Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LC(FF)-783 ex USS LCI(L)-783 - timeline, flotilla assignment, campaign, spec block, awards, disposal (history sourced to USS LCI 'Landing Craft Infantry' Vol. II, Turner Publishing 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150783.htm - header block, history narrative, campaign table, spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Timeline for this hull: laid down 22 June 1944 at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.; launched 26 July 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-783, 31 July 1944, LTjg. H. C. Reeder USNR in command; redesignated Landing Craft (Flotilla Flagship) LC(FF)-783, 20 January 1945. Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LC(FF) Flotilla Twenty-Three (LCDR R. H. Brazeal), LC(FF) Group Sixty-Nine (LT T. T. Brooks), LC(FF) Division One Hundred Thirty-Seven; Okinawa Gunto operation - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 7 June 1945. Decommissioned date unknown; struck from the Naval Register date unknown; one battle star for WWII service; awards American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1), WWII Victory Medal. Final disposition: destroyed, July 1951. Spec block (LCI-351 class): 246 t. light / 264 t. landing / 419 t. loaded; 158'5.5" x 23'3"; 16 kts max; complement 4 officers + 24 enlisted; troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; two sets of four GM diesels (four per shaft, 1,600 BHP), twin variable-pitch propellers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1951
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding trades (Jun-Jul 1944); crew (1944-c.1949); embarked flag staff at Okinawa (1945)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its LCI history text is sourced to the Turner Publishing USS LCI Vol. II. Contains no asbestos content. Decommission and struck dates are absent from the record. The flotilla/group/division chain given here (Flot 23 / Grp 69 / Div 137) conflicts with the official 1 May 1945 Pacific Fleet organization, which places LCI 783 in Group 68, Division 135 - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-01
-
[2]NHHC, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (official wartime organization transcription, Navy Department Library / Landing Craft Flotillas, Pacific Fleet section) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC online reading room page, 'LANDING CRAFT FLOTILLAS, PACIFIC FLEET' > LCI FLOTILLA TWENTY-THREE > LCI GROUP 68 > LCI DIVISION 135
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Pacific Fleet organization table as of 1 May 1945 - mid-Okinawa campaign - lists 'LCI 783' under LCI FLOTILLA TWENTY-THREE, LCI GROUP 68 (ComLCIGrp 68: Lt. Cdr. E. S. Dulean USNR (D) / Lt. Cdr. O. G. Howell USNR (R)), LCI DIVISION 135, with commanding officer 'Lt. H. C. Reeder (USNR)'. Division 135's listed hulls are the flotilla flagship craft (782, 783, 786 (GF), 788, 1081, 1082). The same document lists Commander LST Flotilla Sixteen as Capt. R. C. Webb, Jr. (USN) - the flag officer the CO's oral history says LC(FF)-783 carried.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- Crew + embarked flotilla staff (May 1945)
- Limitations
- Administrative snapshot as of 1 May 1945; lists the hull as 'LCI 783' without an (FF) flag despite the January 1945 redesignation, and under Group 68/Division 135 - NavSource's Turner-sourced text instead says Group 69/Division 137; the two records disagree or reflect different points/structures - flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-02
-
[3]Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries), 'World War II 50th Anniversary Veteran Interviews,' p. 262 - interview essay on Harold C. Reeder (highest rank Captain), interviewed by Brian Warren [other_primary]
- Locator
- texashistory.unt.edu ark:/67531/metapth1582425/m1/290 (OCR text view; interactive page gated by Altcha challenge)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Oral-history account by her wartime commanding officer: Reeder 'accepted the duty as captain and took command of the ... LCFF 783'; after 'several supply runs and minor engagements' the ship was ordered to the Philippine Islands; Reeder 'left the Philippines on February 2[?], 1945, captain of the command ship that would lead a convoy of 37 ships,' arriving at Okinawa about thirty days later; 'Harold was promoted to lieutenant [OCR: "second grade"] on April 1, 1945, still in command of LCFF 783 Flagship of LST Flotilla 16 under Rear Admiral Webb'; the ship carried 'intelligence people and the underwater demolition team ... a total of 75-80 of these personnel who termed the ship a fresh water taxi.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LC(FF)-783 crew + embarked LST Flot 16 staff, intelligence and UDT personnel (1945)
- Limitations
- Fiftieth-anniversary essay written by the subject's grandson from an oral-history interview - memory-based retrospective, not an official record; OCR transcription errors present ('O.S.T.', 'lieutenant second grade'). 'Rear Admiral Webb' conflicts with the official org document, which lists ComLSTFlot16 as Capt. R. C. Webb, Jr. - rank inflated in the retelling; the flotilla-flagship identification itself is corroborated by that document. 'LCFF' applied retroactively (she commissioned as LCI(L)). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-03
-
[4]NARA catalog: NAID 120260333 'LCI(L) 783 - Muster Rolls' and NAID 120260352 'LC(FF) 783 - Muster Rolls' - RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), series 'Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities'; digitized under the NARA-Ancestry partnership (scans from 1 August 1944 roll onward), National Archives at College Park [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/120260333 and /id/120260352 (both verified live, HTTP 200)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds digitized ship-specific crew records for this hull under BOTH designations: muster rolls exist for 'LCI(L) 783' (first roll dated 1 August 1944 - the day after commissioning) and separately for 'LC(FF) 783'. These are the primary-source crew rosters establishing who served aboard this specific hull across its service life.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944 forward
