Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]research packet 486-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-961-lcil961-pkt-486-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(G)-961 ex USS LCI(L)-961 (page 10/15/150961) - construction timeline, designations, campaign credit, disposal, specifications; page history attribution: 'USS LCI "Landing Craft Infantry", Vol. II, Turner Publishing Company, 1995' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150961.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LCI-351 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large); laid down 23 February 1944 at Consolidated Steel Corp., Shipbuilding Div., Orange, TX; launched 20 March 1944; commissioned USS LCI(L)-961, 12 April 1944; reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Gunboat) LCI(G)-961 in 1944. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; campaign credit: Western New Guinea operations - Cape Sansapor operation, 21 July and 1 August 1944. Classification reverted to LCI(L)-961, 10 September 1945. Decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; transferred to the Maritime Commission, 3 October 1947; final disposition, fate unknown. Earned one battle star for World War II service; awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1 star), World War II Victory Medal. Specifications: 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 as LCI(L), 5 officers + 65 enlisted as LCI(G); troop capacity 6 officers + 182 enlisted; cargo 75 tons; endurance 4,000 miles at 12 kts loaded; armament as LCI(L): five single 20mm mounts; as LCI(G): two 40mm AA, four 20mm AA, six .50cal MG, ten Mk7 rocket launchers; propulsion: two sets of four GM 6051 series 71 diesel engines, four per shaft, single GM main reduction gears, two diesel-driven 30kW 120V DC generators, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades (Feb-Apr 1944); LCI(L) crew ~28 / LCI(G) crew ~70 (1944-45); embarked troops (up to 188)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation drawing on Turner Publishing's USS LCI Vol. II - its milestone dates generally track official records but are not themselves a primary registry. Decommission and strike dates are explicitly unknown. No asbestos or material content. The Maritime Commission transfer records custody change, not method of disposal - final fate unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-01
-
[3]NHHC photographic catalog, NH 74313 - 'USS LCI-1015, LCI-962, LCI-961, LCI-1017, LCI-1016, LCI-964, LCI-1018, LCI-1060', photographed circa 1945 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC catalog page NH-74313 (title, caption, catalog #); NavSource 10/15/150961.htm photo caption
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC photographic record naming this hull: catalog number NH 74313, black-and-white photograph dated circa 1945, shows eight LCIs nested together; the NHHC caption lists LCI-961 among the craft. Courtesy of Mr. D.M. McPherson, Corte Madera, California, 1971. The same image appears on the NavSource page with a right-to-left hull list identifying the craft as LCI(G)-1060, LCI(G)-1018, LCI(G)-964, LCI(G)-1016, LCI(G)-1017, LCI(G)-961, LCI(L)-982, LCI(G)-1015.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- circa 1945
- Population
- Crews of the eight nested LCIs (circa 1945)
- Limitations
- Photographic presence record only - establishes the hull's physical appearance circa 1945 nested with other LCIs, nothing more. Caption discrepancy: NHHC lists 'LCI-962' where the NavSource transcription of the same photo lists 'LCI(L)-982' (see gaps). Both captions agree LCI-961 is present. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-02
-
[4]NavSource 10/15/150961 photo caption - U.S. Navy Photo 127-9: 'USS LCI(G)-961 unloading troops Cape Sansapor, late July early-August 1944' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150961.htm first image caption; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/22026.html (Globetrotter event, 30 Jul 1944)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous U.S. Navy photograph (127-9) places this hull in her LCI(G) configuration unloading troops at Cape Sansapor in late July-early August 1944 - matching the documented Western New Guinea campaign credit (Cape Sansapor operation, 21 July and 1 August 1944). The Cape Sansapor landings (Operation Globetrotter, 30 July 1944, TF 77 under Rear Adm. Fechteler) are the documented operation for this window.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-07/08
- Population
- LCI(G)-961 crew (~70); embarked troops unloaded at Cape Sansapor
- Limitations
- Photo caption is NavSource's transcription of U.S. Navy photo 127-9; the image itself is not independently archived here. Establishes operational presence at Cape Sansapor, not any working-condition or material fact. uboat.net's '15 June 1944' LCI(G) reclassification date is secondary-only and carried in gaps, not here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-03
-
[5]NHHC H-Gram 086-2, 'Iwo Jima: The Battle of the LCI Gunboats' (January 2025) - LCI(G) type description and armament [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC H-Gram 086-2 (Director's Corner, H-Gram 086)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC description of the LCI(G) gunboat type this hull was converted to: 'LCI gunboats were typically armed with two 40-mm guns, four 20-mm guns, six .50-caliber machine guns, and 10 Mark 7 4.5-inch rocket launchers' - matching the armament NavSource lists for LCI(G)-961 - and were employed as close-in fire-support craft ahead of amphibious landings (documented at Iwo Jima, 17 February 1945, supporting underwater demolition teams under shore fire).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (gunboat employment era)
- Population
- LCI(G) crews, class-wide
- Limitations
- Class/type-level documentation - describes the LCI(G) type and its employment generally; does not name LCI(G)-961, which served in the Southwest Pacific, not at Iwo Jima. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-04
