Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet 590-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (secondary fallback)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (secondary fallback)
- Evidence ID
- uss-lsm-553-lsm553-pkt-590-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-553 (10/14/14553.htm), history extract from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1997; ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 14553.htm header/history block, specifications block, awards ribbon display, and commanding-officer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive, history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Vol. II, Turner Publishing 1997): LSM-1-class; laid down 12 February 1945 at U.S. Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 3 March 1945; commissioned USS LSM-553, 6 September 1945, LT. Donald H. Blue USNR in command; WWII Asiatic-Pacific Theater assignment - LSM Flotilla Fifteen, LSM Group Forty-Three, LSM Division Eighty-Six; decommissioned 19 April 1946 at Green Cove Springs, FL; laid up Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs; 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown'; transferred 5 September 1958 to the Federal Republic of Germany and named Salamander (L-752); final disposition 'decommissioned, struck by the German Navy and disposed of in February 1969, fate unknown.' Spec block: 520 t light / 743 t landing / 1,095 t full load; 203'6" ovl x 34'6" beam; 13.2 kts; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; armament one twin bow 40mm + four single 20mm; capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVTs, or 9 DUKWs; fuel 1,225 Bbls diesel; endurance 4,900 mi @ 12 kts; 10-lb STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house, conning station. Ribbon display: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal. Commanding officer listed: LT. Donald H. Blue, USNR (6 Sep 1945 - ?).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1969
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1945); USN crew (1945-46); Atlantic Reserve Fleet caretakers (1946-58); Bundesmarine crew (1958-69); unknown disposers post-1969
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track the Turner Publishing extract. The 'LSM Division Eighty-Six' assignment conflicts with the official NHHC 1 May 1945 Pacific Fleet roster, which places LSM 553 in Division 85 (see ev-02 and gaps). Page verified live 2026-10-02 via Firecrawl (HTTP 200, navsource.net - the .org domain is dead). Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-01
-
[3]Naval History and Heritage Command, Navy Department Library Online Reading Room: 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- LSM FLOTILLA FIFTEEN > LSM GROUP FORTY-THREE > LSM DIVISION 85, row 'LSM 553' (Division 86 begins LSM 436-441 immediately below)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NHHC Navy Department Library transcription of 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' lists LSM 553 under LSM Flotilla Fifteen, LSM Group Forty-Three, LSM DIVISION 85 - alongside LSM 399, LSM 400, LSM 413, LSM 554, and LSM 555; the same roster's Division 86 carries LSM 436-441. The 1 May 1945 roster predates her 6 September 1945 commissioning, documenting the hull's planned Pacific Fleet assignment four months before she entered service. This conflicts with the NavSource/Turner 'Division Eighty-Six' line (see gaps).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Organizational roster only: establishes the hull's planned Pacific Fleet unit assignment as of 1 May 1945 (four months pre-commissioning) but documents no operations, location, or service event for this hull, and contains no asbestos or material content. The Div 85 vs Div 86 disagreement with NavSource/Turner is unresolved - the roster is pre-commissioning and may reflect planned rather than final assignment. Page verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-02
-
[4]National Archives at Atlanta, finding aid for RG 181 Ship Commissioning Files - Sixth Naval District at Charleston, South Carolina (NAID 2694599) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Finding-aid box list: box 9, row 'Landing Ship, Medium | LSM-553 | 3/13/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a ship-specific commissioning file for this hull: RG 181 (Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments), 'Ship Commissioning Files, 1942-1945,' Sixth Naval District at Charleston, SC, National Archives Identifier 2694599 - box 9 lists 'Landing Ship, Medium | LSM-553 | 3/13/1945'. The series consists of correspondence, invitations, and instructions relating to the commissioning of naval vessels at the Charleston Navy Yard during World War II. The Charleston file placement independently corroborates Charleston construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the finding aid confirms the file exists (box 9); its contents - correspondence, invitations, instructions - were not surveyed and are described at series level only. The listed date 3/13/1945 precedes the 6 Sep 1945 commissioning by ~6 months (10 days after launch); whether it is a file-open or planned-ceremony date is unclear from the finding aid - it is NOT asserted as the commissioning date. A commissioning file would not normally carry insulation/material specifications. No asbestos content in the finding aid itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-03
-
[5]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-553 (10/14/14553.htm), photo-caption series (Charleston NY photo #1997-45; FRG Second Landing Squadron transfer pamphlet pages 1-2; Bundesmarine photos via Ingo Zeitz, Robert Hurst/Jane's Fighting Ships 1961-62, Curt Janson) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 14553.htm image table - fitting-out pier photo, transfer-ceremony pamphlet scans, Wilhelmshaven photo series
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource-captioned photographic record for this hull: (1) Charleston Navy Yard fitting-out pier 'C' photo (yard photo #1997-45) showing LSM-553 moored second row alongside LSM-554 and LSM-555, with LSM-556/-557/-558 in the front row and USS Tidewater (AD-31) beyond; (2) a two-page 'Schedule of Events' pamphlet for the Transfer and Commissioning Ceremonies of six U.S. Navy ships comprising the Federal Republic of Germany Second Landing Squadron, 5 September 1958 at U.S. Naval Shipyard Charleston, S.C. - USS Thames River LSM(R)-534 to Natter (L-755), USS Smyrna River LSM(R)-532 to Otter (L-754), USS LSM-537 to Krokodil (L-750), USS LSM-491 to Eidechse (L-751), USS LSM-553 to Salamander (L-752), LSM-558 to Viper (L-753); (3) Bundesmarine photographs of Salamander (L-752) at the German Naval Base, Wilhelmshaven, including a 1968 inner-harbor photo and amphibious-exercise beachings.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1968
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard fitting-out trades (1945); 1958 transfer-ceremony and squadron personnel; Bundesmarine crew at Wilhelmshaven (1958-69)
