Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet 574-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS LSM-415 · hull: LSM-415 · designation: LSM · type/class: LSM-1-class landing ship, medium
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lsm-415-lsm415-pkt-574-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'LSM-415' entry - official Naval Historical Center text via HyperWar transcription (ibiblio.org); live NHHC page for this hull returns 404 (see search_ledger sl-01) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- HyperWar DANFS transcription page lsm415.html, full entry (three paragraphs)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for USS LSM-415: built at Dravo Corp.; commissioned 18 November 1944, Lt(j.g.) John P. Toohil, USNR, in command; participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa 1-3 April 1945 as part of TG 51.2 - the Demonstration Group Tractor Flotilla carrying 2nd Division Marines in a feint against the southeast coast; decommissioned 8 August 1946; sold to A.S. Wikstrom, Inc., Skaneateles, N.Y., in January 1959.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1959
- Population
- Commissioning crew (Nov 1944); embarked 2nd Marine Division elements during the 1-3 Apr 1945 demonstration; disposal-era workforce and post-sale owner personnel undocumented
- Limitations
- Transcription mirror of the official DANFS text (live NHHC DANFS page 404s for this hull - standing NHHC link rot also noted in BATCH-01); mirror text is the authoritative DANFS record, not a hull-level archive. Establishes identity, builder, commissioning, the Okinawa feint assignment, decommissioning, and the 1959 sale - it does not give laid-down/launch dates, a strike date, or any materials/asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-01
-
[3]HyperWar (ibiblio.org), 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945: USS LSM-415' - register/statistics card compiled from official registers [other_primary]
- Locator
- Hull page spec block and builder/commissioning line
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' hull page for USS LSM-415 (LSM-class Landing Ship Medium): displacement 900 tons loaded; length 203'6"; beam 34'; draft 6'11" fwd / 3'5" aft landing, 4'5" fwd / 7'11" aft full load; speed 13.3 knots; capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks (150 tons max beaching payload), or 6 LVTs or 9 DUKWs, 54 troops; complement 52; Fairbanks-Morse Diesel or G.M. Cleveland Diesel direct drive, 2,800 hp; 'Built at Dravo Corp., and commissioned 18 November 1944.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1945 register era
- Limitations
- Hull-keyed page carrying class-typical register figures - the dimensional/spec block describes the LSM type, not a surveyed measurement of this hull. Corroborates builder and the DANFS 18 Nov 1944 commissioning date. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, 'USS LSM-415' file 10/14/14415 - history extract stated to be from 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II' (Turner Publishing, 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Chronology block, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, occupation-service table, spec block, CO table, photo captions (launch 27 Oct 1944; nested at Sasebo Nov 1945; beached Wakayama Sep 1945)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive entry for USS LSM-415: laid down 7 September 1944 at Dravo Corporation, Wilmington DE; launched 27 October 1944 (launching photo captioned at the yard); commissioned USS LSM-415, 19 November 1944, LTjg. John P. Toohil USNR in command; wartime assignment LSM Flotilla Five (CDR W. H. Carpenter USN), LSM Group Fifteen (LCDR A. H. Hall USNR), LSM Division Twenty-Nine; Okinawa Gunto operation 1-3 April 1945; Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp) periods 20 Sep-12 Oct 1945 and 22 Oct-10 Dec 1945; decommissioned 8 August 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; one battle star for WWII; sold January 1959 to A. S. Wikstrom Inc., Skaneateles NY, fate unknown. Spec block: two Fairbanks-Morse 38D8-1/8x10 diesels 1,440 bhp each, direct drive, twin propellers, 2,800 shp; 5 officers/54 enlisted; one twin 40mm bow mount, four single 20mm. Commanding-officer table lists Toohil through 4 Nov 1946, then Murtaugh, Crawford, and ENS Mann to 8 Aug 1946 (the Toohil end-date reads past the decommissioning - internally inconsistent, flagged not resolved).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1959
- Population
- Construction workforce, Dravo Corp. Wilmington DE (Sep-Nov 1944); wartime complement ~59; occupation-duty crew Sep-Dec 1945; Pacific Reserve Fleet lay-up workforce 1946
- Limitations
- Secondary compiled archive (Turner Publishing extract), not an official record: corroborated where it overlaps DANFS (builder, commissioning CO surname, Okinawa, decommissioning, Wikstrom sale) and otherwise uncorroborated - laid-down/launch dates, flotilla/group/division assignments, occupation periods, CO sequence and strike 'date unknown' rest on this source alone. Internally inconsistent CO table (Toohil to '4 November 1946' vs 8 Aug 1946 decommissioning) and a commissioning date one day later than DANFS - see correction row ev-05. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-03
-
[5]Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 (Navy Department Library online reading room) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Amphibious forces listing, 'LSM GROUP 26' block, row 'LSM 415 | Lt. J. R. Toohel (USNR)'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC Navy Department Library, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945': LSM 415 is listed under LSM GROUP 26 with commanding officer 'Lt. J. R. Toohel (USNR)' - an official wartime organizational placement of this hull as of 1 May 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- LSM-415 wartime crew as of May 1945
