Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet pq-packet.md (5 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS LCI(L)-515 — Wikipedia USN LCI list (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_Landing_Craft_Infantry)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-pkt-pq-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LCI(L)-513 (NHHC, published 10 Feb 2025) - sister craft of LCI Flotilla 11; names LCI(L)-515 in company on three documented occasions [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LCI(L)-513 service narrative, September-November 1944 paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (NHHC) documents this hull operating in company with LCI(L)-513 in the Mediterranean in late 1944: on 20 September 1944 'LCI(L)-513, in company with LCI(L)-515 and LCI(L)-523, sailed ... for Naples for an availability alongside repair ship Delta (AR-9)' - a repair availability of about eight days; on 20-21 October 1944 'LCI(L)-513, in company with LCI(L)-515 and LCI(L)-526,' carried troops from Leghorn to Marseilles, embarked Russian refugees, and all three sailed via Pozzuoli to Bizerte (arrived 28 October); on 8 November 1944 'LCI(L)-513 joined LCI(L)-515 and LCI(L)-521 in maneuvers and training in Lake Bizerte.' The same entry documents the shared LCI(L) Flotilla 11 operational context (Convoy UGS-31 transit January-February 1944; Operation Overlord; Operation Dragoon; Mediterranean shuttle service), and records LCI(L)-513's own reclassification to AMCU-10 on 10 March 1945 - the same date this hull became AMCU-11.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Crew (~23-28) plus embarked troops; yard/repair-ship workers during the September 1944 Naples availability
- Limitations
- Ship-specific mentions of this hull within a sister craft's entry; no asbestos or material content. The repair availability alongside AR-9 is documented as an event - the work performed and any insulation disturbed are not described. Flotilla-level narrative does not by itself establish this hull's beach assignments or individual movements beyond the three named in-company episodes.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive, Blackbird (MHC 11) ex-AMCU-11 ex-LCI(L)-515 - build, designation timeline, specifications, photographs (verified live at navsource.net) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/0411.htm header block, LCI and AMCU specification blocks, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull (AMCU-7 class entry): laid down 9 November 1943 by the New Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Barber, NJ; launched 4 December 1943; commissioned USS LCI(L)-515, 10 December 1943, LTJG H. W. Brown, Jr., USN in command; participated in the Invasion of Normandy and the Invasion of Southern France (NavSource prints Normandy dates '6 - 25 July 1944' - a month typo, see ev-09); reclassified Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) AMCU-11, 10 March 1945; named Blackbird 3 January 1955; reclassified Coastal Minehunter MHC-11, 7 February 1955; decommissioned 2 April 1958; struck from the Naval Register in 1960; fate unknown. Photographs captioned: this hull as LCI(L)-515 c. 1945 Chesapeake Bay (Ed Mariani collection) and as Blackbird c. 1956 (U.S. Navy photo, Naval Institute Archives).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1960
- Population
- Construction trades, New Jersey Shipbuilding (1943); LCI crew and embarked troops (1943-45); AMCU/MHC complement 41 (1945-58); disposal unknown
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track official records and are corroborated here by NavalCoverMuseum's designation history, but the page carries one documented typo (Normandy 'July' for June - see ev-09) and offers no narrative of the 1945-58 minesweeper service period. Contains no asbestos content. Filed in NavSource's mine-warfare archive (11/0411.htm), not the LCI amphibious archive - hull is indexed under its final name.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-02
-
[4]Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual - 1953 (NAVPERS 15790), Part IV Section 2-16, 'List of Ships and Units eligible for Engagement Stars' - European-African-Middle Eastern Area (HyperWar/ibiblio transcription of the official Bureau of Naval Personnel manual) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Awards-IV-16.html, EAME Area engagement-star list, LCI(L) 515 entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official campaign-credit listing names this hull: 'LCI(L) 515: 6 Jun 44 - 25 Jun 44 E5 [Invasion of Normandy (including bombardment of Cherbourg)]; 15 Aug 44 - 25 Sep 44 E7 [Invasion of Southern France].' Two engagement stars (E5, E7) for WWII service in the European-African-Middle Eastern area - the authoritative record of this hull's amphibious-assault participation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 6 June - 25 September 1944
- Population
- Ship's company during credited operations
- Limitations
- Establishes campaign credit and date windows only - not specific beach assignments, actions, or individual service. HyperWar transcription of NAVPERS 15790 (1953); the manual is the controlling source. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-03
-
[5]NARA, Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' (1978) - deck-log inventory entry for LCI(L)-515, PDF page 24; corroborated by the live NARA deck-log program pages [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List 44, p. 24 (batch-supplied locator; the full print finding aid is not hosted as a PDF on archives.gov - the live named-vessels table covers named ships only and does not list numbered landing craft)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's wartime deck-log inventory lists Navy logs under LCI(L)-515 covering 10 December 1943 - 28 February 1945 (log-coverage dates matching commissioning through the eve of the AMCU-11 reclassification). These logs are held by the National Archives but are NOT among the hulls digitized on the 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' page (checked 2026-09-30 - no LCI(L)-515, AMCU-11, or Blackbird entries).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-12-10 to 1945-02-28
- Population
- LCI(L)-515 crew, December 1943 - February 1945
- Limitations
- Log-coverage dates establish in-scope service, not exposure. Logs are the surviving record of daily movements, operations, and personnel - the primary archival lead for hull-level detail - but they are undigitized and were not read for this record. Coverage under the 'LCI(L)-515' name ends 28 February 1945; post-reclassification logs would be filed under AMCU-11/Blackbird and are not confirmed by this entry.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-04
