Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 820-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lsm-236-lsm236-pkt-820-packet-md
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[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-236 page (history extract credited to 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces,' Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource USS LSM-236 page, archive 10/14/14236.htm - timeline block, awards ribbons, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Timeline for this hull: laid down 27 March 1944 at Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Pedro, CA; launched 4 July 1944 (alongside LSM-234 per launch-photo caption); commissioned USS LSM-236 on 2 September 1944, LT Robert W. Winsten USNR in command. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater, listed under LSM Flotilla Twelve / LSM Group Thirty-Five / LSM Division Seventy. Navy Occupation Service windows: 2 Sep-4 Oct 1945 and 28 Mar-27 Apr 1952. Decommissioned 15 July 1946 at Astoria OR; Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group. Recommissioned 8 September 1950. One battle star for Korean War service ('Korean Defense, Summer Fall, 2 July to 20 August 1952'). Transferred 15 September 1960 to the Philippines as BRP Batanes (LSM-65). Final disposition: ran aground, total loss June 1971, scrapped 1972. Awards: American Campaign; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign; WWII Victory; Navy Occupation (Asia clasp); National Defense; Korean Service (1 star); UN Service; ROK War Service (retroactive). Call sign NVDL. Photo captions on the same page document: LSM-234 and LSM-236 ready for launching together 4 July 1944 at San Pedro; LSM-236 returning from Guam to Naval Station Treasure Island, San Francisco, February 1946; LSM-236 moored at Coronado Amphibious Base circa 1950-51; departing San Diego 9 February 1955. Specifications (class-level): 520 t. light / 743 t. landing / 1,095 t. full; 203 ft 6 in oa; beam 34 ft 6 in; 13.2 kts; 4,900 mi at 12 kts; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; troop accommodations 2 officers + 46 enlisted; capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks or 6 LVTs or 9 DUKWs; armament one twin bow-mounted 40 mm + four single 20 mm; 10-lb STS splinter shield; propulsion two GM 16-278A reversible diesels with hydraulic clutch, 1,440 bhp each at 720 rpm, direct drive, twin screws, 2,800 shp; generators 2 x 100 kW 450 V AC + 1 x 20 kW 120 V DC.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Population
- Crew and embarked troops, 1944-1946 and 1950-1955; Philippine Navy crew 1960-1972; shipbreakers 1972
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (Turner Publishing extract on NavSource), not a primary record. Does not give a second/final U.S. decommissioning date; 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown.' Korean campaign dates (2 Jul-20 Aug 1952) differ from the NHHC awards manual (4 Jul-17 Aug 1952 under K8) - see gaps. No asbestos content. Philippine pennant rendered 'LSM-65'/'BRP' - anachronistic vs. Philippine Navy source (RPS Batanes, LP-65).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-01
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[3]NHHC, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (official fleet organization transcription, Navy Department Library Online Reading Room) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, LSM Flotilla FIVE / LSM Group 13 / LSM Division 25 section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official U.S. Pacific Fleet organization as of 1 May 1945 lists LSM 236 under LSM Flotilla FIVE (Comdr. W. H. Carpenter), LSM Group 13 (Lt. Cdr. C. L. Weigle), LSM Division 25 - alongside LSM 43, LSM 215, LSM 261, LSM 264 (GF), and LSM 266 - commanded by 'Lt. R. E. Winston (USNR)'.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- LSM Division 25 crews, May 1945
- Limitations
- Point-in-time organizational record (1 May 1945); conflicts with NavSource/Turner's Flotilla Twelve/Group Thirty-Five/Division Seventy listing - likely different dates, unresolved (see gaps). CO surname rendered 'Winston' here vs. 'Winsten' in NavSource - probable transcription variant of the same officer. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-02
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[4]NHHC, Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual (rev. 1953), 'Ships and Other Units Eligible for the Korean Service Medal - Ships L' (official awards-eligibility list) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Ships 'L' list, 'LSM 236' entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Korean Service Medal eligibility list records LSM 236 in the qualifying area 28 June-15 September 1952, 30 July-10 September 1953, and 29 September-21 November 1953, with campaign participation 4 July-17 August 1952 under designation K8 (Korean Defense, Summer-Fall 1952) - consistent with the one battle star NavSource credits to this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1952-1953 (manual rev. 1953)
- Population
- Crew embarked for Korean-area deployments 1952-1953
- Limitations
- Establishes qualifying-area presence and one campaign credit (K8); does not describe the operations performed. NavSource's campaign window (2 Jul-20 Aug 1952) differs from the manual's 4 Jul-17 Aug 1952 - see gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-03
-
[5]NHHC photo catalog 80-G-K-19934: 'USS LSM-236 - Landing a bulldozer at the San Diego Amphibious Base, California. Note crash boats at left, September 1955' (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives collections); NHHC UA 536.04 Rodger Dana Collection also lists LSM-236 imagery (Hong Kong; U.S. troops on ships near Korea) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC 80-G-K-19934 catalog entry; NHHC UA 536.04 collection description (alphabetical donations, 'D')
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- An NHHC-cataloged official photograph places LSM-236 operating at the San Diego Amphibious Base in September 1955 - her last month of U.S. service before the reported 17 October 1955 decommissioning. NHHC's Rodger Dana Collection (accession UA 536.04) holds additional imagery of LSM-236 at Hong Kong and troops aboard ships near Korea.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1950-1955
- Population
- Crew, San Diego Amphibious Base evolution, September 1955
- Limitations
- Photographic records establish location/activity/date only; no asbestos or material-content information. Dana collection item-level cataloging for this hull not individually verified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-04
-
[6]Philippine Navy, Maritime Review: 'Our Amphibious Warfare Vessels: From Combat Service Support to Humanitarian Response (Part 1 of 2)' [other_primary]
- Locator
