figures are the twelve-gunboat force total, not this hull's own losses; the hull-specific casualty list comes from the Harker account transcription (ev-07). Citation_type nhhc_danfs used for an NHHC-hosted official publication (H-Gram by the Director of Naval History; not a DANFS ship entry). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-05

6. [6]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, 'LCI(G) Group Eight' page - Presidential Unit Citation text and member-hull list [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/15/15000030.htm - citation block and member-hull link table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The page presents the Presidential Unit Citation to 'LCI(G) GROUP EIGHT INCLUDING THE FLAGSHIP OF LCI FLOTILLA THREE' 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,' signed for the President by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal; the citation describes gunboats absorbing 'an hour and a quarter of devastating punishment,' extinguishing fires, and 'resolutely return[ing] to the firing line' until the reconnaissance was accomplished. The member-hull links list LCI(G)-346, -348, -438, -441, -449, -450, -466, -469, -471, -473, -474, and LC(FF)-627 - explicitly including this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-02-17

   Population

   LCI(G) Group Eight and Flotilla Three flagship crews (17 Feb 1945)

   Limitations

   Transcription of the citation text hosted on a volunteer secondary site - the award itself is corroborated at official level by NHHC H-Gram 086-2 ('all the gunboats would be awarded a Presidential Unit Citation'). One member link is misprinted (LCI(G)-455 links to the 450 page). The PUC is a unit award covering the group, not a hull-specific commendation of 474 alone. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-06

7. [7]USS LCI National Association, 'LCI (G) 474 at Iwo Jima' - first-person account by Ensign Robert J. Harker, the ship's engineering officer, incorporating an extended verbatim excerpt of the LCI(G) Group Eight action report plus award and casualty lists [other_primary]

   Locator

   usslci.org/lci-g-474-at-iwo-jima/ - Harker narrative, quoted Group Eight action-report timeline, awards and Purple Heart lists

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-specific detail beyond all other sources: Group Eight composition (LCI(G)s 346, 348, 438, 441, 449, 450, 457 group flag, 466, 469, 471, 473, 474; LC(FF)-627 carrying Flotilla Three commander Cdr. M. J. Malanaphy); Group 8 action-report timeline for 474 on 17 Feb 1945 - 1048 near-missed and opened fire; 1055 hit; 'by 11:03 LCI(G) 474 had received ten hits, which knocked out all guns, flooded four compartments and started three fires'; 1140 'LCI(G) 474 abandoned, all personnel transferred to CAPPS'; 1330 'LCI(G) 474 (by then capsized) sunk by 40mm fire by CAPPS by order of CTG 52.4. Position: Lat. 24o 44' 30" N, Long. 141o 19' 05" E. 156 fathoms of water.' Group casualties: 'ten LCI(G)s... suffered a total of 201 casualties or thirty percent. Of this number 47, or seven percent were fatalities.' Hull-474 award list: Navy Cross to LTjg Matthew J. Reichl (CO); Silver Stars to Ens. R. J. Harker, L. L. Adkins GM1/c, O. I. McQuiston MoMM1c, J. I. Williams MoMM3c; Bronze Star to LTjg W. J. Walsh (XO); Purple Heart roll naming three killed in action (Ens. Daryl G. Huish; Fred H. Gray S2/c; Lester H. Welch GM3/c) and one died of wounds (Donald S. Rappold S2/c).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1945-02-13 to 1945-02-17 (pre-invasion transit through loss)

   Population

   LCI(G)-474 crew (70 per LCI(G) complement) and Group Eight crews; 4 fatal + wounded aboard this hull per Harker roll

   Limitations

   Veterans' association site hosting a participant's account - the action-report excerpt is a transcription of the group report (the ship's own loss report exists at NARA as NAID 139869374, undigitized); names, times, and counts unverified against the original document. The '201 casualties / 47 fatalities' figure differs from NHHC's '52 killed and 148 wounded' (a 200-total) - both carried, discrepancy noted in gaps. The casualty names are Harker's own compiled roll, acknowledged incomplete ('My apologies to those overlooked and omitted'). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-07

8. [8]USS LCI National Association, 'Combat Awards' page - Navy Cross and Silver Star citation transcriptions for LTjg. Matthew Joseph Reichl, USNR, CO of this hull [other_primary]

