Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-393 (10/14/14393) - construction milestones, unit assignments, award periods, commanding officers, specifications, photographs. History extract credited to 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II' (Turner Publishing, 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14393.htm header block, award ribbons, history narrative, specifications block, CO table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LSM-1 class; laid down 9 December 1944 at U.S. Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 29 December 1944; commissioned USS LSM-393 on 12 March 1945, Lt. Oliver H. Stedman USNR in command. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LSM Flotilla Fourteen (Lt. Cdr. W. R. McCaleb), LSM Group Forty-One, LSM Division Eighty-One. Award ribbon bar: China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp; displayed periods: Occupation service 11-27 September 1945, China Service 28 September 1945 - 1 May 1946. Decommissioned 1 May 1946 at Shanghai, China; transferred 1 May 1946 to the Republic of China; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; final disposition, fate unknown. Commanding officers: Lt./Lt. Cdr. Oliver H. Stedman USNR (12 Mar 1945 - Nov 1945); Ens./Lt. (jg) John P. Mahoney USNR (Nov 1945 - 1 May 1946). Photography: US Navy Yard Charleston photo no. 132-46 (10 January 1945) shows LSM-393 among hulls at the yard's fitting-out piers; separate photo shows LSM-393 beached in China, September 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1944-45); crew (Mar 1945 - May 1946)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation sourced here from the Turner Publishing veterans'-history volume, not a primary registry - milestone dates track official sources where independently checked. Contains no asbestos or material content. The medal-period sentence in the reproduced extract names 'USS LSM-389' on this hull's page - a transcription anomaly flagged in ev-09; the ribbon bar and decommission/transfer dates are displayed for LSM-393. Struck date and final fate are explicitly unknown in this source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-01
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[2]NHHC / Navy Department Library, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (transcribed fleet organization document) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, Amphibious Forces Pacific Fleet section, LSM Flotilla Fourteen / Group Forty-One / Division 81 table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Primary Navy documentation of this hull's assignment as of 1 May 1945: 'LSM 393' is listed under Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet (Commander Amphibious Forces, Vice Adm. R. K. Turner), LSM Flotilla Fourteen, LSM Group Forty-One (ComLSMGrp 41: Lt. Cdr. R. McKee, USNR), LSM Division 81, alongside LSM 391, 392, 394, 395, and 396 (FF). Confirms the NavSource flotilla/group/division chain for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- Crew (1 May 1945 muster population)
- Limitations
- Organizational listing only - documents the hull's place in the fleet structure on 1 May 1945, not operations, locations, combat participation, or material content. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-02
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[3]NARA, File Unit 'LSM-393, 3/12/45-5/1/46' (NAID 126650660), Record Group 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel), Series: Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities; Roll No. 3958; 258 images digitized (Ancestry partnership) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/126650660 (258 images; Container: Roll 3958)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship-specific personnel records exist and are digitized: the muster-roll file unit for LSM-393 spans 12 March 1945 - 1 May 1946, exactly her commissioned career (commissioning to decommissioning/transfer). 258 images of periodic muster rolls document the full crew population by name, rate, and date aboard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Population
- All hands, USS LSM-393 (Mar 1945 - May 1946)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: muster rolls document the crew population and its turnover, not materials or conditions aboard - they contain no asbestos, insulation, or work-assignment content. Individual exposure cannot be inferred from presence on a muster roll.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-03
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[4]uboat.net Allied Warships, USS LSM 393 (ship/12992) - ordered 13 April 1944, Charleston Navy Yard, milestones and transfer; corroborated by navypedia.org us_aws_lsm.htm and shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/lsm.htm [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/12992 data table; navypedia.org/ships/usa/us_aws_lsm.htm hull table; shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/lsm.htm hull table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Independent secondary compilations corroborate the milestone record: uboat.net lists LSM 393 built by Charleston Navy Yard, ordered 13 April 1944, laid down 9 December 1944, launched 29 December 1944, commissioned 12 March 1945, end service 1 May 1946, 'Decommissioned on 1 May 1946 and transferred to China.' navypedia lists 'LSM393 | Charleston N Yd | laid down 12/1944 | launched 29.12.1944 | completed 3.1945 | to China 5.1946.' Shipbuilding History's LSM table lists 'LSM 393 | Charleston NSY | 12-Mar-45 | To China 1946.' No source names a Republic of China name, pennant, or disposal.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations agreeing with the NavSource/Turner record; uboat.net's 'ordered 13 Apr 1944' is uncorroborated by a primary source. None documents a post-transfer ROC name or fate - that remains unknown. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-04
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[5]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications (2 x GM 16-278A diesels, direct drive, twin screws; no steam plant); Wikipedia LSM-1-class article (558 ships built 1944-45, Fairbanks-Morse or GM Cleveland diesels); shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json documented asbestos product list for charleston-naval-shipyard; GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation (ev-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; Wikipedia 'LSM-1-class landing ship medium' general characteristics; shipyards.json charleston-naval-shipyard product list
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered amphibious transport built December 1944 - March 1945 at a Navy shipyard sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard an LSM-1-class hull of this period were thermal and machinery insulation, engine and exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, fireproofing and deck coverings, and brake linings on winches and handling gear. With a GM diesel direct-drive plant she carried no steam system - 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 (USN career); ROC service era undated