-
[6]NavalCoverMuseum, BLACKBIRD MHC 11 - ship name and designation history plus postal covers [other_primary]
- Locator
- BLACKBIRD_MHC_11 name/designation table; USS AMc(U)-11 Covers Page 1 (cover dated 1949-09-24)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Corroborates the full designation chain independently of NavSource: commissioned USS LCI(L)-515, 10 December 1943; reclassified Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) AMc(U)-11, 10 March 1945; named USS Blackbird AMc(U)-11, 3 January 1955; reclassified Coastal Minehunter MHC-11, 7 February 1955; decommissioned 2 April 1958; struck from the Naval Register 1960. A surviving naval cover postmarked 'Naval Base S.C. Machine' dated 24 September 1949 documents AMc(U)-11 postal service in the Charleston, SC area - the Atlantic Fleet mine-force hub - during the postwar in-service period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1960 (designations); 1949 (postmark)
- Population
- Postwar AMCU-11 crew (1949)
- Limitations
- Volunteer philatelic reference; designation dates corroborate NavSource. The 1949 cover documents a Charleston Naval Base postmark - a port call or basing indication, not a record of work performed at Charleston Naval Shipyard. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource LCI/AMCU specification blocks (GM diesel plant, no steam machinery); DANFS LCI(L)-513 spec block (LCI(L)-351 class: displacement 389, 158'5.5", 4 x 20mm, complement 26); NHHC National Museum of the U.S. Navy LCI(L)-10 page (class description); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-use era (see ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/0411.htm specification blocks; DANFS LCI(L)-513 spec block; NHHC LCI(L)-10 museum page; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 1943 welded-steel diesel landing craft of the LCI(L)-351 class sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard small diesel amphibious craft were machinery-space thermal insulation, diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and accommodation insulation. The 1945 AMCU-11 conversion and any postwar availability work are undocumented but fall inside the same era. The documented September 1944 availability alongside repair ship Delta (AR-9) at Naples is the type of event at which insulation would be disturbed or renewed.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1958
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); crew (~23-28); embarked troops (6 officers/182 enlisted capacity); repair-ship and conversion-yard workers (1944-45 and 1950s AMCU conversion)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, conversion work package, or asbestos sampling record located for LCI(L)-515/AMCU-11/Blackbird. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Diesel craft - no boiler or steam-system lagging pathway. The AR-9 availability is documented as an event only; asbestos involvement is inference.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- 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 (1943), WWII service, AMCU conversion era, and postwar minesweeper service (to 1958).
- 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 this session (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-07
-
[9]Batch-5236 search ledger (this record): NARA Special List 44 and digitized-deck-log list; NHHC DANFS (lci-l-515 and blackbird URLs 404; lci-l-513 hit); NavSource mine-warfare archive; Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual 1953; NHHC Operation Neptune sunk/damaged list; NavalCoverMuseum; CourtListener (opinion type); secondary web sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LCI(L)-515 / AMCU-11 / Blackbird / MHC-11 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener completed queries: '"LCI(L)-515" asbestos' (opinion) returned 0 results; '"USS Blackbird" asbestos' (opinion) returned 0 results; '"LCI(L)-515"' (docket) returned 0 results; an unquoted 'LCI(L)-515' opinion query returned 599 hits that are corporate-name collisions (LCI International Inc., 'LCI' self-insurers) with no ship mention - classified name collision, not litigation. NHHC's Operation Neptune sunk/damaged list does NOT list this hull (the '515' present is LCT(6)-515, a different craft).
- 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 remaining CourtListener designation variants (AMCU-11, MHC-11, AMc(U)-11) and a general 'LCI(L)' asbestos query were paced out at session end - see search_ledger; litigation status beyond the completed queries remains an open gap, not a negative result. Deck logs (NARA SL44 p.24) and the AMCU conversion work package are undigitized leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-08
-
[10]Designation/date cross-check: Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual 1953 (Normandy 6-25 June 1944, Southern France 15 Aug - 25 Sep 1944) vs NavSource 11/0411.htm ('Invasion of Normandy 6 - 25 July 1944'); Elsie Item (USS LCI National Association, Nov 2016) source list [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 11/0411.htm operations line; ibiblio Awards-IV-16.html LCI(L) 515 row; ELSIEITEM-95-Nov-2016.pdf sources page
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION (two items): (1) NavSource prints this hull's Normandy participation as '6 - 25 July 1944' - the official campaign dates in the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual are 6-25 June 1944; 'July' is a transcription slip on the NavSource page (the sister-hull NavSource page LCI(L)-512 correctly prints June). (2) The USS LCI National Association newsletter Elsie Item No. 95 (Nov 2016) source list cites 'After Action Report of Lt. (jg) John Forby Schereschewsky, Commanding Officer, LCI 515' - the same article body and award citations identify him as commanding officer of LCI 415 (Flotilla 12, Group 35, Omaha Beach); the '515' in the source list is a typo and does not document this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Corrects two circulating transcription errors, not material claims. Neither correction affects the hull's verified campaign credit (E5/E7). The specific Normandy beach assignment for LCI(L)-515 is unresolved in authoritative sources - a veterans' memorial list attributes Omaha Beach and a Normandy serial-list forum post places serial 244 in the Utah context; neither is authoritative (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-515-lcil515-09