Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, LSM-201 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14201.htm, header block, specifications table, and commanding-officer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online specification/history page for LSM-201: laid down 24 December 1943 at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE; launched 26 February 1944; commissioned 14 April 1944, ENS. Albert J. Buchinsky, USNR, in command. Assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LSM Flotilla Five, LSM Group Fourteen, LSM Division Twenty-Seven. Participated in the Iwo Jima operation, 19 February-16 March 1945; earned one battle star. Decommissioned 16 May 1946 at Norfolk, VA; sold for scrapping 10 November 1946 to Capital Salvage and Sales Co., Edgewater, NJ. Specification block: displacement 520 t (light), 743 t (landing), 1,095 t (fully loaded); length 203'6"; beam 34'6"; max speed 13.2 kt; complement 5 officers, 54 enlisted; armament one twin 40mm bow gun, four single 20mm mounts; propulsion two Fairbanks Morse diesel engines, 2,800 shp combined. Commanding officers listed in sequence: Buchinsky, Thomason, Hugghins, Waugh (April 1944-May 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Dravo Wilmington construction trades (1943-44); LSM-201 crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry, though its entries for this ship track consistently with Pacific Wrecks and the independent oral-history record. Live URL verified loading 2026-10-01. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-01
-
[2]Pacific Wrecks, USS LSM-201 ship page [other_primary]
- Locator
- Pacific Wrecks LSM-201 page, construction/commissioning, wartime service, and disposal sections
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Pacific Wrecks ship-history page corroborates construction and disposal: built by Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, DE; laid down 24 December 1943; launched 26 February 1944; commissioned 14 April 1944 under Ensign Albert J. Buchinsky; assigned LSM Flotilla Five, LSM Group Fourteen, LSM Division Twenty-Seven. Participated in the February 1945 invasion of Iwo Jima; page describes the vessel photographed unloading supplies on the invasion beach alongside naval construction (Seabee) personnel; earned one battle star. Decommissioned at Norfolk 16 May 1946, struck from the Naval Register, and sold for scrap to Capital Salvage and Sales Co., Edgewater, NJ, on 10 November 1946. Page lists differing specification figures: 520 tons empty/1,095 tons fully loaded; dimensions 203'6" x 35'6" x 5'9"; armament "one 5-inch gun, two 40mm guns, three 20mm AA guns, plus rocket ordnance."
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Limitations
- Independent secondary corroboration of NavSource's construction and disposal timeline. Its armament figure (one 5-inch gun, rocket ordnance) conflicts with NavSource's twin-40mm/20mm armament and resembles a generic LSM(R) rocket-conversion fit rather than a standard LSM-1 armament; LSM-201 is not documented elsewhere as an LSM(R) conversion. Beam also differs (35'6" here vs 34'6" on NavSource). Both conflicts carried to the correction row and gaps, not silently resolved. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-02
-
[3]Cross-check of NavSource (ev-01) against Pacific Wrecks (ev-02); no third primary source located to adjudicate [other_primary]
- Locator
- n/a - internal cross-check, this record
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Correction/conflict note: NavSource's specification block (twin 40mm bow mount, four single 20mm mounts; beam 34'6") is adopted as the controlling armament and beam figure for this record, consistent with standard LSM-1 class armament described in secondary class literature. Pacific Wrecks' figures (one 5-inch gun, two 40mm, three 20mm, plus rocket ordnance; beam 35'6") are logged as an unresolved variant - the 5-inch-gun/rocket description is characteristic of the LSM(R) (Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket) conversion subtype, and no source located for this research converts or redesignates LSM-201 as an LSM(R).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Neither source is a Navy primary-source spec sheet (e.g., a ship's data book or NVR, which does not cover this hull - see ev-06); the correction reflects editorial judgment based on class-type consistency, not a resolving primary document. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-03
-
[4]National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation (Fredericksburg, TX), Oral History Interview with John A. Hugghins, 25 January 1999, hosted via The Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) [museum_official]
- Locator
- Portal to Texas History catalog record metapth1608721 (title, interviewee bio, abstract); full audio recording 1 hr 53 min 17 sec, not transcribed for this record
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Oral history interview with John A. Hugghins (recorded 25 January 1999, interviewer Kathy Gue), National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection: Hugghins served as gunnery and supply officer aboard USS LSM-201 for the duration of the war (consistent with his appearance as a listed commanding officer on the NavSource page, ev-01, reflecting a later rotation into command). The interview documents transit through the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor, tank-transport and naval-bombardment-support operations, and states the ship made "over 70 landings" at Iwo Jima before requiring tow-back to Pearl Harbor for repairs following combat damage. Hugghins also recalls the Iwo Jima flag-raising and a fellow Baylor University alumnus, Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lummus, who died in the same battle.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1943-1946 (events); interview recorded 1999
- Population
- LSM-201 officers and crew, 1944-46 (Hugghins specifically, as gunnery/supply officer and later listed CO)
- Limitations
- First-person wartime recollection recorded more than 50 years after the events it describes; the "over 70 landings" figure and combat-damage/tow-back account are the interviewee's personal recollection, not corroborated against an action report or deck log in this research. No asbestos or materials content; makes no exposure claim for Hugghins or any individual. Full audio not reviewed - only the catalog abstract/metadata was extracted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-04
-
[5]Naval Vessel Register, ship-detail page attempted for LSM-201 (NAVSEA, on behalf of CNO); ibiblio.org/hyperwar DANFS LSM mirror (no LSM-201 entry found) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR site template text, 'Definition' footer: pre-1987 disposal-coverage disclaimer; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/LSM/LSM-201.html returns 404