-
[6]GAO, Navy's Efforts to Protect Workers from Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979) - full text extracted via Firecrawl [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2 cover letter and 'Navy's Policy on Use of Asbestos' section (full text via https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf, fetched 2026-09-30)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Navy-wide asbestos documentation spanning this hull's era: per GAO, the Navy advised that 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables,' that thermal insulation 'was the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships,' that product specifications for thermal insulation were not changed to require asbestos-free materials until 1973, and that 'some ships were delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978.' The Navy's elimination policy issued October 1975; GAO's fieldwork reviewed Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1979 (report); describes use era spanning this hull's 1944 construction
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull - LCI(L)-961 predates the review by three decades and is not named. A 158-ft diesel landing craft carried far less thermal insulation than the steam-driven combatants the report centers on; 'clutches and electric cables' is the more representative pathway at this vessel size.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (all-diesel GM plant, no steam system); NavSource LCI index (LCI-351 class context); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (ev-05); build window Feb-Apr 1944 at Consolidated Steel, Orange TX [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; NavSource LCI index 10/15/15idx.htm; GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 419-ton diesel-powered landing craft built Feb-Apr 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era (specs not asbestos-free until 1973). Era-standard applications aboard a craft of this type and period: machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation, and interior deck covering/insulation. As an all-diesel craft she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; the dominant pathway at this vessel size is engine-room/exhaust insulation, gaskets/packing, and electrical components (GAO: 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables').
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Consolidated Steel construction trades (Feb-Apr 1944); crew (1944-45); any Maritime Commission-era handlers (1947+)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LCI(L)-961. 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-961-06
-
[8]CourtListener API v4: opinion index queries 'LCI-961' (54 hits, top 20 reviewed, all collisions) and '"LCI(G)-961"' exact phrase (0 hits); RECAP docket index '"LCI-961" OR "LCI(L)-961" OR "LCI(G)-961"' (0 results, 0 documents) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener API v4 search type=o q='LCI-961', results reviewed 2026-09-30; see search_ledger
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener searches returned no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull: the bare-string opinion query 'LCI-961' returned 54 results, all string collisions - 'LCI' matching correctional-institution abbreviations (London Correctional Institution, Lima Correctional Institution) and unrelated numeric strings, none referencing the vessel, landing craft, or asbestos; the exact-phrase opinion query '"LCI(G)-961"' returned zero results; the RECAP docket index covering all designation variants ('"LCI-961" OR "LCI(L)-961" OR "LCI(G)-961"') returned zero results and zero documents.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Near-complete coverage with one residual gap: three of four planned queries completed (bare-string opinion sweep all collisions; LCI(G) exact-phrase opinion zero; docket index all-variants zero). Only the '"LCI(L)-961"' exact-phrase opinion query could not be completed - the fleet pacing limiter returned repeated stand-downs this session (see search_ledger sl-06). Given the bare-string opinion sweep already returned every opinion containing 'LCI-961' (all collisions) and the docket index covering 'LCI(L)-961' returned zero, the residual gap is narrow; still recorded as open rather than affirmatively negative. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-07
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[9]Batch-5609 search ledger (this record): NavSource hull page and LCI class index; NHHC photo catalog NH 74313 and H-Gram 086-2; NHHC DANFS candidate URLs; NVR ship detail; GAO HRD-80-2 full text; CourtListener opinion index (partial); NARA catalog; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-961-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LCI(L)-961 / LCI(G)-961 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No DANFS entry exists for this hull (all candidate NHHC URLs 404); no NVR entry exists (disposed prior to 1987). CAVEAT: CourtListener coverage is near-complete with one residual gap - bare-string opinion sweep (all collisions), 'LCI(G)-961' exact-phrase opinion (zero hits), and the all-variants RECAP docket sweep (zero results) completed; only the 'LCI(L)-961' exact-phrase opinion query was not reachable this session (fleet pacing throttle). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material found is law-firm marketing content (mesothelioma.net, mesotheliomalawyercenter.org, mesowatch.org, mesolawsuitafterdeath.com, chlwlaw.com) asserting asbestos at Consolidated Steel yards without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- 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 - era inference remains reasonable but unproven for this hull, and the litigation-repository search is a genuine open gap (partial). Deck logs, Consolidated Steel work packages, and Maritime Commission disposal records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-961-08