   Locator

   usslci.org/combat-awards/ - Navy Cross section entry 'Lieutenant, Junior Grade Matthew Joseph Reichl'; Silver Star section entry 'Lieutenant, Junior Grade Matthew Joseph Reichl (NSN: 0-187470)'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Two citation texts naming this hull and her CO: (1) Navy Cross - 'as Commanding Officer of Landing Craft Infantry Gunboat FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR (LCI(G)-474), operating as a unit of LCI(G), Group EIGHT... on 17 February 1945,' crediting Reichl with keeping his guns firing under repeated large-caliber hits, maneuvering 'the heavily listing craft alongside a destroyer' to supervise evacuation of the wounded, and leading 'a volunteer party in an attempt to salvage the stricken vessel' still under fire. (2) Silver Star - 'as Commanding Officer of Landing Craft Infantry Gunboat FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR (LCI(G)-474), a fire support ship, during the actual assault upon and capture of an enemy-held island during July 1944' (the Guam operation), crediting close support of the landing and protection of troop flanks. A NARA personnel record for 'Reichl, Lieutenant (j.g.) M.J.' also exists (NAID 278493205).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1944-07 (Guam); 1945-02-17 (Iwo Jima)

   Population

   LTjg. M. J. Reichl and LCI(G)-474 crew (Jul 1944; 17 Feb 1945)

   Limitations

   Citation transcriptions on a veterans' association site - content stated to be drawn from Hall of Valor and other sources; unverified against the original award documents (the NARA Reichl record, undigitized, is the archival lead). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-08

9. [9]HyperWar, 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945: Landing Ships and Craft' - LCI(G) section class specification and hull table (transcription of official USN ship data) [other_primary]

   Locator

   ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-lc.html - 'LCI(G) -- Landing Craft, Infantry (Gunboat)' spec block and table row 'LCI(G)-474'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class-level documentation of the gunboat type plus the hull's own table row: the LCI(G) entry gives the type spec (387 t full load; 160'4" x 23'3"; 15.5 knots; armament 2-3 40 mm, 3-4 20 mm, 6 .50 cal, 10 Mk 7 + 2 Mk 22 rocket launchers; complement 5 officers + 65 enlisted; '8 GM diesels, twin screws'), and the hull table carries 'LCI(G)-474 | 1944 | [loss flag] 17 Feb 45; shore battery off Iwo Jima' - corroborating the conversion year, the loss date, and the cause (shore battery).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-30

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   LCI(G) conversion crews and gun crews (1944-45)

   Limitations

   Class-level record - the spec block describes the type, not this hull's as-fitted particulars; its figures differ slightly from the NavSource ship-page block (387 t vs 216 t light basis; 160'4" vs 158'5.5"; 15.5 vs 16 kts; Mk 22 launchers not in NavSource list) - noted in gaps. The page's own per-hull detail page (LCIG/G-474.html) 404s. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-09

10. [10]NARA Catalog items for this hull via DPLA mirror (National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference): ten monthly war diaries, two ship operation reports, muster rolls, CO personnel record, and Harker oral-history items [other_primary]

    Locator

    DPLA search '"LCI(G)-474" OR "LCI(L)-474"' - 16 NARA items; NAIDs itemized in finding_value

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Sixteen NARA catalog records name this hull: war diaries 'USS LCI (L) 474 - War Diary, 10/5-31/43' (NAID 134323724) and '11/1-30/43' (NAID 136002310); 'USS LCI(G) 474 - War Diary' for 7/44 (NAID 78594428), 8/44 (NAID 78622978), 9/44 (NAID 134377548), 10/44 (NAID 78646096), 11/44 (NAID 78694800); 'LCI(G)-474 - War Diary' for 12/44 (NAID 139791080), 1/45 (NAID 139866332), and '2/1-17/45' (NAID 139883585 - the final diary, ending on the loss date); ship operation reports 'Rep of opers in the invasion of Guam Island, Marianas, 7/20-31/44' (NAID 77483453) and 'Rep of ops in support of underwater demolition teams & loss of off Iwo Jima, Bonin Is on 2/17/45' (NAID 139869374 - the ship's own loss report); 'LCI(G) 474 - Muster Rolls' (NAID 120326498); personnel record 'Reichl, Lieutenant (j.g.) M.J.' (NAID 278493205); and two 'Oral History Interview with Robert Harker, February 17, 2005' items.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1943-10 to 1945-02-17 (located records span)

    Population

    LCI(L)/LCI(G)-474 crew (diary span Oct 1943 - 17 Feb 1945; muster-roll span)

