Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(L)-521 - construction timeline, EAME campaigns, Project Hula transfer, specifications (page credited to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry,' Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150521.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 17 November 1943 at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.; launched 15 December 1943; commissioned USS LCI(L)-521, 20 December 1943. WWII service in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater: Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944; Invasion of Southern France 15 August-18 September 1944. Decommissioned and transferred to the Soviet Union at Cold Bay, AK, 29 July 1945 under Project Hula, designated Soviet Landing Ship DS-8. As DS-8 she participated in the Soviet invasion of the Japanese Kuril Islands 18 August-1 September 1945. Returned to U.S. naval custody in 1955 and struck from the Naval Register (date unknown); final disposition fate unknown. Two battle stars for WWII service; call sign NQZA. Spec block: displacement 246 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; length 158'5.5"; beam 23'3"; speed 16 kts max, 14 kts continuous; complement 4 officers + 24 enlisted; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; cargo 75 tons; armor 2-inch plastic splinter protection on gun turrets, conning tower, pilothouse; armament five single 20mm; propulsion two sets of 4 General Motors 6051-series-71 diesels, 4 per shaft, GM main reduction gears, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp. Photo record: underway off the English coast circa 1944; in Alaskan waters circa July 1945; at Cold Bay, AK, preparing for Soviet transfer July 1945 (photographed from USS LCI(L)-946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1955
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); LCI(L)-521 crew and embarked troops (1943-45); Soviet DS-8 crew (1945-55); transfer-processing personnel at Cold Bay (1945)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track official records and are corroborated here by NHHC, NARA, and the NHC Russell volume, but NavSource itself is secondary. Contains no asbestos content. 'Struck date unknown' and 'final disposition fate unknown' are carried as documented unknowns, not resolved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-01
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[2]DANFS, LCI(L)-513 entry (NHHC, Jared D. Johnson, 31 December 2024) - names LCI(L)-521 in two dated operations of LCI(L) Flotilla 11 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LCI(L)-513 service narrative, 8 May 1944 and 8 November 1944 passages
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC's DANFS entry for flotilla mate LCI(L)-513 names this hull twice: (1) 8 May 1944 - 'the craft, in company with LCI(L)-521 and tank landing ship LST-386, towed a pontoon lighter to Par Sands' from Falmouth, England, during pre-Overlord exercises; (2) 8 November 1944 - 'LCI(L)-513 joined LCI(L)-515 and LCI(L)-521 in "maneuvers and training in Lake Bizerte"' (Tunisia), lasting four days. Places LCI(L)-521 as a LCI(L) Flotilla 11 unit in EAME waters, May and November 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- LCI(L)-521 crew; LCI(L) Flotilla 11 craft (1944)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific in that the official NHHC entry names this hull with dated operations - but the source document is the sister ship's DANFS entry, not an entry for 521 (no DANFS page for LCI(L)-521 exists; NHHC URL returns 404). Flotilla 11 membership is established by association in this entry plus the Pacific Fleet organization table (ev-03). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-02
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[3]NHHC, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (official organization table) - LCI 521 listed under Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, Amphibious Forces section, LCI(L) Flotilla 37 / Group 110 / Division 219 entry
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official Pacific Fleet organization table of 1 May 1945 lists 'LCI 521' in LCI(L) Division 219, LCI(L) Group 110, LCI(L) Flotilla Thirty-Seven, under Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet - documenting this hull's U.S. Navy assignment to the Pacific Fleet in the months before her Cold Bay transfer.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- LCI(L)-521 crew (mid-1945)
- Limitations
- An organization-table listing documents assignment, not physical location or operations; the craft was in Alaskan waters by July 1945 (NavSource photos) en route to the 29 July transfer. Table is transcribed in NHHC's online reading room. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-03
-
[4]NARA Special List No. 44, List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units (by ship numbers), p. 25 [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL44 by-ship-numbers PDF, p. 25, row 'LCI(L)-521 | 12/20/1943 | 7/28/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 (by ship numbers), PDF page 25, lists Navy deck logs for LCI(L)-521 covering 12/20/1943-7/28/1945 - spanning the hull's entire U.S. commissioned period from commissioning day (20 December 1943) to the day before her Soviet transfer (29 July 1945). Deck-log coverage dates, not a narrative record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-12-20 to 1945-07-28 (coverage)
- Population
- LCI(L)-521 crew (1943-45); NARA researcher lead for any unit-level occupational detail
- Limitations
- Establishes that deck logs exist in NARA holdings for the full U.S. service window - the logs themselves are not digitized (not on NARA's digitized deck-logs list; catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered and could not be verified this session). Log-coverage dates are not themselves a commissioning date, though the begin date matches NavSource's commissioning date exactly. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-04
-
