Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 458-packet.md (4 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (identity; particulars UNVERIFIABLE)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-pkt-458-packet-md
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[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(L)-680 (150680.htm) - construction, unit assignment, occupation service, decommissioning, disposal, specifications, commanding officers; history credited to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry' Vol. II, Turner Publishing Co., 1995 (ISBN 1-56311-262-0) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150680.htm header block, service narrative, specifications block, awards ribbons, commanding officers table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LCI-351-class Landing Craft Infantry (Large); laid down 18 April 1944 at George Lawley & Sons, Neponset, MA; launched 26 April 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-680, 3 May 1944, LT. William H. West USNR in command; call sign NPUS. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater; LCI Flotilla Five (CDR. H. V. Milton), LCT Group Thirteen (LCDR. N. Nash Jr.), LCT Division Twenty-Five. Post-war: occupation service in the Far East 15-24 October 1945. Decommissioned 31 May 1946 at US Naval Repair Base, San Diego, CA; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; sold 13 March 1947; final disposition fate unknown. Award ribbons shown: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Medal (Asia clasp) - no battle stars or specific campaigns are listed, unlike sister-ship pages in the same archive. Specs: 236 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; 158'5.5"; 16 kts; complement 4 officers + 24 enlisted; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; five single 20mm guns; 2-inch plastic splinter protection on gun turrets, conning tower, pilot house; propulsion 8 x General Motors 6051-series 71 diesels (4 per shaft), twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp. Commanding officers: LT. West (3 May 1944 - 29 March 1946); LTjg. Gerald H. Rickels USNR (29 March - 31 May 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (1944); ship's company ~28 + embarked troops (1944-46)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track official records and are corroborated here by uboat.net and shipbuildinghistory, but the underlying official list is not directly displayed. Contains no asbestos content. Absence of a campaign table/battle-star line on this hull's page indicates none are listed by the source; it does not prove absence of operational participation - deck logs (5/3/1944-6/30/1945 per NARA Special List 44) are the open primary source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-01
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[3]Contemporaneous Navy correspondence reproduced on NavSource (contributed by Tom Rickels for his father LTjg. Gerald H. Rickels USNR): BuPers change-of-duty orders 14 March 1946 (Louis Denfeld, Chief of Naval Personnel); 12th Naval District endorsement 24 March 1946; 11th Naval District change-of-duty order 15 May 1946 (J. B. Oldendorf, Commandant); ship's endorsement reporting Rickels for duty as CO 29 March 1946; decommissioning request from CO USS LCI(L)-680 28 May 1946 (NB 6522, citing CNO dispatch 131540 of May 1946) with first endorsement granting permission (J. E. Boak); Industrial Command endorsement detaching Rickels 31 May 1946 (M. C. Erwin, Captain USN); U.S. Naval Repair Base receipt for the vessel 31 May 1946 (C. S. Thomas Jr.) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource PDF 150680b.pdf (orders set) and image 1015068005.jpg ('Permission to decommission' request, 28 May 1946)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A ship-specific primary document chain documenting this hull's end of service: LTjg. Gerald H. Rickels ordered 14 March 1946 to proceed to San Diego and report for duty as Commanding Officer of USS LCI(L)-680; reported aboard 29 March 1946; decommissioning ordered by CNO dispatch 131540 of May 1946; the CO's 28 May 1946 request states 'Permission is requested to decommission the USS LCI(L) 680 in accordance with reference (a) at about 1000, 31 May 1946' and that all CNO and bureau directives for preparation of the ship for decommissioning had been complied with; permission granted by the Naval Repair Base commander (J. E. Boak); the base acknowledged receipt of the vessel 31 May 1946 and Rickels was detached the same date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- March-May 1946
- Population
- LTjg. Gerald H. Rickels USNR (last CO); crew aboard at decommissioning; US Naval Repair Base San Diego receiving personnel
- Limitations
- Document images hosted by NavSource, a secondary archive - they are legible reproductions of contemporaneous Navy correspondence but have not been independently verified against NARA holdings. They establish decommissioning mechanics and the command chain, not material condition: 'preparation of the ship for decommissioning' is boilerplate and no hazmat or material content is described. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-02
-
