Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSSL-9 ex USS LCS(L)(3)-9 - construction, commissioning, unit assignments, campaign, specifications, four-nation transfer chain, photo captions (verified live at navsource.net) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/05/050009.htm - header, milestone block, campaign table, awards ribbon display, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 7 July 1944 at George Lawley & Sons Corp., Neponset, MA; launched 17 August 1944; commissioned USS LCS(L)(3)-9 on 6 September 1944, LT. D. R. Ellis USNR in command. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LCS(L)(3) Flotilla One (CAPT. R. E. Arison USNR), Group One (LCDR W. I. Hunt USNR), Division One; campaign table: Consolidation and Capture of Southern Philippines, 4 February to 23 May 1945; one battle star; ribbon display includes Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and Philippine Liberation Medal. Decommissioned, date unknown; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria, OR - a page photo (Brayton Harris) shows this hull among LCS(L)(3)s in reserve at Astoria, summer 1946. Redesignated LSSL-9, 28 February 1949; reactivated and transferred (loaned) to France 15 August 1950, designated RFS LSSL-3, named RFS Hallebarde (L-9023); returned to US custody 1955; transferred to Japan 7 May 1956, renamed JSD Asagao; transferred to South Vietnam 15 September 1956, renamed RVNS Doan Ngoc Tang (HQ-228); struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; escaped Vietnam in 1975 to the Philippines (photographed at US Naval Station Subic Bay 5 May 1975 carrying refugees, a US National Archives photo via the class association); Philippine custody 1975, renamed RPS La Union (LF-50), used for spare parts; deleted by the Philippine Navy circa 1980s. Spec block: 250 t light / 387 t full; 158 ft o.a.; 23 ft 8 in beam; draft 5 ft 8 in limiting; 14.4 kt trial, 16.5 kt max; 10-lb STS splinter shields; complement 6 officers, 65 enlisted; armament 1x 3"/50 DP bow gun, 2x twin 40mm, 4x 20mm, 4x .50 cal, 10x Mk7 rocket launchers; propulsion 2 quad packs of 4 GM 6051-series-71 diesels per shaft (1,600 bhp), single GM main reduction gears, 2x 60 kW diesel-drive generators, twin variable-pitch propellers.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-c.1980s
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (Jul-Sep 1944); wartime crew, 71 complement (1944-46); French, Japanese, South Vietnamese, Philippine crews (1950-c.1980s)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestones generally track official records (the construction/commission dates here are independently confirmed by the contemporaneous BuShips table, ev-02). Internal defects: the Astoria group-photo caption writes 'LCI(L)(3)-9' for this LCS(L)(3) hull; its French-service designation line 'RFS LSSL-3' is unexplained; its South Vietnam transfer date (15 September 1956) conflicts with ShipbuildingHistory/Naval Marine Archive '1965' (ev-08). No asbestos content. Specifications cite the builder's Instructions for LCS(L)(3) Class and Original Plans plus Baker's Allied Landing Craft of World War II - not independently verified against those sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-01
-
[2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II, NAVSHIPS 250-011 (15 April 1945), printed pp. 218-219 (ShipScribe scan of official publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSHIPS 250-011, printed p. 218 (LCS(L)(3) 1-130 characteristics) and printed p. 219 (per-hull build table, LCS(L)(3) 9 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The contemporaneous Bureau of Ships table lists LCS(L)(3) 9 built by George Lawley & Sons Corp., Neponset, Mass., keel laid 7 Jul 44, launched 17 Aug 44, first commission 6 Sept 44 - matching the NavSource milestones exactly. The class-characteristics table for LCS(L)(3) 1-130 specifies length 158 ft o.a. / 153 ft w.l., extreme beam 23 ft 8 in, full-load displacement 387 t, limiting draft 5 ft 8 in, trial speed 14.4 kt, two General Motors Diesel 6051 series-71 propulsion units at 1,320 shaft horsepower, single GM reduction gears, two propellers, two diesel-drive 60 kW 450 V AC ship's-service generators, 635 bbl diesel oil, and total accommodations of 8 officers and 70 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- George Lawley construction workers (1944); class ship's companies
- Limitations
- This is a primary government type table with a per-hull construction line, not a materials list. It establishes diesel machinery, construction/commission dates, and dimensions but does not identify insulation, asbestos content, equipment-specific materials, or individual exposure. Its 1,320 shp figure differs from NavSource's 1,600 bhp (carried in gaps); its accommodations figure is berthing capacity, not merged with the 6/65 complement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-02
-
[3]Commander Task Group 70.4, Summary report of thirteen missions to supply guerrilla forces on enemy-held islands in the Philippine area (Lt. Albert C. Eldridge, CTG 70.4) - NavSource transcription of the Navy Archives copy (retyped 1987/1996 by J. P. Lucey, MOMIM 1/C, LCI 361) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150361h.htm - report header, summary paragraph, and Missions 1-13 narratives naming LCS 9
