Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-471 - milestone timeline, flotilla assignment, awards, specifications; its stated source is the DANFS extract in 'LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II' (Turner Publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14471.htm header block, awards ribbons, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 27 January 1945 at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston TX; launched 17 February 1945; commissioned USS LSM-471 on 23 March 1945, LT. Richard G. Creadick USNR in command. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LSM Flotilla Fifteen, LSM Group Forty-Four, LSM Division Eighty-Nine. Occupation service in the Far East 28 September - 4 November 1945. Decommissioned 13 May 1946 at Astoria, OR; laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria. Transferred to France 7 May 1954; returned to US Navy custody 15 November 1956 and transferred to Taiwan as ROCS Mei Ping (LSM-353). Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown. Rebuilt by Taiwan 1969/73, redesignated LSM-659 in 1978/79; ROCS Mei-Ping decommissioned 1 June 2005 at Kaohsiung Harbour; final disposition unknown. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Liberation Medal.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-2005
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (Jan-Mar 1945); crew (1945-46); Pacific Reserve Fleet caretakers (1946-54); French Navy crew (1954-56); ROC Navy crew (1956-2005)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; its timeline is sourced from the Turner-published DANFS extract for numbered LSMs. Contains no asbestos content. 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown' leaves the striking date an open gap.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-01
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[2]NavSource photographic record for USS LSM-471 - commissioning ceremony photos (Brown Shipbuilding, 23 Mar 1945, officers named incl. BuShips representative CDR. McMasters), commissioning crew list image, and wartime/postwar photography; US Navy photo NH 83279 (US Naval Historical Center collections) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14471.htm photo captions (images 101447102-101447129)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Contemporaneous photographs and a commissioning crew-list document for this hull: officers at the 23 March 1945 Brown Shipbuilding commissioning (LT. Creadick and named wardroom); the commissioning crew list; under way in a convoy approaching Guam, July 1945; beached at Leyte Island, Philippines, September 1945 (alongside USS LSM-10 and USS LCI(L)-797); leaving Manila Bay near Corregidor en route to Japan circa 24 September 1945; beached at Yokohama, October 1945; beached at Sendai, Japan, 1945; under way in San Francisco Bay 1945-46 (US Navy photo NH 83279, US Naval Historical Center collections); conning tower with painted nickname 'Can Do Maru'; moored decommissioned at the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Swan Island, Portland OR, with USS LSM-473 and minesweepers USS Compel (AM-162) and USS Concise (AM-163).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Population
- Commissioning crew (59-man spec complement); occupation-duty crew Philippines/Japan Sep-Nov 1945
- Limitations
- Photo captions document presence and crew artifacts, not work records or materials. One caption dates the decommissioned Swan Island mooring '3 February 1946' - earlier than the 13 May 1946 decommissioning; either the caption status or the date is wrong (see gaps). NH 83279 resides in NHHC collections but is not publicly cataloged online; accessed via NavSource reproduction. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-02
-
[3]NARA still-picture items NAID 6493295-6493300 - US Navy aerial photographs (DN-SN-96 series): 'Aerial [aspect] view of the Taiwanese medium landing ship MEI PENG (LSM-353) underway. The ship is the former U.S. Navy LSM-1 class LSM-471' [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov NAIDs 6493295, 6493296, 6493297, 6493298, 6493299, 6493300 (item level)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The National Archives holds six US Navy aerial photographs of the ex-LSM-471 in Republic of China Navy service as Mei Peng (LSM-353), each cataloged with the title explicitly identifying her as 'the former U.S. Navy LSM-1 class LSM-471.' Shot underway in the South China Sea on 15 June 1994 (NAID 6493300 group; mirror cataloging gives 15/06/1994, 15 deg N 115 deg E). Documents the hull's continued operation nearly five decades after construction and confirms the US->France->Taiwan identity chain in a government catalog.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1994-06-15 (photography); hull then in 38th year of ROCN service
- Population
- ROCN crew (Taiwan service, through 2005)
- Limitations
- Photographs establish the hull's existence and configuration in ROCN service in 1994 - they are not material or survey records and carry no asbestos content. NARA catalog API responses were intermittent this session; titles and NAIDs verified via catalog search results, photo date/location via the NARA-licensed getarchive mirror.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-03
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[4]Office of Naval Intelligence, ONI-226 'Allied Landing Craft and Ships' (1944) - official US Navy design recognition manual, LSM section (HyperWar/ibiblio scan); corroborated by USN 'Transport Doctrine' amphibious-vessels chapter and data table (HyperWar) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI-226 PDF pp. 'LSM - Landing Ship, Medium' plates; Transport Doctrine para. 206 and characteristics table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official WWII Navy documentation for the LSM type: 'a new design, derived from a combination of the LST and LCT(6), and formerly designated LCT(7)' - an oceangoing tank landing ship designed to operate with LCI(L)s. Design figures: 203'6" o.a., 34' beam; 513 t light / 741 t landing / 900 t seagoing full load; 13.3 kts designed; propulsion 'Fairbanks-Morse Diesel or General Motors Cleveland Diesel direct drive 2,800 hp @ 720 rpm'; armament six 20mm mounts; design crew 4 officers, 48 men. Transport Doctrine adds that the type 'combines the features of most of the other specialized amphibious vessels - the bow gates of the LST, the well-deck of the LCT(6), and the conning tower of the LCI' and lists a later-fit armament of one twin 40mm, four 20mm, seven .50-cal MG.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1944 (publication)