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1944-45); crew (Mar 1945 - May 1946); Republic of China Navy crew and any post-transfer yard trades (1946 onward)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or construction work package located for LSM-393. 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-393-lsm393-05
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[6]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (published Oct 18, 1979; released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure (fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards) covering the use of asbestos in Navy ships, removal costs, and compensation programs; the Navy's 1975 policy removed and replaced with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for necessary repairs, modified in 1979 to add selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This documents the Navy's asbestos-insulation era spanning this hull's construction (1944-45) and U.S. service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1979 (report); program era 1940s-1970s
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full-text PDF not retrieved this session (gao.gov returned HTTP 403 to direct curl; product-page Highlights obtained via Firecrawl).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-06
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[7]shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json entry 'charleston-naval-shipyard' (yard-level asbestos record: OSHA inspection 100361849, 1988 asbestos-standard citation under 29 CFR 1910.1001; jury verdicts Robert Whalen v. John Crane, $70.8M, 2014, and Walter Twidwell v. Aerco International, $40M, 2018; documented asbestos product list); corroborated by City of North Charleston official naval-base history (WWII civilian employment peak 25,948 in 1943) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyards.json yard_id charleston-naval-shipyard, evidence rows ev-charleston-naval-shipyard-06/-07/-osha-1988-100361849; https://www.northcharleston.org/visitors/attractions_points_of_interest/greater_charleston_naval_base_memorial/naval_base_history.php
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The builder yard is a documented asbestos-exposure yard: Charleston Naval Shipyard carried an asbestos product list (pipe insulation, gaskets, packing, thermal insulation, fireproofing, electrical insulation, brake linings) and later asbestos litigation and OSHA inspection history. LSM-393 was built at this yard during its WWII peak period (civilian employment peaked at 25,948 in 1943, working three shifts). The yard's asbestos environment during this hull's December 1944 - March 1945 construction is documented at yard level.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (this hull's construction window); yard documentation 1988-2018
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1944-45)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation - names the yard, not this hull; the cited verdicts (2014, 2018) and OSHA citation (1988) post-date this hull's construction and document the yard's asbestos environment generally. Does not establish materials installed aboard LSM-393, individual exposure, or quantity. Yard product list and verdicts are dataset-carried with their own citations (OSHA inspection detail URL cited; HarrisMartin/Simmons firm pages cited in the yard record - verdict coverage not independently re-verified this session).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-07
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[8]Batch-6210 search ledger (this record): CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches via cl-auth-search.py - quoted 'LSM-393' type=o (0 hits), quoted 'LSM 393' type=o (0 hits), quoted 'LSM-393' type=r docket search (0 dockets, 0 documents); unquoted 'LSM-393' type=o (13 fuzzy hits, all name collisions - e.g., Texas criminal appeal - none naming the ship) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-02, -03, -04
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation located: CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket indexes contain no document naming this hull (all quoted searches zero; unquoted hits were name collisions on 'LSM'/'393' tokens, not the ship). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case - only law-firm marketing pages asserting asbestos aboard generic LSMs without primary sourcing (asbestos-ships.com, gorilaw.com, mesothelioma.com; 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 docket does not prove no claim was ever filed - PACER/state-court records are not fully indexed by CourtListener, and short-lived numbered amphibious hulls are thinly litigated generally. A name match is not automatically an asbestos case; here no name match exists at all. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-08
-
[9]Source-quality note: NavSource 10/14/14393.htm reproduces the Turner Publishing extract containing the sentence 'Following World War II USS LSM-389 was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods' on the LSM-393 page [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14393.htm history paragraph and awards table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION/CAUTION: the occupation-service sentence on this hull's NavSource page names LSM-389, not LSM-393 - a template/transcription slip in the Turner Publishing extract reproduced verbatim. The award ribbon bar itself is displayed on the LSM-393 page (Occupation 11-27 Sep 1945; China Service extended 28 Sep 1945 - 1 May 1946) and the decommission/transfer dates (1 May 1946, Shanghai, to ROC) are consistent with that service window and corroborated by uboat.net/navypedia ('to China 5.1946'). The medal periods are carried for this hull; the misnamed sentence is flagged, not propagated.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Limitations
- Corrects a circulating transcription anomaly, not a material claim. The medal periods rely on the page's own ribbon display and the Turner extract's date table; no primary award-citation document was located. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-09
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[10]Batch-6210 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS hull and type entries (404); NVR ship detail (no entry - pre-1987 disposition); NARA catalog search (muster-roll hit); NavSource; NHHC Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945; uboat.net/navypedia/shipbuildinghistory corroboration; GAO product page; City of North Charleston naval-base history; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, ship's material schedule, or court record naming USS LSM-393 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). No DANFS entry exists for this hull. The hull served under fourteen months (March 1945 - May 1946), all of it in the Asiatic-Pacific and China occupation theater, and left U.S. custody at Shanghai in May 1946 - predating the Navy's 1975 asbestos-management policy, so no modern survey or abatement record could be expected to exist.
- 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 - construction-era asbestos use at a Navy yard is era-consistent, and the Republic of China service/disposal record is undocumented (hull fate unknown). NARA holds further undigitized leads (RG 19 Bureau of Ships records, RG 24 deck logs, RG 181 Charleston Navy Yard records). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-393-lsm393-10