- Population
- All hands aboard LCI(L)-783 / LC(FF)-783, Aug 1944 through end of rolls
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: rolls were not read frame-by-frame this session; muster rolls document personnel aboard, not materials or conditions - no asbestos content. Digitized coverage span not fully enumerated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-04
-
[5]NARA catalog OCR text-matches for this hull in RG 38 WWII War Diaries: COM LST FLOT 16 war diaries (3/1-31/45 NAID 139975653, 6/1-30/45 NAID 101709193, 7/1-31/45 NAID 101766134, 10/1-31/45 NAID 77537097, 11/1-30/45 NAID 140083773); COM LST GR 91 (11/45 NAID 140083842); COM 11 war diaries (9-10/44 NAID 78670788, 11/44 NAID 78716481, 12/44 NAID 139812174); COM 12 war diaries (NAID 633450462, 633423100 4/45); USS BRIAREUS war diary 8/1-31/45 (NAID 77500379) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov records search 'LC(FF) 783' and 'LCI(L)-783' - RG 38 file-unit hits listed in citation_value
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Catalog search returns file units whose OCR'd text mentions this hull - notably the Commander LST Flotilla Sixteen war diaries across March-October 1945, consistent with LC(FF)-783's documented service as that flotilla's flagship at Okinawa, and mentions in COM 11/COM 12 diaries spanning late 1944 through April 1945.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LST Flotilla 16 staff and LC(FF)-783 crew (1945)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: diary contents were not read; an OCR text match establishes the hull's name appears, not what role or event is described. No asbestos content expected - war diaries record operations, not materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-05
-
[6]ShipbuildingHistory.com (Tim Colton), 'New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber NJ' yard page - hull build/disposition table; corroborated by uboat.net Allied Warships USS LCI(L)-783 page (shipID 21848) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/emergencysmall/newjersey.htm hull table row 783; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/21848.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- ShipbuildingHistory.com (Tim Colton) New Jersey Shipbuilding build table: 'LCI(L) 783 | US Navy | Landing Craft | Jul-44 | Struck 1951' - corroborates builder and delivery month, and supplies a strike year (1951) NavSource lacks. Yard context: an assembly-line LCI yard on Arthur Kill in Barber (absorbed into Perth Amboy, now Maurer), management taken over by Todd Shipyards in 1942 at the Navy's request, closed after the war. uboat.net Allied Warships independently corroborates: built by New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber NJ; laid down 22 Jun 1944; launched 26 Jul 1944; commissioned 31 Jul 1944; reclassified LC(FF) 20 January 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1951
- Population
- New Jersey Shipbuilding trades (1944)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations (Colton's shipbuilding records; uboat.net's Guethlein database) - consistent with each other and with NavSource on all overlapping facts; neither is a primary registry. 'Struck 1951' is a year only - exact decommission/strike dates remain unverified. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-06
-
[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 life (1944-c.1951).
- 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, re-confirmed 2026-09-30) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-07
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource LCI-351 spec block (all-diesel GM plant, variable-pitch props); HyperWar 'US Navy Landing Ships/Craft' LCI(L) class data; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos era (ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block; HyperWar ships-lc.html LCI(L)-351-class section
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered landing craft built June-July 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard small-craft applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation, diesel exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and deck coverings. As a diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply. LC(FF) conversion added flag-staff accommodation and communications spaces to a standard LCI(L) hull.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1951
- Population
- NJ Shipbuilding trades (1944); crew + embarked staff (1944-c.1951)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or specification sheet located for LCI(L)-783. 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-783-lcil783-08
-
[9]Batch-5513 search ledger (this record): NavSource; NHHC Pacific Fleet org doc; NARA catalog (muster rolls + war-diary matches); shipbuildinghistory; uboat.net; HyperWar; UNT oral history; CourtListener API v4; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or docketed case naming LCI(L)-783 / LC(FF)-783 was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener type=o 'LCI(L)-783' returned 641 results - all reviewed hits are name collisions (LCI International / LCI Holdings telecommunications and unrelated '783' numerics), not vessel litigation; type=r docket search for the hull designations returned zero. The only asbestos-marketing content surfaced attaches to a DIFFERENT hull - USS Gurke (DD-783) - a hull-number collision, excluded.
- 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 - her 1944 build sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos era, and the craft was destroyed in 1951 before modern survey/abatement documentation existed. Deck logs were not located in the digitized NARA catalog (muster rolls were). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-783-lcil783-09