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A contemporaneous Navy task-group summary report names LCS 9 as a participating ship alongside LCS 10, LCI(L) 361, LCI(L) 363, and LCI 429 (temporary). It records thirteen 'guerrilla supply' missions through 23 May 1945: over 1,600 tons of arms, ammunition, signal equipment, fuel, medicine, food, and clothing delivered to guerrilla forces at Bohol, Cebu, Negros, Masbate, and Mindanao; approximately 2,700 guerrilla troops transported; repeated shore bombardment of Japanese positions (Talisayan, Dumaguete, Sibulan, San Carlos, Dimasalang, airstrip support at Dumaguete, Mindanao east coast); capture of enemy documents including the Japanese plans for the defense of Mindanao; and no personnel casualties sustained by task-group personnel. This is ship-specific contemporaneous operational documentation for the hull's February-May 1945 campaign - the record behind its one battle star and Philippine awards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-02-03 to 1945-05-23
- Population
- Crew of LCS 9 (71 complement) during combat/support operations Feb-May 1945; embarked guerrilla troops and pilots
- Limitations
- Primary-document transcription hosted on a secondary site; the transcription notes the Archives copy was a 'poor carbon copy ... many of the words are fuzzy.' The report covers operations through 23 May 1945 only - the group's 'Special Mission' Luzon phase (23 May-1 Aug) is described in the association hull history, not this document. Names the hull by number ('LCS 9') without asbestos or material content of any kind.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-03
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[4]NavSource-hosted hull history, 'A Brief History of U.S.S. LCS(L)(3) 9,' provided by the National Association of USS LCS(L) 1-130 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/05/050009h.htm - full narrative text
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The association-provided hull narrative documents: formal commission 6 September 1944 at the George Lawley & Sons yard, South Boston; underway from Boston 9 September 1944 for Solomons, Maryland; two-week shakedown; availability at Lamberts Point, Virginia; sailed with four other amphibious ships for Key West and the Panama Canal; detached at Panama and ordered to the Seventh Amphibious Force; via Galapagos, Bora Bora, Espiritu Santo to the Admiralty Islands, arriving 23 December [1944], joining LCS(L) Group One; convoyed to Leyte late January, arriving 1 February 1945; detached to Task Group 70.4 with LCS 10 and two LCIs; 'Guerilla Supply' missions 4 February-23 May 1945 supplying Filipino guerrillas in the Visayas and on Mindanao, including amphibious landings by guerrillas carried in the LCIs and capture of the Japanese plans for the defense of Mindanao; redesignated 'Special Mission' 23 May-1 August harassing Japanese on the east coast of Luzon; the war ended while the task group was preparing to take Dutch troops up a Borneo river to secure a coaling station.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-09 to 1945-08
- Population
- Crew during shakedown, transit, and Philippine operations 1944-45
- Limitations
- Association/veteran-written narrative hosted on NavSource - ship-specific and detailed but not an official record; dates within are consistent with the primary TG 70.4 report where they overlap (4 Feb-23 May window, Mindanao plans capture). 'South Boston' is loose geography for the Neponset yard confirmed by BuShips. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-04
-
[5]NavSource Online, LCS(L)(3) index (10/05/05idx.htm) and class operational description (10/05/05func.htm, text credited to Robin L. Rielly) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/05/05idx.htm class header paragraph; 10/05/05func.htm operational description
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class-level documentation: 130 LCS(L)(3)s built during WWII; the type was developed by the George Lawley Company, Neponset, MA (which performed the design work on the LCI(L)-derived hull) and produced there and by Albina Engine and Machine Works and Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR. LCS(L)(3)s served only in the Pacific campaign - conceived after Tarawa (20 November 1943) showed the need for close-in fire support past the naval bombardment window; at Okinawa the type also ran radar picket stations against kamikazes and screened anchorages for suicide boats. In 1949 surviving inventory was redesignated Landing Ship Support Large (LSSL); beginning 1952, 53 went to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and others to France, Thailand, and other allies.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1943-1954
- Population
- Class-wide: crews of 130 hulls; construction trades at three yards (Lawley Neponset; Albina and Commercial Iron Works, Portland OR)
- Limitations
- Class-level operational history, not a hull record - documents the type's design origin, tactics, and disposition pattern, not this hull's specific operations (this hull's campaign was Philippine guerrilla supply, not Okinawa picket duty). Rielly is the class historian (Mighty Midgets at War, Hellgate Press 2000) but the NavSource page is a secondary compilation. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-05
-
