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-237-lsm237-pkt-820-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-237 - construction, commissioning, campaign credits, occupation service, disposal, specifications (history extract credited to 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces', Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14237.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 31 March 1944 at Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Pedro, CA; launched 30 July 1944; commissioned USS LSM-237, 7 September 1944, LTjg. John L. Poole USNR in command. Asiatic-Pacific Theater service: Palawan Islands landings 28 Feb-1 Mar 1945 and Visayan Island landings 28 Mar-24 Apr 1945 (consolidation and capture of the southern Philippines); Brunei Bay operation, Borneo, 10-14 June 1945. Occupation service in the Far East 23 October-5 December 1945. Decommissioned 2 May 1946; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; sold 15 November 1946 to Ming-Sung Industrial Co., Ltd., China; seized October 1949 by Chinese Communist forces, fate unknown. Earned two battle stars. Spec block: 520 t. light / 743 t. landing / 1,095 t. full; 203'6" x 34'6"; 13.2 kt.; 5 officers + 54 enlisted; one twin 40mm + four 20mm; two GM 16-278A diesels, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each @ 720 rpm, twin propellers, 2,800 shp. CO list: LT John L. Poole USNR (7 Sep 1944-Nov 1945); LTjg Robert Alex Pike USNR (Nov 1945-2 May 1946). Page photo captions document acceptance trials in Los Angeles Harbor circa September 1944, beaching at Palawan Island P.I., and the hull moored pierside aft of USS LCS(L)-118 at Panama in January 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1949
- Population
- Western Pipe & Steel construction trades (Mar-Sep 1944); crew (Sep 1944-May 1946)
- Limitations
- Volunteer secondary compilation citing Turner Publishing's LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Vol II - not a primary registry; its dates track the standard amphibious reference but no DANFS entry exists to cross-check against (no DANFS entry for this hull). Struck date given as unknown. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-01
-
[3]NARA, 'USS LSM-237 - Rep of opers in the assault landings in the Brunei Bay Area, Borneo, 6/10-12/45', NAID 77506015, RG 38 (Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations), series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories', Roll A1888, serial 03-45, dated 15 June 1945; 2 images, unrestricted [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/77506015 file-unit description (micro serial 143211; serial 03-45)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- This hull's own wartime action report survives and is digitized: USS LSM-237's report of operations in the assault landings in the Brunei Bay Area, Borneo, 10-12 June 1945, filed 15 June 1945 (serial 03-45), held in NARA RG 38's WWII War Diaries series. Catalog entry verified live; the report text itself is scanned (2 images) but untranscribed in the catalog.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Crew during the Brunei Bay operation (June 1945)
- Limitations
- Archival artifact verified to exist; content beyond the catalog title/date not extracted (images untranscribed). An action report documents operations, not materials - no asbestos content is expected or asserted. Ship-specific as to the hull's operational record only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-02
-
[4]NARA, 'LSM-237, 9/7/44-5/2/46', NAID 126527989, series 'Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities', Roll No. 3802; 98 images (Ancestry partner digitization) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/126527989 file-unit description (Roll 3802)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The full-period muster rolls for this hull are digitized at NARA: crew rosters spanning her entire commissioned life, 7 September 1944 through 2 May 1946 (98 images). These are the authoritative source for the ship-specific crew population if individual-level verification is ever required.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- All hands, USS LSM-237, Sep 1944-May 1946
- Limitations
- Rosters verify who served aboard and when; they contain no materials or exposure information. Catalog entry verified live; individual images not reviewed this session. Not an asbestos record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-03
-
[5]Australian War Memorial photographs 108954 and 108958 (maker: Donaldson, Robert Eric): 'BRUNEI, NORTH BORNEO, 10 JUNE 1945. A LARGE TRACTOR / MATILDA TANKS OF 2/9 ARMOURED REGIMENT BEING DRIVEN ASHORE THROUGH THE SURF FROM THE LANDING SHIP MEDIUM 237, AT THE NORTH END OF GREEN BEACH DURING THE OBOE 6 OPERATION.' [museum_official]
- Locator
- AWM collection records 108954 and 108958 (accession numbers; public-domain images)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Australian government archive photography places this hull at the north end of Green Beach, Brunei, North Borneo, on 10 June 1945 during Operation OBOE 6, discharging a tractor and Matilda tanks of the 2/9 Armoured Regiment (identified personnel incl. Tpr A. Kenny, Cpl J. Murphy, Tpr S. L. Cockram). Independent primary-source confirmation of the Brunei Bay campaign credit.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-06-10
- Population
- Crew + embarked/handled cargo parties during the Brunei landing (10 June 1945)
- Limitations
- Combat-operations photography; documents presence and activity, not materials. No asbestos content. Second photo at https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/108958 verified live same date.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-04
-