- Maritime Review article, 'THE LANDING SHIP MEDIUM (LSM)' section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Philippine Navy historical publication records that 'our first LANDING SHIP MEDIUM joined the fleet on 15-September-1960 when the former USS LSM-236 became the first RPS Batanes (LP-65),' and that a second RPS Batanes (ex-RVNS Huong Giang) was acquired after 'LP-65 ran aground in 1970.' This corrects NavSource's rendering 'BRP Batanes (LSM-65)': the period-correct prefix for 1960-1972 Philippine service is RPS, and the pennant per the Philippine source is LP-65.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1960-1972
- Population
- Philippine Navy crew 1960-1972
- Limitations
- Grounding year conflicts: 1970 per this Philippine Navy publication vs. June 1971 per NavSource/Wikipedia - unresolved (see gaps). A service-history publication, not a primary disposition record; transfer mechanism (MAP grant vs. sale) not specified. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-05
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[7]Era inference built on: NavSource LSM-1 class specifications for this hull (2 x GM 16-278A diesels, no steam plant); builder-company litigation documentation (Franklin v. USX Corp., ev-uss-lsm-236-08); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-use documentation (ev-uss-lsm-236-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; shipyards.json 'western-pipe-steel' yard entry (builder)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A U.S. Navy amphibious ship built in 1944 under a wartime contract sits inside the documented Navy asbestos-use era. As a diesel ship she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply. Era-standard asbestos applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were diesel exhaust-manifold and muffler lagging, machinery thermal insulation, flange gaskets, valve and pump packing, electrical and cable insulation, and deck/bulkhead fire insulation in accommodation and machinery spaces.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Population
- WPS construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46, 1950-55); Philippine Navy crew (1960-72); shipbreakers (1972)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-236. 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-lsm-236-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed the Navy's use of asbestos in ships and worker protection at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards: the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s; the 1975 policy removed only damaged or repair-necessitated insulation, modified in 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. The documented Navy-wide asbestos-use window spans this hull's entire U.S. construction (1944) and service era (1944-1960).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1979 (report); policies 1975/1979; use era through early 1970s
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - neither built nor overhauled this vessel. LSM-236 left U.S. custody in 1960, before the policies described. Full-text PDF not retrieved this session - content via the live GAO product-page highlights (verified 2026-10-01).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-07
-
[9]Franklin v. USX Corp., 87 Cal. App. 4th 615, 105 Cal. Rptr. 2d 11 (Cal. Ct. App. 1st Dist. Mar. 2, 2001), No. A091473 [court_record]
- Locator
- 87 Cal. App. 4th 615, opinion facts section (Superior Court of Alameda County No. 8164070)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published Court of Appeal opinion involving this hull's builder: the stipulated trial record established that Western Pipe & Steel's WWII U.S. Maritime Commission shipbuilding contract 'required the use of ship building materials containing asbestos' at its South San Francisco yard, and that workers who did not handle asbestos directly still worked 'in areas where asbestos was present' - exposed to airborne dust during mixing of mud, insulation work, and debris sweeping. Jeannette Franklin, a child during WWII whose parents worked at WPS 1942-1945, developed peritoneal mesothelioma; a jury returned a verdict over $5 million. The Court of Appeal REVERSED solely on successor-liability grounds - USX was not the successor in interest to WPS - leaving the exposure record at the trial stage.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1942-1945 exposure; 2001 opinion
- Population
- WPS shipyard workers 1942-1945 and household contacts (SSF yard)
- Limitations
- Builder-company, era-level documentation - NOT hull evidence. The documented yard is South San Francisco under a Maritime Commission contract; LSM-236 was built at WPS's separate San Pedro yard under Navy contract. Exposure pathway litigated was take-home (household/bystander), not aboard-ship. Appellate reversal was on non-exposure grounds (successor liability); per litigation-stage discipline the underlying exposure record is classified at trial stage. The yard record in shipyards.json (western-pipe-steel) flags the opinion's yard-location specificity.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-08
-
[10]NARA, 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' - digitized deck-log index [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA navy-online index, 'L' / 'LSM' section
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- LSM-236 does not appear on NARA's digitized Navy deck-log index (the index lists LSM-268, LSM-297, LSM-397, LSM-419, LSM-448, LSM-455, LSM-462, LSM-540, and named LSMs such as Kodiak/LSM-161 and Oceanside/LSM-175, but no LSM-236). Her 1944-46 and 1950-55 deck logs, if extant, would be in NARA textual holdings at Archives II, College Park, undigitized; WWII muster rolls are separately held. Also relevant: NARA holds the 80-G-K series photograph (80-G-K-19934) of this hull at San Diego, September 1955.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1955 (records); 2026-10-01 (index check)
- Limitations
- Index coverage checked 2026-10-01; absence from the digitized list does not prove the paper logs do not exist - textual reference at Archives II is the open lead. Deck logs do not normally record materials/asbestos data; value is operational detail.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-09
-
[11]Batch-6036 search ledger (this record): NavSource archive page; NHHC fleet-organization 1 May 1945; NHHC awards manual rev. 1953 (Ships L); NHHC photo catalog 80-G-K-19934 + UA 536.04; NVR (no detail page); DANFS/HyperWar + NHHC ship-history page (404 - no entry exists); NARA digitized deck-log index; Justia Franklin v. USX; Philippine Navy Maritime Review; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; CourtListener type=o/type=r queries (all returned count=0); secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-236-01 through sl-uss-lsm-236-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LSM-236 (LSM-236) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only 'asbestos aboard' material located is law-firm marketing listicle content asserting asbestos for WWII hulls without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- 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 - era-consistent inference supports likelihood of asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-236-10