[4]NARA, Special List #44 - List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947, 'by Ship Numbers' (PDF transcription), row for LCI(L)-680 [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 27, LCI(L)-680 row; NARA logbook guide (archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy) for RG 24 entry 118 / NAID 581208
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Special List 44 lists Navy logbook coverage for LCI(L)-680: begin 5/3/1944, end 6/30/1945 - i.e., NARA holds logbooks for this hull spanning commissioning day through 30 June 1945 (RG 24, entry 118, National Archives Identifier 581208 per NARA's logbook guide). Coverage is not digitized - the NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available Online' list carries no LCI(L)-680 entry (only LCI-874 among LCIs).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-05-03 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- Ship's company recorded in the logs (1944-45)
- Limitations
- Log-coverage endpoints are holdings dates, not service dates: the begin date coincides with commissioning but the 6/30/1945 end is where NARA's listed coverage stops, not a service endpoint (the ship served until May 1946 - later logs are not in this listing and were not verified). Logbooks record operations, weather, and personnel entries; whether they contain any material or asbestos-relevant content is unknown until pulled. Not digitized.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-03
-
[5]Office of Naval Intelligence, ONI 226 - Allied Landing Craft and Ships, Navy Department, 7 April 1944 (HyperWar/ibiblio scan), LCI(L) sections: 'Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Numbers 1-350' and 'Nos. 351-' [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI 226 PDF, 'LANDING CRAFT, INFANTRY (LARGE) Nos. 351-' data block (and the Numbers 1-350 page for propulsion carried forward 'same as early model')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The US Navy's own April 1944 recognition manual documents the LCI(L) 351+ design this hull was built to: ocean-going infantry carrier for direct beach unloading; diesel propulsion - '2 sets of G.M. Diesels' on twin variable-pitch screws; armament five 20mm; armor '2 inch plastic on guns, conning and pilothouse sides'; crew 4 officers, 24 men; capacity 9 officers + 196 enlisted troops or 32 tons cargo; 158'5.5" x 23'3"; endurance 8,000 miles at 12 knots on 110 tons fuel. Issued 7 April 1944 - eleven days before this hull was laid down.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944 (document issue); class built 1943-45
- Population
- Design baseline for crew 4 officers + 24 men; troops embarked
- Limitations
- Type-level document: describes the class design, not this specific hull's fitted material or condition. No asbestos or material-composition content - it names the splinter protection only as 'plastic.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-04
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[6]Era inference built on: ONI 226 LCI(L) 351+ specification (diesel plant, no steam); NavSource specifications block (8 x GM 6051-series 71 diesels, 2,320 shp); shipbuildinghistory LCI(L) builder table (Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA, 3 May 1944, sold 1947); GAO HRD-80-2 (Navy asbestos-use era) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI 226 LCI(L) Nos. 351- block; NavSource specifications block; shipbuildinghistory LCI(L) table row LCI(L)-680
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered infantry landing craft built April-May 1944 at a wartime commercial yard sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a small diesel combatant of this period were engine exhaust lagging, machinery insulation, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation in confined machinery spaces. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of larger Navy vessels does not apply, but the confined-space dynamic applies to her compact engine room and accommodation spaces.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (April-May 1944); ship's company (1944-46); Naval Repair Base San Diego inactivation personnel (1946); unknown post-sale handlers (1947)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or abatement record located for LCI(L)-680, and the George Lawley & Sons yard (closed 1946, per MIT Museum) has no located government asbestos survey. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull. The class's '2-inch plastic splinter protection' is documented elsewhere as asphalt/gravel mastic (see ev-07) and is NOT claimed as an asbestos product.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-05
-
[7]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 (1944) and service era (1944-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era covered includes 1944
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; shipboard maintenance populations
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed 2026-09-30) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-06
-
[8]Preload Corp. v. United States, 115 Ct. Cl. 596 (1950), docket No. 47849, filed 6 February 1950 (CourtListener opinion 8611381) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion text, factual-background section (plastic armor description; Feb 1944 PPP program)