[6]uboat.net Allied Warships, USS LSM 237 (ship 12836) - ordered 6 Oct 1943, milestones, and participation entries transcribed from official action reports (COMTASKGR 74.3 / 78.2 Cebu City 24-28 Mar 1945; COMTASKGR 78.1 Brunei Bay 7-17 Jun 1945) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/12836 'Notable events' entries for 24 Mar 1945 (Cebu, TU 78.2.4) and 10 Jun 1945 (OBOE VI)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Operational detail from action-report transcriptions: LSM-237 (Lt. J. L. Poole, USNR) is listed in the LSM unit, Task Unit 78.2.4, of the Cebu City Attack Force for the 24-26 March 1945 landings (Operation Victor II) - LSMs were held off the beach initially by a submerged log-boom obstruction, then beached three at a time and unloaded through the day. Also carried in the Brunei Bay operation record (10 June 1945, OBOE VI). 'Ordered 6 Oct 1943' aligns with the shipbuildinghistory contract-block date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Crew during Cebu and Brunei operations (Mar-Jun 1945)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation transcribing official action reports - the underlying COMTASKGR reports are primary but were not independently fetched; hull-level participation additionally corroborated for Brunei by AWM photography (ev-04) and the ship's own action report at NARA (ev-02). uboat.net misplaces the builder at 'San Francisco' (see ev-09). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (2 x GM 16-278A diesels, direct drive, twin screws; diesel ship's-service generators); shipbuildinghistory.com Western Pipe & Steel yard table (hull 192, San Pedro); shipyard-exposure-map documented product list for western-pipe-steel; Franklin v. USX Corp. contract finding (ev-07); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-era documentation (ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/westernpipe.htm; Franklin v. USX Corp. (87 Cal. App. 4th 615); GAO HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel landing ship built March-September 1944 at a yard whose parent company's WWII shipbuilding contract is court-documented as requiring asbestos-containing materials sits inside the documented asbestos-use era for U.S. amphibious construction. Era-standard applications aboard a diesel LSM of this period: diesel-exhaust and machinery lagging, gaskets, valve packing, thermal insulation of hull spaces, and electrical insulation. She carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Western Pipe & Steel San Pedro construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-237. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-06
-
[8]Franklin v. USX Corp., 87 Cal. App. 4th 615, 105 Cal. Rptr. 2d 11 (2001) - published California appellate opinion concerning the Western Pipe & Steel shipyard [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion text, 87 Cal. App. 4th at 619 (contract required asbestos materials), at 625 (Navy contract / successor-liability holding), fn. 2 (exposure evidence not detailed on appeal)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published appellate record documents asbestos in this hull's builder's WWII shipbuilding program: WPS's U.S. Maritime Commission contract 'required the use of ship building materials containing asbestos'; workers at the yard were exposed to airborne dust during insulation work and cleanup. A jury found for plaintiffs (verdict in excess of $5 million) on take-home exposure to a worker's child (peritoneal mesothelioma); the Court of Appeal reversed on successor-liability grounds (express assumption not supported by the assumed Navy contract) and did not reach the exposure merits.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (exposure window in opinion); 2001 (decision)
- Population
- WPS shipyard workers and household contacts (WWII, as litigated: South San Francisco yard)
- Limitations
- Builder-level, not hull-specific: the opinion documents the South San Francisco yard; this hull was built at the company's separate San Pedro yard. Establishes that asbestos-containing materials were contract-required in WPS WWII shipbuilding, not that this hull carried them. Disposition described exactly: trial verdict for plaintiffs, reversed on appeal on a non-exposure (successor-liability) ground; the exposure record stands at the trial stage.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 Highlights (full report PDF blocked, HTTP 403, 2026-10-01)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's extensive use of asbestos insulation aboard ships and that substitution of alternative insulation materials did not begin until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1944) and service era (1944-46).
- 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. Fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov asset fetch returned HTTP 403 this session) - content via the product-page Highlights description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-08
-
[10]Batch-6037 search ledger (this record): NavSource; NARA catalog (action report + muster rolls); Australian War Memorial; uboat.net action-report transcriptions; shipbuildinghistory yard table; Justia appellate opinion; GAO product page; NHHC DANFS index and casualty list; CourtListener (partially run); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-237-01 through -15
- 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-237 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener '"LSM-237" asbestos' (opinions), '"LSM-237"' (opinions), and '"LSM-237"' (dockets/RECAP) all verified zero results; tokenization variants ('LSM 237', 'USS LSM-237') were blocked by fleet pacing mid-session - the canonical hull string is a verified negative on both indexes, residual variants logged as open. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only generic law-firm Navy-veteran marketing pages - excluded by source policy. No post-sale fate record exists (seized by PRC forces 1949), foreclosing modern survey/abatement documentation.
- 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. The CourtListener hull-string negative is verified on both opinion and docket indexes; only spaced/prefixed tokenization variants remain open (blocked by fleet pacing). NARA records for this hull are digitized but unreviewed at image level; no work-record (insulation/removal) documentation was located in any searched repository.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-09
-
[11]Builder-location cross-check: NavSource ('Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Pedro, CA'); shipbuildinghistory.com Western Pipe & Steel yard table (yard hull no. 192, 'Ordered 6-Oct-43 ... built in San Pedro', delivery 7-Sep-44, 'Sold to Ming Sung Ind. 1946, seized by PRC 1949'); uboat.net ('Western Pipe & Steel Co. (San Francisco, California)') [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Western Pipe & Steel table, WWII section, hull 192 row; NavSource header; uboat.net ship/12836 header
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: uboat.net lists this hull's builder location as 'San Francisco.' San Pedro is documented: NavSource gives San Pedro, and the shipbuildinghistory.com Western Pipe & Steel table lists yard hull no. 192 built in San Pedro (the company's WWII San Pedro yard in the West Basin, now Berths 125-132). The 'San Francisco' attribution conflates the builder's South San Francisco yard with the San Pedro yard that produced this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Corrects a builder-location variant circulating in secondary sources, not a material claim. shipbuildinghistory.com is itself a secondary compilation (Colton yard tables), though consistent with NavSource here. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-237-lsm237-10