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No Naval Vessel Register entry exists for LSM-201. The NVR ship-detail URL for this hull returns the NVR's standard site template with no ship-specific data fields populated, consistent with NVR's own published scope limitation: "Ships and service craft disposed of prior to 1987 are currently not included." LSM-201 was disposed (sold for scrap) in 1946, decades outside NVR coverage. Likewise, no DANFS (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships) entry was located for this hull on either the official NHHC site or the ibiblio.org/hyperwar DANFS mirror (direct URL guesses 404); DANFS does not appear to carry an individual entry for LSM-201.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 2026-10-01 (search date)
- Limitations
- Confirms absence of NVR and DANFS coverage for this hull due to its 1946 disposal date and small-craft/unnamed-hull status, not any defect in the hull's documentation generally. No asbestos content; this row is identity/registry scope only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-05
-
[6]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, 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) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII, the era and program (emergency amphibious-craft construction, 1943-44) under which this LSM-1 class hull was built at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, this builder, or landing-craft construction specifically, and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-06
-
[7]Ferris, B.J., and Heimann, H., 'Shipyard Health Problems,' Environmental Research 11 (1976), Kresge Center for Environmental Health, Harvard University School of Public Health [other_primary]
- Locator
- CDC Stacks record cdc/184094 (abstract/summary); bibliographic cross-check via TRID record 53779
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Government-archived (CDC/NIOSH Stacks) peer-reviewed study of WWII-era shipyard occupational hazards: documents asbestos exposure studies of welders and pipe coverers conducted toward the end of World War II in shipyards generally, including an earlier-reported 10.7% prevalence of asbestosis among pipe coverers, and concludes that duration of asbestos exposure was of prime importance to disease risk. Era-general documentation, not specific to Dravo Corporation or this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- WWII era documented; article 1976
- Population
- WWII shipyard pipe coverers and welders (class/era context)
- Limitations
- Generic WWII-era shipyard asbestos documentation (pipe coverers and welders); does not name Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, or this hull. Does not establish presence, quantity, or location of asbestos aboard LSM-201. Live CDC Stacks URL verified loading 2026-10-01.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-07
-
[8]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 - standing defect also logged in Batch-01 and Batch-98)
- 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 - a program-level finding spanning this hull's 1944-46 construction and service era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- 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, confirmed again 2026-10-01 - standing cross-batch defect).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-08
-
[9]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block (direct-drive diesel propulsion, no steam plant, ev-01); Corn & Starr 1987 (ev-06); Ferris & Heimann 1976 (ev-07); GAO HRD-80-2 (ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- n/a - synthesis row, this record
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference for this hull: an all-steel, diesel-powered, direct-drive amphibious landing ship built 1943-44 sits inside the documented WWII asbestos-use era for U.S. shipbuilding generally (ev-06, ev-07); era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type were diesel-engine and exhaust-system lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical cable insulation, and hull/deck insulation in crew and machinery spaces. As a direct-drive diesel vessel she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam-propelled vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Dravo Wilmington construction trades (1943-44); LSM-201 crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-201. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-09
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 (via fleet-authenticated helper, cl-auth-search.py): queries 'USS LSM-201' (opinion, unquoted), '"USS LSM-201"' (opinion, exact phrase), '"LSM-201" asbestos' (opinion), '"LSM-201"' (docket/RECAP) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-07 through -10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or qualifying litigation naming USS LSM-201 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener searches (opinion type, exact phrase "USS LSM-201"; "LSM-201" + asbestos; docket/RECAP search on "LSM-201") returned zero qualifying results via the fleet-authenticated helper. A bare, unquoted CourtListener opinion search on 'USS LSM-201' returned two results, both confirmed name collisions unrelated to any vessel (a Texas criminal appeal and a Texas oil-and-gas civil appeal) and excluded.
- Verification
- verified
- 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 - a 1944 WWII-built diesel landing ship is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials having been present during her active service. Hull was scrapped in 1946-47, so no present-day hazmat/survey record is expected to exist. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-10
-
[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) and RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel, deck logs) [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 19 guide page; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html (RG 24 deck-log guidance)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead (not retrieved - no spend authorized): National Archives RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships) holds WWII-era vessel photographs and may hold construction/outfitting specifications for Dravo-built LSM-1 class hulls; RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel) holds ship deck logs, which for an active combatant of this era would be filed by hull name/number and could corroborate the Iwo Jima operation and the oral-history account of combat damage and tow-back repair. Neither record group was searched at box level for this research.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1943-1946 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-201-lsm201-11