[6]ShipbuildingHistory.com, George S. Lawley & Sons yard list, Neponset MA - Lawley contract table (contract of 5-Apr-44: LCS(L) 1-25, yard nos. 1606-1630); row yard no. 1614 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Lawley yard table, row yard-no. 1614; corroborating: navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/lcsl.html LCS(L) 9 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Lawley yard list records this hull as yard number 1614, 'LCS(L) 9', delivered 6 September 1944, with the disposition note 'Later LSSL 9, to France 1950 as Hallebarde (L 9023), returned 1955, to Japan 1956 as Asagao, to Vietnam 1965 as Doan Ngoc Tang (HQ 228), to the Philippines 1975 as La Union (LF 50), scrapped in the 1980s.' The yard table independently corroborates the Lawley construction, the commission/delivery date, and the full four-nation transfer chain - France, Japan, South Vietnam, Philippines.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-c.1980s
- Population
- Foreign-navy crews and shipyard/refit trades across four services (1950-c.1980s)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (ShipbuildingHistory.com, T. Colton), consistent with BuShips on dates but not a primary registry. Its 'to Vietnam 1965' conflicts with NavSource's '15 September 1956' - logged in the correction row (ev-08) and gaps; the Naval Marine Archive compilation independently reads 1965. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-06
-
[7]'French Riverine Craft' (Indochina/CEFEO boats study, archived copy via Wayback Machine) - LSSL section naming Hallebarde among the six first-series French-leased LSSLs [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 20081205120723 of members.lycos.co.uk/Indochine/cefeo/boats.html, LSSL section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- An archived study of French riverine craft in Indochina documents that France leased six LSSLs - Arbalete, Arquebuse, Hallebarde, Javeline, Pertuisane, Rapiere - nicknamed 'river cruisers,' the most powerful units on the rivers, normally cooperating with the Dinassauts; first-series boats received minor modifications (two mortars added, armouring of conning and radio rooms and bridge); and that Arquebuse, Javeline, and Framée were turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy while 'the other boats returned to the USN' - consistent with Hallebarde's documented 1955 return to US custody. Its class description (eight Gray Marine 8V-71 diesels, 1,320 hp) aligns with the BuShips figure.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1950-1955
- Population
- French crews of Hallebarde, Indochina 1950-1955
- Limitations
- Archived secondary study (original lycos.co.uk host dead; cited via Wayback capture of 2008-12-05, labeled archived). Enthusiast/historian compilation, not an official record; it does not tie Hallebarde to a hull number directly - the L-9023 linkage to LSSL-9 comes from NavSource and ShipbuildingHistory. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-07
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) - product page verified live via Firecrawl (direct curl returns 403; full text previously retrieved via https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2, letter report + Navy enclosures I-II (insulation-applications narrative; asbestos-free spec history; per-class insulation table)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented Navy-wide asbestos use: per the Navy's own enclosure, 'all ships contain some asbestos in such components as clutches and electric cables,' thermal insulation was 'the Navy's major use of asbestos aboard ships,' and 'there are so many common uses of asbestos that it is nearly impossible to build a Navy ship free of the mineral' - applications enumerated include thermal insulation, gaskets, pipe hanger liners, brake/clutch linings, and electric cables. Asbestos-free thermal-insulation specifications were not adopted until 1973, and ships continued to be delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978 - this hull's entire 1944 construction and 1944-46 Navy service fall inside the documented asbestos era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1979 (report); covers construction era through May 1978
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; shipboard populations Navy-wide
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. The report's fieldwork and insulation-weight tables cover 1970s fleet classes (DD-963, CGN, SSN, AOR, AGOR, YTB, YON) - it does not describe a 1944 amphibious craft specifically, though the qualitative statement about the breadth of shipboard asbestos applications spans the era. No hull named.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-08
-
[9]Era inference built on: BuShips Ships' Data Vol. II NAVSHIPS 250-011 (two GM Diesel 6051 series-71 units, 1,320 shp, twin screws, diesel-drive generators - primary confirmation of all-diesel plant); NavSource specifications block; NavSource class operational description; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy enclosure (asbestos in clutches, electric cables, gaskets, pipe hanger liners, thermal insulation; 'nearly impossible to build a Navy ship free of the mineral') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAVSHIPS 250-011 printed p. 218; NavSource 10/05/050009.htm spec block; NavSource 05func.htm; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy enclosure