- Limitations
- Official organizational snapshot as of 1 May 1945 only; the group number differs from NavSource's wartime assignment (LSM Group Fifteen) and the CO surname is spelled 'Toohel' vs DANFS/NavSource 'Toohil' - treated as reassignment-over-time and spelling variance, flagged in correction row ev-05. No materials or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-04
-
[6]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS (HyperWar mirror) vs NavSource file 14415 vs NHHC Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945 [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS commissioning line; NavSource chronology + CO table; NHHC org list LSM GROUP 26 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies flagged, not merged: (a) Commissioning date - DANFS records 18 November 1944, NavSource records 19 November 1944; both carried, DANFS treated as controlling. (b) Commanding-officer surname - DANFS 'Lt(j.g.) John P. Toohil', NavSource 'LTjg. John P. Toohil', NHHC fleet list 'Lt. J. R. Toohel (USNR)' - spelling/middle-initial variance unresolved. (c) Wartime unit assignment - NavSource places the ship in LSM Flotilla Five / LSM Group Fifteen / LSM Division Twenty-Nine, while the NHHC 1 May 1945 fleet organization lists her under LSM Group 26; read as reassignment between formation snapshots rather than contradiction, but not verified either way. (d) NavSource CO table runs Toohil to '4 November 1946' - past the documented 8 August 1946 decommissioning; internal inconsistency noted. (e) Complement - HyperWar register 52 vs NavSource 5 officers/54 enlisted; carried separately.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Documents publication-level discrepancies between official and compiled sources; none affects identity, hull number, builder, or the disposal chain. No asbestos content in any cited source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-05
-
[7]Consolidated era/design inference - documented propulsion plant (NavSource spec block; HyperWar class register) and construction chronology (NavSource; DANFS), with era literature (Fleischer et al. 1946, PMID 21016030; Corn & Starr 1987, DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block (propulsion line); DANFS/DANFS-mirror construction and disposal chronology; era-literature citations
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is diesel-powered - two Fairbanks-Morse 38D8-1/8x10 opposed-piston engines (GM Cleveland diesel alternative per the class register), direct drive, twin screws, 2,800 shp - so the boiler/fireroom steam-lagging pathway documented for steam vessels does NOT apply. Asbestos-relevant phases for this hull are: (1) September-November 1944 new construction at Dravo Corp., Wilmington DE, inside the window when insulation, gaskets, packing, and cements in U.S. naval construction were asbestos-standard (Fleischer et al. 1946; Corn & Starr 1987); (2) wartime operation and any maintenance/repair periods, individually undocumented; (3) 1946 decommissioning and Pacific Reserve Fleet lay-up; and (4) the January 1959 sale to A.S. Wikstrom Inc. - an undocumented commercial-disposal path, fate unknown. Period-typical asbestos applications for a small diesel amphibious ship of this design concentrate in: diesel exhaust and muffler lagging; valve and flange gaskets on engine and auxiliary systems; machinery packing; bulkhead and accommodation insulation/fireproofing; electrical cable insulation; deck coverings; winch/windlass brake linings; and paints/cements.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1959+
- Population
- Dravo Corp. Wilmington construction workforce (1944); wartime complement (~52-59) incl. engine-room personnel; any undocumented repair/inactivation workforces; 1959 post-sale handlers (fate unknown)
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, material schedule, work package, or docketed case naming this hull was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. A ~1,000-ton diesel landing ship carried a materially lighter insulation load than steam vessels of the era; whether asbestos materials were installed, removed, or remained at the undocumented 1959 disposal is unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-06
-
[8]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 28(1):9-16 (January 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Article abstract (PubMed 21016030)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- USMC-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations during naval-vessel construction found amosite asbestos to be an important ingredient of the pipe-covering material then used on U.S. Navy vessels - contemporaneous documentation that asbestos-containing insulation was standard in American naval construction of the period in which LSM-415 was built.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1940s; published 1946
- Population
- WWII naval-construction trades (class context)
- Limitations
- Era-level industrial-hygiene literature - documents asbestos use in Navy ship construction generally; does not name this vessel, and the pipe-covering pathway it describes is weakest for a diesel ship with no steam distribution. Does not establish asbestos content, exposure, or causation aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-07
-
[9]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
- historical_record
- 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 emergency-construction program under which this 1944-built LSM-1-class hull was produced - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.