[5]Russell, Richard A., Project HULA: Secret Soviet-American Naval Cooperation in the War Against Japan (Naval Historical Center, Dept. of the Navy, Washington, 1997; U.S. Navy in the Modern World Series No. 4), Appendix 'U.S. Navy Combatant Ships Transferred to the [Soviet Union] May-September 1945' - full text mirrored at generalstaff.org [other_primary]
- Locator
- Appendix transfer table, row 'LCI(L) 521 | DS-8 | 29 Jul. | 1955-returned'; narrative pp. describing 1955 returns and Lend-Lease settlement
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Naval Historical Center history of Project HULA documents for this hull: appendix table entry 'LCI(L) 521 - DS-8 - 29 Jul. - 1955-returned,' confirming Soviet designation DS-8, transfer date 29 July 1945 at Cold Bay, and return to U.S. custody in 1955. The volume's narrative establishes the program context: 149 ships and craft transferred at Cold Bay April-September 1945; ex-LCI(L)s took part in Soviet operations in the Kuril Islands and northern Korea; the Soviet navy returned 15 ex-LCI(L)s in summer 1955; the Navy spent approximately $250,000 recovering 89 ships in 1955 and earned $6,537 from their sale as scrap.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1955
- Population
- U.S. Navy Detachment 3294 personnel and Soviet trainees at Cold Bay (1945); DS-8 Soviet crew (1945-55)
- Limitations
- Official NHC publication consulted via a third-party verbatim mirror (generalstaff.org) - the NHC/NHHC online edition URL was not located live this session (candidate NHHC URLs 404). The appendix establishes transfer date and 1955 return for this hull specifically; the sale-for-scrap outcome is program-level for the 89 returned ships - a per-hull scrapping record for ex-LCI(L)-521 is not itemized. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-05
-
[6]Office of Naval Intelligence, ONI 226, Allied Landing Craft and Ships (1944), 'LANDING CRAFT, INFANTRY (LARGE) Nos. 351-' entry (mirrored full text at HyperWar/ibiblio) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI-226, 'LANDING CRAFT, INFANTRY (LARGE) Nos. 351-' plate and base entry 'Numbers 1-350'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official U.S. Navy recognition manual's entry for the LCI(L)-351 series documents the type's 1944-era configuration relevant to this hull: five 20mm guns; armor of '2 in. plastic' on guns, conning tower, and pilothouse sides; crew 4 officers, 24 men; capacity 9 officers + 196 enlisted troops or 32 tons cargo (oceangoing); endurance 8,000 miles at 12 knots on 110 tons fuel; displacement 250 tons landing / 387 tons loaded. The base-model entry (LCI(L) 1-350, statistics carried to the 351 series) gives propulsion as '2 sets of G.M. Diesels; max. B.H.P. 1,600; twin variable-pitch screws' - diesel propulsion, no steam plant.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944 (manual date)
- Population
- LCI(L)-351-class crews and embarked troops (type-wide)
- Limitations
- Class/type documentation, not a hull record - describes the LCI(L)-351 series generally. ONI-226 figures conflict with NavSource on horsepower (1,600 BHP vs 2,320 shp), troop capacity (9 officers/196 enlisted vs 6/182), and length (158'4" drawn vs 158'5.5") - see gaps. No asbestos content; the plastic splinter armor is a negative material detail, not an asbestos one.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-06
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block (GM diesel plant, 1943 construction); ONI-226 class data; GAO HRD-80-2 program documentation of Navy-wide asbestos insulation use in this construction era (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications; ONI-226 LCI(L) entries; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered infantry landing craft built Nov-Dec 1943 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard asbestos applications aboard a small diesel craft of this type and period were engine-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, thermal insulation around machinery spaces, and electrical insulation in the confined hull volume. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; her splinter armor was 2-inch plastic, not asbestos-based.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1955
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943); LCI(L)-521 crew and embarked troops (1943-45); Soviet DS-8 crew (1945-55); 1955-era scrappers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or deck-log-derived record located for LCI(L)-521. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-07
-
[8]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 U.S. construction and service era (1943-45).
- 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, confirmed 2026-09-30); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-08
-
[9]Batch-5242 search ledger (this record): NavSource (live); NHHC DANFS LCI(L)-513 entry; NHHC Pacific Fleet organization 1 May 1945; NARA Special List 44 PDF p. 25; NHC Russell Project HULA appendix (mirrored); ONI-226; NVR (no entry); NARA digitized-logs list (not listed); CourtListener type=o and type=r (searched - name collisions only); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-521-01 through -10
- 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)-521 (or Soviet DS-8) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener searched both indexes 2026-09-30: opinion query returned 603 hits, docket query 9,044 hits - all name collisions on tokenized 'LCI'/'521' (LCI International telecom litigation, LCI Construction/LCI Holdings LLC dockets, 'Louisiana Construction and Industry' fund); full-text scans for 'landing craft'/'LCI(L)'/'USS LCI'/'asbestos'/'navy' across both result sets returned zero. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case.
- 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; CourtListener's tokenized full-text search means a literal 'LCI(L)-521' string match cannot be ruled out beyond the reviewed result sets. NARA deck logs (RG 24, coverage verified by SL44) are undigitized leads; New Jersey Shipbuilding yard records are another. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-521-09