    Limitations

    Archival leads only: catalog titles establish that ship-specific war diaries, operation/loss reports, muster rolls, and personnel/oral-history records exist at Archives II, not their contents - catalog.archives.gov pages are JS-rendered and did not return usable API results this session; titles and NAIDs transcribed via the DPLA mirror, contents unverified. The located diary set spans Oct-Nov 1943 and Jul 1944-Feb 1945 - no diaries for Dec 1943-Jun 1944 surfaced in either query, leaving the shakedown/transit and LCI(G) conversion interval uncovered in the located set. No asbestos content demonstrated.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-10

11. [11]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block (two sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, 1,600 BHP; twin variable-pitch propellers); HyperWar LCI(G) class spec ('8 GM diesels, twin screws'); GAO HRD-80-2 (ev-12); Rushworth NEJ 2005 (ev-11) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource 150474.htm specifications block; HyperWar ships-lc.html LCI(G) spec; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; NEJ 117(2) 2005

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    An all-diesel landing craft built August 1943 at New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber, sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard asbestos applications aboard a welded-steel diesel amphibious craft of this type and period were machinery gaskets and valve/flange packing, engine and exhaust-system lagging, electrical insulation, and brake linings on the bow-ramp winch and windlass machinery. 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. The June 1944 LCI(G) conversion added gun mounts, rocket launchers, and ammunition-handling fittings - weapons-scope outfitting consistent with era practice but not a documented asbestos work item.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1943-1945

    Population

    New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); crew (1943-45); 1944 LCI(G)-conversion yard trades (location undocumented)

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, builder specification sheet, conversion work package, or material list was located for this class or this hull; product names are normalized era terms and no manufacturer attribution exists for this hull. The LCI(L) was an austere, simply fitted combat craft and its asbestos-relevant material load was materially lower than a steam vessel's - but 'lower' is not 'none,' and this row asserts no ship-specific fact. Whatever era-consistent materials were aboard were lost with the hull in 156 fathoms - there is no present-day residual-material question.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-11

12. [12]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 (peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers) [reputable_press]

    Locator

    NEJ 117(2) 2005 article record + abstract, ingentaconnect art00012

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Peer-reviewed Naval Engineers Journal article 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 were '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

    WWII-1970s practice era

    Population

    Navy shipboard crews of WWII-and-later construction (practice-level)

    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)/LCI(G)-474. Abstract-level read; article body not retrieved (paywalled $22.14; abstract and record page verified live via Firecrawl). No quantity, product, or individual exposure data.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-12

13. [13]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO product page HRD-80-2 - Highlights block

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removal, and compensation programs - documenting that the Navy's 1975 policy removed and replaced with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs, modified in 1979 to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas. Confirms Navy-wide asbestos insulation use through the era covering this hull's construction and service.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-30

    Study period

    1979 (report); WWII-1970s use era

    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 this class. Product-page description read; the full report PDF link was live this session but full text was not extracted. Fieldwork yards (Long Beach, Norfolk) unrelated to this hull's New Jersey builder. No quantity, product, or individual exposure data.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-13

14. [14]Batch-5193 search ledger (this record): NARA Special List 44 PDF; NavSource ship page and PUC page; shipbuildinghistory LCI(L) table; uboat.net warship entry; NHHC H-Gram 086-2; usslci.org Harker account and combat-awards page; HyperWar landing-craft list; NARA catalog via DPLA; NARA online deck-log list; NHHC DANFS; GAO product page; CourtListener API v4; secondary web sweeps [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-01 through -17

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, hull material list, or litigation naming LCI(L)-474 / LCI(G)-474 / LCI-474 / LCI(L)(G)-474 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Completed CourtListener opinion queries returned count 0 for 'LCI(L)-474', 'LCI(G)-474', 'LCI-474', and 'LCI(L)(G)-474'; the remaining variant and docket queries were subject to fleet pacing - status logged per-row in the ledger. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no marketing page asserting asbestos aboard this hull. The one detailed class-level primary record examined - the NPS NRHP nomination for surviving sister hull LCI(L)-713 (full text extracted) - contains zero mentions of asbestos, insulation, hazmat, or abatement.

    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 - era-consistent materials could have been present and simply undocumented for an austere auxiliary-type craft with a 16-month service life ended by combat loss. No postwar survey/abatement record can exist for a hull sunk in action in 1945; whatever materials she carried remain with the wreck. The litigation sweep covers CourtListener opinions and (where completed) RECAP dockets only; state-court filings were not searched. Deck logs (NARA RG 24 E-118), the located war diaries and loss report, and muster rolls are undigitized leads that could hold ship-specific material detail. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lci-l-474-lcil474-14