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)-617 page - construction milestones, Flotilla 22 assignment, campaigns, awards, specifications, disposition (history credited to 'USS LCI Landing Craft Infantry, Vol. II', Turner Publishing, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150617.htm header block, campaign table, disposition block, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-specific record for this hull: laid down 21 April 1944 at New Jersey Ship Building Corp., Barber, N.J.; launched 18 May 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-617, 25 May 1944. Assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LCI Flotilla Twenty Two under CDR Marion M. Byrd, USN. Campaigns: Luzon operation - Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 18 January 1945; Consolidation and capture of southern Philippines - Mindanao Island landings, 17 to 23 April 1945. Post-WWII: occupation service in the Far East, 12 September to 9 December 1945. Decommissioned 'date unknown'; struck 'date unknown'; two battle stars for WWII service; transferred to the Maritime Commission 31 October 1947 at Lake Charles, LA, for disposal (PDX-225, 27 September 1946); 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Specifications: displacement 236 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; five single 20mm guns; diesel fuel 860 bbls; propulsion - two sets of 4 General Motors 6051 Series 71 diesels, 4 per shaft, single GM main reduction gears, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp, two 30 kW 120V DC diesel-drive generators. Radio call sign NPIH. Awards listed: Combat Action Ribbon; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2); WWII Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp; Philippines Presidential Unit Citation; Philippines Liberation Medal (2).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Construction trades, New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber NJ (1944); crew 1944-46 (4 officers + ~24 enlisted spec); embarked troops up to 188
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation tracking published histories - not a primary registry. Its milestone dates corroborate the Bureau of Ships Ships' Data volume (ev-02) and the ship's own muster rolls (ev-03). Its 'decommissioned, date unknown' is resolved by the muster-roll recapitulation sheet (18 May 1946). Its 'struck, date unknown' and 'fate unknown' remain open. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-01
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[2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, 1945 edition volume 2 (shipscribe.com scan) - Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) hull table, p. 206 [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2, p. 206, LCI(L) hull table, LCI(L) 617 row; class machinery columns
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous Navy tabulation names this hull directly: 'LCI(L) 617 - New Jersey S. B. Corp., Barber, N.J. - keel laid 21 Apr 44 - launched 18 May 44 - date of first commission 25 May 44.' The surrounding table documents the LCI(L) 351-design machinery configuration: diesel plant, no steam propulsion.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (Apr-May 1944)
- Limitations
- Primary contemporaneous source for builder and three construction milestones. Carries no asbestos, material, or insulation content - propulsion context only. URL re-verified live and byte-identical to the working copy 2026-09-30 (prior shipscribe URL structure had changed).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-02
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[3]NARA NAID 120284344, 'LCI(L) 617 - Muster Rolls', RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), series 'Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities' (NAID 594996) - 103 digitized page images, scanned under the Ancestry-NARA partnership; unrestricted [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog NAID 120284344 digital objects 32860_245679-00002 (forwarding sheet), -00004 (commissioning report of changes), -00148/-00150 (April-May 1946 reports), -00156/-00157 (final recapitulation sheet)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship's own personnel records, inspected pages spanning May 1944 through decommissioning. Commissioning report of changes (month ending 25 May 1944): crew received at REC STA NYK (Receiving Station New York) on 5/25/44; 'date of sailing from Pier 42, North River, New York, N.Y. to PhibTraBase, Solomons, Md.' - the ship commissioned at New York and went directly to amphibious training. Forwarding-sheet annotation brackets the record span: 'Comm. 5-25-44 to 5-18-46 (Decom).' April 1946 report of changes shows the crew being transferred off to Receiving Station Galveston, Texas (ALNAV 395-45). Final recapitulation sheet, quarter ending 18 May 1946: 'DECOMMISSIONED 1200, 18 MAY 1946' - 21 enlisted brought forward, 21 transferred to other ships or stations, zero remaining aboard (operating allowance 18). Named officers on the rolls include CO Lt.(jg) Richard B. Fletcher, USNR, and XO William C. Deekens, Ens., USNR (June 1944 roll).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-05-25 to 1946-05-18
- Population
- Crew of LCI(L)-617, 25 May 1944 - 18 May 1946; named plankowner enlisted (Bartels, Bass, Battaglini, Bjeruan, Bellamy, Brewer, Brindle, Costa, Costello, Gagliardi, Gerriets, Granade, McMacken, Miller, Orr et al.); final roster of 21
- Limitations
- Primary source for commissioning circumstances and for the decommissioning date NavSource lacks (18 May 1946, 1200). The decommissioning location is not stated on the inspected sheets; crew transfers ran to RecSta Galveston, Tex., consistent with a Gulf Coast decommissioning, but no location is asserted. The full 103-image run was not transcribed page-by-page - inspected pages: forwarding sheet, commissioning report of changes, April/May 1946 reports of changes, final recapitulation. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-03
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[4]NARA NAID 633409446, 'LCI(L)-617 - Rep of ops In the assault landing at Parang, Mindanao Is, Philippines 4/17/45', RG 38 - two digitized page images, both read [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA digital objects rg-038/4697018/1548/0293.jpg (report) and 0294.jpg (Enclosure A)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's own after-action report for the 17 April 1945 assault landing at Parang, Mindanao, Philippines: LCI(L)-617 beached in the ninth wave on Green Beach at 1208 Item hour and landed troops without casualties. Enclosure (A), dated 18 April 1945, is the Executive Officer's report to the CO on personnel reaction - all hands performed duties satisfactorily, no casualties. Signed by commanding officer Lt.(jg) Richard B. Fletcher, USNR; enclosure signed by Executive Officer William C. Deekens, Ens., USNR.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-04-17
- Population
- Ship's crew (~4 officers + ~24 enlisted) plus embarked troops landed at Parang
- Limitations