- Population
- Design baseline for all LSM-1-class crews and builders
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - establishes the type's plant (twin diesel direct drive, no steam plant) and design crew; figures differ from NavSource's commissioned-fit values (crew 5/54; one twin 40mm + four 20mm) because ONI-226 is the design baseline. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-04
-
[5]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History magazine (June 2025, vol. 39 no. 3): 'The Brown Shipbuilding Company's Rise During World War II'; corroborated by shipbuildinghistory.com Brown yard table (hull 278 = LSM 471) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- usni.org Naval History June 2025 article; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/brown.htm hull table row 278
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Builder documentation: Brown Shipbuilding was created 1941-42 by George and Herman Brown (Brown & Root subsidiary) at the junction of Greens Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel with $9M in Navy funding; the yard employed 25,000+ at peak and built 12 PCs, 32 LCI(L)s, 61 DEs, and 254 LSMs - 359 vessels in four years, launching sideways into narrow Greens Bayou. The yard's own hull table lists hull 278 = LSM 471 (laid down 27 Jan 1945, launched 17 Feb 1945, delivered/commissioned 23 Mar 1945, 'to France 1954 as L 9052, returned 1956, to Taiwan 1956 as Mei Ping (LSM-353)'). Yard leased to Todd Shipyards 1949 (Todd Houston Division until 1984), then Brown & Root offshore fabrication; sold piecemeal 2004.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1941-1949 (yard wartime operation)
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding workforce (25,000+ peak, 1942-45)
- Limitations
- Confirms builder and build sequence for this hull; neither source documents materials or asbestos practice at the yard. shipbuildinghistory.com lists 'laid up 1947' vs NavSource's 13 May 1946 decommission into reserve - minor discrepancy (see gaps). Yard is absent from the Atlas shipyards.json dataset (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-05
-
[6]Era inference built on: ONI-226 propulsion spec (twin Fairbanks-Morse or GM diesels, direct drive - no steam plant); NavSource spec block (two FM 38D81/8X10 diesels, 1,440 bhp each @ 720 rpm, twin screws; diesel-driven ship's-service generators); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era context (see ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ONI-226 LSM plate; NavSource specifications block; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-driven landing ship medium built January-March 1945 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a diesel amphibious ship of this type and period were engine and diesel-exhaust/muffler lagging, machinery-space thermal insulation, pipe flange gaskets and valve packing, electrical insulation and wiring sleeving, and accommodation-space insulation/joiner materials. As a direct-drive diesel ship she carried no steam plant - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 1945-2005
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1945); USN crew (1945-46); French and ROCN crews; Taiwan rebuild yard workers (1969-73)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-471. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution, and no statement about materials surviving the 1969/73 Taiwan rebuild.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-06
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[7]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)
- 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 - spanning this hull's entire USN construction and service era (1945-46), reserve-fleet layup (1946-54), and transfer period.
- 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, reconfirmed 2026-10-01) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-07
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[8]CourtListener API v4 (authenticated), type=o opinion index, query "LSM-471", 2026-10-01: count 0 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-471-09, -10 (opinions and dockets: 0 hits each, authenticated)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Authenticated CourtListener searches returned zero results on 2026-10-01: "LSM-471" in the full-text opinion index (type=o, count 0), "LSM-471" in the RECAP docket index (type=r, count 0, document_count 0), and "USS LSM-471" in the opinion index (count 0) - no opinion or docketed case in the index names this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-01
- Study period
- 2026-10-01
- Limitations
- Null results in the opinion and docket indexes do not prove no litigation exists - unreported cases, settled matters, state-court filings, and pleading-level naming that never reached an indexed opinion are outside these queries.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-08
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[9]Batch-6285 search ledger (this record): NavSource (live fetch); uboat.net Allied Warships; navypedia France/Taiwan tables; shipbuildinghistory.com Brown yard table; USNI Naval History 2025; NARA catalog (photos + war-diary/deck-log queries); ONI-226 and Transport Doctrine (HyperWar); NHHC DANFS candidate URLs (404); NVR (no entry, pre-1987 disposal); GAO HRD-80-2 (403); CourtListener opinions (0 hits); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-471-01 through -14
- 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-471 (or French L9052, or ROCS Mei Ping LSM-353/LSM-659) was found in the public sources searched. The only 'asbestos aboard' material surfaced is law-firm marketing content for Brown Shipbuilding and generic LSM/ship listicles asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy. CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket indexes both returned zero hits for this hull (see ev-08).
- 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. Undigitized leads: RG 24 deck logs and any LSM-471 war diary (NARA College Park), Columbia River Group Pacific Reserve Fleet records (NAID 190113550 fileUnit exists for the laying-up command), BuShips plans/specs for the Brown LSM block, Taiwan 1969-73 rebuild and 2005 disposal records. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-471-09