- 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 and does not establish that asbestos was or remained aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-08
-
[10]Christman v. Dravo Corp., 319 Pa. Super. 378, 466 A.2d 209 (1983), CourtListener cluster 1971341 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinion page; opinion recites decedent's work at Dravo Neville Island shipyard (East Yard/outfitting dock) and affirms summary judgment for Dravo
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Builder-level litigation context: Christman v. Dravo Corp., 319 Pa. Super. 378, 466 A.2d 209 (Pa. Super. 1983) - an asbestos-related wrongful-death action by the estate of Jacob F. Christman, a mechanic/welder at Dravo Corporation's Neville Island (Pittsburgh PA) shipyard, against Dravo and Johns-Manville; summary judgment for Dravo affirmed on Longshore Act employer-exclusivity grounds. Documents that the corporate builder was a defendant in shipyard asbestos litigation - at its Neville Island yard, NOT the Wilmington DE yard that built this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- Opinion filed 1983-09-30
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island workforce (context only)
- Limitations
- Builder-corporation context only: the exposure site was Dravo's Neville Island yard (Pittsburgh), a different facility than the Wilmington DE yard that built LSM-415; no nexus to this hull. Disposition classified exactly: a defense summary-judgment affirmed on statutory employer-exclusivity grounds - a merits-outcome on remedy bar, not an exposure finding for any yard or vessel. Establishes nothing about materials aboard LSM-415.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-09
-
[11]Batch-6223 search ledger (this record): DANFS via HyperWar + live NHHC check; NavSource; NHHC Pacific Fleet org list; MARAD ShipHistory public search; NVR; CourtListener API v4 via Firecrawl Alexandria; indexed-web litigation checks; NARA catalog; shipyards.json cross-check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-415-01 through sl-uss-lsm-415-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, preservation record, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS LSM-415 / LSM-415 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener API v4 opinion search (authenticated route via Firecrawl Alexandria provider) returned 0 hits for exact queries "LSM-415" and "LSM 415" - no qualifying asbestos litigation naming the hull; the MARAD Vessel History Database shows no record (consistent with a direct Navy sale to a private buyer, not MARAD custody); the current Naval Vessel Register carries no hull page (stricken pre-online-NVR era); indexed-web checks produced only token collisions (e.g., a concrete-code document 'LSM > 415 N/mm2'). Mesothelioma-marketing ship lists were not found to index this hull (checked for exclusion logging only - banned sources, cited nowhere).
- 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 steel amphibious hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her construction, undocumented repairs, reserve-fleet lay-up, and unknown post-1959 fate are all uncharacterized phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage this session was completed via the API-v4-backed Alexandria route (exact-name and hull-number queries both zero); RECAP docket-level search was not separately run - a residual coverage gap.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-10
-
[12]NARA Catalog (catalog.archives.gov public API), records search 'LSM-415' - war-diary file units naId 633416806, 140013700, 101735918, 83571060, 633456063 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog search 'LSM-415' (75 hits filtered to hull-titled file units); id/633416806, id/140013700, id/101735918, id/83571060, id/633456063
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (catalog-level hits verified this session; contents not reviewed, no retrieval performed): NARA catalog lists WWII War Diary file units for 'USS LSM-415' - April 1945 (naId 633416806), May 1945 (naId 140013700), June 1945 (naId 101735918), July 1945 (naId 83571060) - covering the Okinawa period and immediate postwar; also 'COM LSM GR 15 - War Diary, 1/1-18/46' (naId 633456063), corroborating the LSM Group Fifteen assignment NavSource reports. Further leads not yet checked at box level: NARA RG 24 deck logs for this hull; RG 19 Bureau of Ships contract/construction records for the Dravo Wilmington LSM block (plausible home of hull-level material schedules); and the 1959 disposal-sale file for the A.S. Wikstrom transaction.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944-1946 records
- Limitations
- Catalog-level hits only - file-unit contents not reviewed and no box-level or page-level retrieval performed; whether any NARA holding contains materials or asbestos-relevant information for this hull is unknown. Deck logs (RG 24) and BuShips construction records (RG 19) not yet located in the catalog. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-415-11