- Primary ship-specific operational record; documents one landing inside the broader 17-23 April 1945 Mindanao campaign credit. Contains no asbestos or material content. Both catalog digital-object images were directly read; catalog API degraded to its JS HTML shell during this session but the image endpoints remained fetchable.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-04
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[5]NARA Special List 44, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units,' hull-number index PDF (910,106 bytes, md5 639e2f288db3e0c7a8e7489a0b57bf07 - verified byte-identical to the live file) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 26, LCI(L)-617 row; NARA explanatory page archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's deck-log index lists this hull directly: 'LCI(L)-617 - 5/25/1944 - 6/30/1945' (PDF page 26) - deck logs exist at the National Archives covering commissioning through mid-1945. These are log-coverage dates only.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-05-25 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- Crew during logged period (commissioning through 30 June 1945)
- Limitations
- Archival lead, not content: SL44 is a holdings index; the deck logs themselves are undigitized and were not read. Coverage ends 30 June 1945 - the July 1945-May 1946 logbooks (including the occupation-service and homeward-passage periods and decommissioning) are outside this listing and unlocated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-05
-
[6]NavSource, 'History of LCI Flotilla 22' page - first-person flotilla narrative naming this hull among the new arrivals [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150618f.htm, 'History of LCI Flotilla 22' narrative paragraphs (late-September 1944 arrival list; Christmas 1944 convoy; Lingayen 9 January 1945)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Flotilla-level narrative places this hull's arrival in theater: 'In late September [1944] we had a change of Command of Flotilla 22 and Commander M. M. Byrde assumed command... We also received a number of new ships from the States. The 985, 986, 987, 688, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618 and 619.' The flotilla narrative then describes the Christmas Day 1944 departure from Hollandia, arrival at Leyte 3 January 1945, and the Lingayen Gulf assault 9 January 1945 in which the flotilla's LCIs - including 617 - participated. Flotilla staff was billeted aboard LCI(L)-618 (FF).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-09 to 1945-01
- Population
- LCI(L)-617 crew from late September 1944 arrival at Hollandia; flotilla population ~36 LCIs
- Limitations
- Flotilla-level context, not a per-hull log: the narrative names 617 only as one of the arriving hulls; specific actions at Lingayen are described at flotilla level, not attributed to this hull individually. Volunteer-compiled secondary source on NavSource. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-06
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[7]Era inference built on: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v.2 LCI(L) 351-design machinery/diesel columns (ev-02); NavSource specifications for this hull (GM 6051 Series 71 diesels, no steam plant); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-use era documentation (see search_ledger) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 p. 206 class machinery columns; NavSource specifications block; GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered amphibious landing craft built in April-May 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a craft of this type and period were thermal insulation, machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and deck covering. As a diesel craft she carried no boilers or steam propulsion - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply, reducing but not eliminating candidate asbestos applications.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew 1944-46; any repair-yard trades during availabilities; disposal-period breakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, work package, or hazmat record located for LCI(L)-617. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution. Absence of a steam plant lowers asbestos intensity relative to steam vessels but does not establish asbestos absence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-07
-
[8]Batch-5339 search ledger (this record): NavSource; BuShips SDB1945v2; NARA SL44 + catalog (action report, muster rolls); uboat.net; navalmarinearchive yard table; MARAD Ship History; CourtListener opinion/docket sweeps; secondary web [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-617-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material schedule, or verified litigation naming USS LCI(L)-617 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener opinion searches on 'USS LCI(L)-617', 'LCI(L)-617', 'LCI-617', 'LCI 617', and builder 'New Jersey Shipbuilding' + asbestos returned zero qualifying results; docket-index sweeps surfaced two incidental name-collision hits, neither asbestos-related nor naming this hull. No DANFS entry exists for this numbered landing craft (all candidate NHHC/mirror URLs 404). MARAD Ship History holds no vessel-status card for LCI-617. No law-firm marketing claims specific to this hull were located this session.
- 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 - a 1944-built Navy craft sits inside the documented asbestos-use era. CourtListener coverage was partial: the spaced-variant 'LCI(L) 617' query was blocked twice by fleet pacing and remains open. Undigitized deck logs (NARA SL44 listing), full muster-roll transcription, and BuShips/contract work packages are open leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-08
-
[9]navalmarinearchive.com reproduction of the shipbuildinghistory.com 'New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber NJ' yard table - delivery/disposition column for LCI(L)-617 reads 'To China 1946' [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalmarinearchive.com/sbh yard table, LCI(L)-617 row, disposition column; cf. ev-01 disposition block, ev-03 recapitulation sheet
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- DISPOSITION CONFLICT DOCUMENTED: the yard-table secondary source asserts 'To China 1946' for this hull. This conflicts with the ship's own muster rolls (still in commission, crew transferring to RecSta Galveston through April-May 1946; decommissioned 18 May 1946) and with NavSource (transferred to the Maritime Commission at Lake Charles, LA, 31 October 1947, for disposal). A direct foreign transfer in 1946 is inconsistent with the primary record; any post-MARCOM resale to Chinese interests is possible but unverified. The NavSource/muster-roll account is carried; 'To China 1946' is not.
- Verification
- disputed
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1946-1947
- Limitations
- The yard table is a secondary compilation with no per-hull sourcing; the conflict is logged, not resolved. If a post-1947 private sale to China occurred it would be consistent with NavSource's 'fate unknown' - neither source rules the other out for the post-disposal period.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-617-09