Evidence
6 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-6).
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[1]NavSource Online, Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-20, including National Archives photo references and a history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II (Turner Publishing Co., 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Hull-history bullets and campaign/disposition lines
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The USS LSM-20 hull history records that LSM-20 was laid down 24 April 1944 at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas; launched 14 May 1944; commissioned 17 June 1944; participated in the Leyte operation from 13 October to 29 November 1944; was sunk in Surigao Strait on 5 December 1944 after a Japanese kamikaze strike; and was struck from the Naval Register 20 January 1945.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding workforce; ship's company
- Limitations
- The live page is a specialist historical compilation, not an NHHC or NARA narrative. It provides no asbestos, insulation, hazmat, or condition information and does not establish exposure, causation, or the location of the wreck.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-01
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[2]NavSource Online, Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-20 specification block [other_primary]
- Locator
- Specifications and propulsion sections
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The LSM-20 page's class specification lists two Fairbanks-Morse 38D81/8X10 diesel engines, direct drive, 1,440 bhp each, twin propellers, and 2,800 shp; it lists a complement of 5 officers and 54 enlisted. The same source does not document a boiler or turbine plant.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- World War II
- Population
- LSM-1-class ship's companies
- Limitations
- This is an LSM-1-class specification block on a hull page, not a ship-specific machinery survey. It does not identify insulation, asbestos content, product identity, quantity, or condition aboard LSM-20.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-02
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[3]National Archives Catalog, NAID 139857749 [other_primary]
- Locator
- National Archives Catalog item NAID 139857749
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- National Archives Catalog item NAID 139857749 is a live catalog lead associated with the 5 December 1944 Surigao Strait action. Its underlying digitized material was not extracted in this session and has not been treated as an examined LSM-20 record.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-12-05
- Limitations
- The catalog landing page was live but its JavaScript interface did not yield the item text in this session. The underlying material is not a ship-specific asbestos or material record for LSM-20 until examined directly.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-03
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[4]Jacqueline Karnell Corn and Jennifer Starr, Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding, American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987), PMID 3555021; DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311 [other_primary]
- Locator
- PubMed abstract and bibliographic record, PMID 3555021
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A peer-reviewed historical study documents extensive asbestos use as fireproofing and insulation in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II. For diesel-powered LSM-20, this supplies class/era context only: possible applications include machinery insulation, exhaust lagging, pipe insulation, gaskets, packing, electrical insulation, and fireproofing. The study does not name LSM-20 or establish that any listed material was installed aboard it.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- World War II; published 1987
- Population
- World War II U.S. shipbuilding workers and ship crews
- Limitations
- Program/era-level context, not ship-specific evidence. It does not establish product identity, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, causation, or present-day asbestos aboard LSM-20.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-04
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[5]Batch-5996 source review: NavSource USS LSM-20 page; National Archives Catalog NAID 139857749; NHHC/Navy and NVR search checks [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-01 through -05
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos documentation was located in the public sources searched: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material list, or ship-specific asbestos finding was found for USS LSM-20. The located hull history and archival catalog lead contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 2026-10-01
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard. This result does not establish or defeat exposure, causation, or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-05
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[6]CourtListener API v4 helper invocation: exact-name query 'USS LSM-20' and exact hull-number query 'LSM-20', opinion type; fleet-wide pacing wait prevented completion [court_record]
- Locator
- Authenticated helper diagnostics: 'authenticated request: type=o query_len=12'; no JSON response written
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The required authenticated CourtListener v4 exact-name and hull-number opinion searches were initiated through cl-auth-search.py, but the helper remained waiting for the fleet-wide pacing token beyond the session command window and returned no HTTP result. No litigation result is asserted.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 2026-10-01
- Limitations
- This is an access-gap record, not a clean no-result finding. No anonymous request, raw request, v3 API, or retry loop was used. Opinion and docket litigation classification remains unresolved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-20-lsm20-06