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 250-ton amphibious gunboat built in 1944 at a Navy-contracted yard sits inside the documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a diesel vessel of this type and period were machinery and engine-exhaust lagging, gaskets and valve packing on fuel/cooling/machinery systems, electrical insulation and cable insulation, brake and clutch linings on deck machinery (winches, windlass), and thermal/acoustic insulation in the compact crew spaces. As a diesel vessel she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of larger warships does not apply, but the confined-hull exposure dynamic (71 crew in a 158-ft vessel) applies with full force.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-c.1980s
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46); reserve-fleet maintenance (Astoria); French/Japanese/South Vietnamese/Philippine crews and refit trades (1950-c.1980s)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LCS(L)(3)-9. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Foreign-service refit/conversion scope (Seattle 1950 and afterward under four navies) is undocumented and could have removed or disturbed original materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-09
-
[10]Designation/disposition cross-check: NavSource 050009.htm milestone text vs ShipbuildingHistory.com Lawley table row 1614 and Naval Marine Archive LCS(L) table; NavSource 050009.htm CO table vs its own commissioning line [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 050009.htm milestone block + CO table + Astoria photo caption; shipbuildinghistory.com Lawley table; navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/lcsl.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CONFLICT RECORD: (1) South Vietnam transfer date - NavSource reads 'Transferred to South Vietnam, 15 September 1956' (four months after the 7 May 1956 Japan transfer), while ShipbuildingHistory's Lawley table and the Naval Marine Archive compilation both read 'to Vietnam 1965.' A ~9-year JMSDF service as JSD Asagao is the more plausible pattern against the class transfer record; unresolved - both dates carried with sources. (2) Commissioning vs CO-table date - NavSource's milestone line and the association history give commission 6 September 1944 (BuShips concurs), but the page's own commanding-officer table lists 'LT. Ellis, D. R., USNR, 16 September 1944 - ?' - ten days later; unresolved. (3) The Astoria group-photo caption writes 'LCI(L)(3)-9' where LCS(L)(3)-9 is meant - caption typo, the hull is the LCS(L)(3). (4) NavSource's French-service designation 'RFS LSSL-3' collides in name with unrelated USS LSSL-3 - carried as a French-side label only.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1975
- Limitations
- Documents source conflicts, not a material claim. Whether the Vietnam transfer was September 1956 or 1965 is unresolved in the located record - JMSDF Asagao service records (JMSDF ship lists/Japanese-language sources) are the open lead. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-10
-
[11]NHHC photograph NH 81528, 'USS LCS(L)(3)-1 ... At George Lawley and Son Corp., Neponset, Massachusetts, 15 June 1944' - James C. Fahey collection, U.S. Naval Institute [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC online image catalog, NH 81528 title/caption fields
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC photograph documents the type under construction at the George Lawley yard, Neponset, on 15 June 1944 - three weeks before this hull (LCS(L)(3)-9) was laid down at the same yard (7 July 1944) and within the first Lawley contract window (hulls 1-25). The photograph corroborates the builder location and the production line this hull passed through.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- June 1944
- Population
- Lawley yard trades, June 1944
- Limitations
- Archival/context lead only: the photographed hull is sister -1, not -9, and the image predates this hull's keel-laying - it documents the yard and the type under construction, not this specific hull. Construction-material content cannot be read from the photo. No asbestos content. No NHHC photograph naming LCS(L)(3)-9/LSSL-9 was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-11
-
[12]Batch-5765 search ledger (this record): NavSource ship/history/class/operations pages; BuShips NAVSHIPS 250-011 via ShipScribe; CTG 70.4 summary report; NHHC DANFS candidate URL (404); NHHC image catalog (no hull-9 photo located; NH 81528 sister-hull lead); NVR (pre-1987 disposal exclusion verified live); ShipbuildingHistory + Naval Marine Archive; archived French riverine-craft study; GAO HRD-80-2; CourtListener API v4 (fleet-limiter status in ledger); secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-01 through -18
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LCS(L)(3)-9, LSSL-9, RFS Hallebarde (L-9023), JSD Asagao, RVNS Doan Ngoc Tang (HQ-228), or RPS La Union (LF-50) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener opinion search for '"LCS(L)(3)-9" OR "LSSL-9"' returned zero results (HTTP 200, count=0); the docket-index and type-level queries were blocked by the fleet pacing limiter at session end (logged honestly in the ledger). Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing content (mesowatch.org George Lawley & Sons yard page; jeffreysglassman.com shipyard page; generic navy-asbestos listicles) asserting asbestos 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. Deck logs (RG 24), builder work packages (Lawley Instructions for LCS(L)(3) Class and Original Plans, cited by NavSource but not located online), Navy transfer/loan records, and French/Japanese/South Vietnamese/Philippine service records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lcs-l-3-9-lcsl39-12