- Finding type
- litigation_product_id
- Finding
- Court-of-Claims record describing the material the Navy/Maritime Commission called 'plastic armor' / Plastic Protective Plating (PPP) in the 1944 program period: 'plastic armor made of asphalt and gravel or similar material, for the protection of the bridges, gun nests, and other exposed parts of ships,' later poured into metal pans welded aboard ('shipsets'). This is the same 'plastic' splinter protection ONI 226 and NavSource list for the LCI(L)-351 class - 2-inch plastic on guns, conning and pilothouse sides.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1940-1950
- Population
- Shipyard installation trades applying PPP shipsets (1944-45, program-wide)
- Limitations
- Contract-dispute decision (Contract Settlement Act termination claim), not an exposure finding and not an asbestos case. It establishes the program-era description of the material (asphalt/gravel aggregate) - it does not say whether any specific formulation or shipset contained asbestos fiber, and it does not document what was aboard this hull. Included to prevent 'plastic armor' being misread as an asbestos product.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-07
-
[9]Batch-5409 search ledger (this record): NavSource page and hosted primary documents; NARA Special List 44 (ship numbers); NARA online deck-log list; NARA catalog; MARAD Vessel History Database; Naval Vessel Register; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated); NHHC DANFS; uboat.net; shipbuildinghistory; usslci.org; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-01 through -17
- 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)-680 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener authenticated API v4 returned zero results for 'LCI(L)-680' (opinions and dockets), 'LCI-680' (opinions and dockets), and 'LCI(L) 680' (opinions). MARAD Vessel History Database has no record for this hull (keyword '680' returns only ST-680, WA-3-680, YF-680). NHHC DANFS has no entry for this hull (numbered landing craft generally lack individual DANFS entries). NVR has no entry (hull disposed 1947, predating NVR coverage). The only 'asbestos aboard' material found in the general web is law-firm marketing content on landing ships generally (e.g., gorilaw.com) and a mesowatch.org page on the Lawley yard - excluded by source policy; note the marketing page falsely describes the yard as operating into the 1980s (it closed in 1946, per MIT Museum).
- 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 diesel landing craft plausibly carried era-standard asbestos applications, and none were inventoried. A class-level CourtListener query ('LCI(L)' asbestos) could not be completed - the fleet request budget was momentarily spent; logged as blocked, not a negative result. Deck logs (NARA, 5/3/1944-6/30/1945) are the undigitized open lead. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-08
-
[10]uboat.net Allied Warships, USS LCI(L)-680 (ship/21745) - build milestones and 'Sold on 13 March 1947'; corroborated by shipbuildinghistory.com LCI(L) construction table (Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA, 3 May 1944, sold 1947), http://shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/lcil.htm [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/21745; shipbuildinghistory lcil.htm table row LCI(L)-680
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Two independent secondary compilations corroborate the NavSource milestones: uboat.net lists George Lawley & Sons (Neponset, MA) builder, laid down 18 Apr 1944, launched 26 Apr 1944, commissioned 3 May 1944, sold 13 March 1947; shipbuildinghistory's LCI(L) table lists Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA, 3 May 1944, 'sold 1947.' No conflicts with NavSource on any carried date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Limitations
- Both are secondary compilations; corroboration of milestones only. shipbuildinghistory's table column is the completion/commissioning date (3 May 1944), consistent with NavSource's commissioning date. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-09
-
[11]MIT Museum collections, organization record: George Lawley & Son, Neponset, Massachusetts [museum_official]
- Locator
- MIT Museum organization page 1754, 'Description' block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Museum documentation of this hull's builder: 'Shipyard in Neponset, Massachusetts. Three generations of the Lawley family built fine yachts and working vessels at their yard in Neponset... The yard built both wood and steel vessels, including dozens of World War II landing craft, before closing in 1946.' The museum holds a Lawley LCI(L) plans/collection group (178 related items).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1860s-1946
- Population
- Lawley yard workforce (construction era, incl. April-May 1944)
- Limitations
- Yard-level context, not a hull record - confirms the builder's identity, Neponset location, WWII landing-craft production, and the 1946 closure. Contains no asbestos content; no government health survey of this yard was located (it closed before the modern regulatory era).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-680-lcil680-10