Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 812-packet.md (3 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-pkt-812-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-542 ex USS LCI(L)-542 - construction, service timeline, campaigns, specifications, disposal (history credited to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry', Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150542.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LCI-351 class landing craft infantry (large); laid down 18 December 1943 at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.; launched 21 January 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-542, 26 January 1944. Assigned initially to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; participated in the Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944; earned one battle star for World War II service. Reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-542, 15 July 1945; in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater under LCI Flotilla Thirty-Seven (LCDR J. P. Moore), LCI Group One Hundred Eleven (LT J. W. Winson, Jr.), LCI Division Two Hundred Twenty-Two. Decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register in 1946; sold 20 November 1946; final disposition, fate unknown. Photo captions (several credited to U.S. National Archives photographs and the USS LCI National Association) place the hull: newly commissioned off the Atlantic coast circa February 1944; high and dry on the Normandy beach after the 6 June 1944 invasion; at anchor off Tolosa, Leyte, Philippine Islands, November 1945; arriving San Diego in June 1946 after a 57-day transit from Leyte during which ships of the group suffered engine trouble and LCI(G)-542 was badly damaged in a typhoon; nested at a San Diego buoy with other LCI(G)s and LCI(M)s in summer 1946. Specifications block: displacement 246 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; length 158' 5.5"; beam 23' 3"; propulsion two sets of 4 GM diesels, 4 per shaft, 1,600 BHP, twin variable-pitch propellers; LCI(L) complement 4 officers + 24 enlisted; LCI(G) complement 5 officers + 65 enlisted; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Construction trades (Barber, NJ, 1943-44); crew, 28 LCI(L) / 70 LCI(G) complement; up to ~188 embarked troops on assault lifts; amphibious-force personnel alongside at Leyte and San Diego (1945-46)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones generally track Navy records and are here corroborated by NavalCoverMuseum's designation history and shipbuildinghistory.com's yard table. The history text is credited to the Turner Publishing LCI volume, not a government source. The 57-day transit and typhoon-damage narrative rests on a family-contributed photo caption (Mark C. Lea), not a log or report. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-01
-
[3]NARA file unit NAID 78474009, 'USS LCI(L) 542 - Act Rep of Landings on Vierville-Colleville Beach, Normandy, France, 6/6/44', dated 14 June 1944; series World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories (Office of Naval Records and Library); Micro Serial 76339, Serial 43, File A8, Container Roll A1009 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA NAID 78474009 (catalog.archives.gov/id/78474009); series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (parent NAID 4697018); Roll A1009
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The National Archives holds this hull's own after-action report: 'USS LCI(L) 542 - Act Rep of Landings on Vierville-Colleville Beach, Normandy, France, 6/6/44' (dated 14 June 1944) - a ship-produced operational record documenting that LCI(L)-542 landed troops on the Vierville-Colleville (Omaha Beach) sector on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and reported her observations to higher command.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- June 1944
- Population
- LCI(L)-542 crew and embarked assault troops landed at Vierville-Colleville (Omaha) 6 June 1944
- Limitations
- Archival metadata only: the NARA catalog record verifies the document's existence, title, date, and series placement - it does not digitize the report text here. A public third-party transcription (dday-overlord.com) indicates the commanding officer reported beaching approximately twelve hours after H-hour under orders from the senior officer present in USS LCI(L)-420, observed poor beachhead organization and jammed radio frequencies, and saw no enemy air or naval craft - transcription content is secondary and was not verified against the document image this session. catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered; metadata confirmed via the NARA catalog search index. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-02
-
[4]NARA Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947', ship-number listing - deck-log coverage entry for LCI(L)-542 [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 25, line item 'LCI(L)-542 1/26/1944 6/30/1945' (verified live in PDF text layer)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List 44 (ship-number section, PDF page 25) lists Navy deck logs under LCI(L)-542 covering 1/26/1944 - 6/30/1945 (MM/DD/YYYY). These are log-coverage dates, not assumed commissioning/decommissioning dates; the start coincides with the documented commissioning date (26 January 1944). Coverage ends 30 June 1945 - before her 15 July 1945 LCI(G) reclassification and roughly eighteen months before disposal - while the adjacent-numbered hulls (LCI(L)-539, -540, -541, -543, -544, -545) carry coverage to December 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LCI(L)-542 officers and crew of record, January 1944 - June 1945
- Limitations
- A finding aid entry, not the logs themselves: SL44 inventories paper holdings (RG 24, Entry 118) at the National Archives at College Park. Why this hull's coverage ends six months earlier than her sisters' is unexplained - later logs may exist unlisted, in another accession, or not survive. The logs are the strongest unexploited primary lead for this hull (movements, availabilities, muster events). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-03
-
[5]NavalCoverMuseum (Navy philatelic museum wiki), 'LCI(G) 542' - ship name and designation history [museum_official]
- Locator
- navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/LCI(G)_542 'Ship Name and Designation History' block and 'Other Information' section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Independent corroboration of the designation timeline: LCI-351 class; laid down 18 December 1943, launched 21 January 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-542, 26 January 1944; reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-542, 15 July 1945; decommissioned (date unknown); struck from the Naval Register 1946; sold 20 November 1946; fate unknown; one battle star (Invasion of Normandy, 6-25 June 1944). The museum holds a 1945 LCI(L)-542 covers page; no postmarks are reported.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Limitations
- A philatelic-museum compilation, not a registry - used here as corroboration of NavSource, not as an independent authority. Designation and milestone agreement across both sources is corroborating but not proof against a common upstream source. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-04
-
[6]shipbuildinghistory.com (T. Colton), New Jersey Shipbuilding yard production table - LCI(L) 542 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencysmall/newjersey.htm, LCI(L) table row for hull 542
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The yard production table for New Jersey Shipbuilding (Barber, NJ) lists 'LCI(L) 542 - US Navy - Landing Craft - Jan-44 - Struck 1946', corroborating builder, build date, and the 1946 striking reported by NavSource and NavalCoverMuseum.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding trades (Barber, NJ), 1943-44
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of Maritime Commission/Navy yard records - corroborating, not official. Carries only hull number, type, build month, and strike year for this vessel. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-05
-
[7]Library of Virginia, World War II Separation Notices: Navy (work 1140041-016-117-001, via FromThePage transcription platform) - veteran's separation notice listing 'USS LCI (G) 542' among service vessels and stations [other_primary]
- Locator
- fromthepage.com LVA work 1140041-016-117-001, field 'service-vessels-and-stations' (direct fetch blocked, Cloudflare 403, 2026-09-30)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A WWII Navy separation notice in the Library of Virginia collection lists 'USS LCI (G) 542' among the veteran's service vessels and stations (alongside NTS Bainbridge, MD; COMM SCH PHIBTRAPAC 'SAIPIO' amphibious operating base; 'LST GORUP 37PLOT13' - apparent transcription rendering of LST Group 37 / Flotilla 13) - individual-level crew-service documentation aboard this hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1946 (separation notice coverage)
- Population
- One documented LCI(G)-542 veteran (unnamed pending document verification)
- Limitations
- Metadata via search index only: direct fetch of fromthepage.com returned HTTP 403 (Cloudflare) this session; the veteran's name, rating, and service dates were not verified against the document image. A separation notice documents assignment aboard, not exposure to any material. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (diesel propulsion - two sets of 4 GM diesels, no steam plant); NavSource and NavalCoverMuseum build/service timeline (1943-46, the Navy's documented asbestos era); GAO HRD-80-2 program documentation (see ev-08); small-craft construction practice of the period [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150542.htm specifications block (propulsion); GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 158-foot diesel-powered landing craft built December 1943 - January 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era, and era-standard applications aboard a 1944 diesel naval craft of this type were engine-exhaust and muffler lagging, gaskets and flange packing in fuel, exhaust, and hydraulic systems, electrical cable and switchboard insulation, and friction materials on deck machinery (winch/windlass brake linings). As a diesel craft she carried no boilers or steam plant - the steam-line and boiler lagging pathway dominant on larger combatants does not apply, and her small size and single-level deck structure limited the volume of insulated machinery spaces relative to steam vessels.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46); amphibious-base maintenance personnel at Pacific and San Diego bases; any 1945 LCI(G) conversion-yard trades (conversion yard not identified in sources)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or shipbuilder's specification located for LCI(L)-542. Names era-typical applications, not confirmed installed materials; a 158-foot auxiliary-type craft would have carried far less insulation tonnage than a steam combatant regardless. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-07
-
[9]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 construction (1943-44) and service era (1944-46).
- 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-542-lcil542-08
-
[10]Batch-5263 search ledger (this record): NavSource page; NARA NAID 78474009 action report; NARA Special List 44 ship-number PDF; NavalCoverMuseum designation page; shipbuildinghistory.com yard table; LVA/FromThePage separation notice (blocked); NHHC DANFS; Naval Vessel Register; CourtListener API v4 (type=o, two queries; type=r, one query); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-01 through -11
- 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)-542 / LCI(G)-542 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener searches returned only name collisions - opinion index 'LCI(L)-542' (613 hits) and 'LCI-542' (100 hits) and docket index 'LCI(L)-542' (9,640 hits, top-20 reviewed) were entirely corporate 'LCI' defendants (LCI International Telecommunications, LCI Construction, LCI Holdings, and similar) with zero vessel or asbestos content. No DANFS entry exists for this hull (NavSource attributes its history to the Turner Publishing LCI volume). The secondary asbestos-marketing sweep surfaced no vendor listicle content naming this 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 - the ship was built and served inside the Navy's documented asbestos era. The 'LCI(G)-542' CourtListener opinion variant could not be run before finalize (fleet pacing) - logged as open, not a negative result. Deck logs (SL44 coverage 1/26/1944-6/30/1945), the builder's specification sheets, and any 1945 conversion work packages are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-542-lcil542-09