- Limitations
- Photographic/documentary record: the pamphlet is a photographed primary artifact documenting the transfer ceremony date, place, and the six-ship squadron; the Bundesmarine photos document German-service presence at Wilhelmshaven. Photo captions document presence and ceremony, not work performed, material condition, or asbestos content. Captions compiled by NavSource contributors; underlying prints not independently inspected.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-04
-
[6]navypedia.org, 'KROKODIL medium landing ships (1945/1958)' table; de.wikipedia 'Liste der Schiffe der Bundeswehr' Landungsschiffe table (secondary corroboration) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia ger_ls_krokodil.htm table row 'Salamander (ex-LSM553) L752'; de.wikipedia Liste der Schiffe der Bundeswehr, Landungsschiffe, Eidechse-Klasse L752 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary corroboration of German service: navypedia's KROKODIL-class page lists Salamander (ex-LSM553), pennant L752, builder 'Charleston N Yd, USA,' laid 2/1945, launched 3.3.1945, completed 9.1945 and re-commissioned to the Bundesmarine 5.9.1958, 'stricken 2.1969'; the class is described as former USN LSM-1-class hulls commissioned by the Bundesmarine as Type 550. The German Wikipedia 'Liste der Schiffe der Bundeswehr' carries the same mapping under Eidechse-Klasse (Klasse 550): L752 Salamander (ex USS LSM 553), in service 1958-1969. Consistent with NavSource milestones.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1958-1969
- Population
- Bundesmarine crew, Salamander L-752 (1958-1969); German disposal workforce (1969)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations only - no German official (marine.de / Bundesarchiv) unit history page located for Salamander L-752. Corroborates identity continuity, Charleston build, 5 Sep 1958 transfer, and Feb 1969 strike; an English-language secondary list (via kiwix mirror) carries a '1958-1970' service span differing by one year from the 1969 strike. Does not establish what German-side refit or materiel changes were made to this specific hull, and contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block (GM 16-278A diesel plant, this hull); Corn & Starr 1987 WWII-shipbuilding asbestos documentation (ev-07); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era program documentation (ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; synthesis of ev-07 and ev-08 era documentation
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LSM-1-class landing ship built February-September 1945 at Charleston Navy Yard sits inside the documented WWII-era U.S. naval shipbuilding asbestos-use period. Era-standard applications aboard a diesel amphibious hull of this type and period were machinery and exhaust thermal insulation/lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, deck covering, and winch/windlass brake linings in a compact hull volume. As a 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
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1969
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1945); USN crew (1945-46); reserve-fleet caretakers (1946-58); Bundesmarine crew and German refit trades (1958-69); 1969 disposal workforce
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, outfitting specification, or work package located for LSM-553. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution for this hull, no present-day presence claim. German-service modifications (klueser.de/Hansa: electrical-supply conversion and superstructure changes) are undocumented at shipyard-record level.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-06
-
[8]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
- AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- 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 program under which this LSM-1-class hull was produced at a Navy yard in 1945 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in ship construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- 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 or this yard and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. DOI verified live 2026-10-02 (302 redirect to Wiley).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979; publicly 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 the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards), covering 'the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities.' Per the report highlights, the Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed to accomplish necessary repairs, modified in 1979 to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas where repairs would be expected during a ship's next operating cycle - establishing that asbestos insulation was in service aboard Navy ships of this hull's era and remained a managed material into the late 1970s.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1975-1979 policy window
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - not Charleston - so this is era/program context, not a hull or builder-yard finding. Product page verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02; the full-report PDF (gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf) returned HTTP 403 to direct curl - content quoted from the live Highlights text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-08
-
[10]U.S. OSHA establishment inspection detail, Inspection 100361849, U.S. Dept of the Navy / Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106 [other_primary]
- Locator
- OSHA inspection detail page: inspection metadata block and Violation Summary rows 01001 (1910.1001 D07 I, current) and 01002 (1910.1001 J02 I, 'Citation has been deleted')
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- OSHA inspection 100361849 (opened 6 January 1988, complaint-type health inspection, partial scope, SIC 3731 shipbuilding, closed 16 September 1988) at 'Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106' - the yard that built this hull - produced citations under the federal asbestos standard 29 CFR 1910.1001: citation 01001 (item D07 I) remains current; citation 01002 (item J02 I) was deleted by amendment. Columbia Area Office; case closed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1988
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard workforce (1988 inspection window)
- Limitations
- Builder-yard regulatory record only: an asbestos-standard citation at the construction yard 43 years after this hull was built documents that asbestos regulation was live at the facility, not conditions during LSM-553's 1945 construction. The page supplies no sample results, exposure levels, or location detail within the yard, and says nothing about any vessel. Does not establish presence, exposure, or causation for this hull. Verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-09
-
[11]US EPA Envirofacts/FRS facility detail for CHARLESTON NAVAL COMPLEX (registry 110043669214, EPA ID SC0170022560); Navy BRAC Program Management Office, Former Naval Shipyard Charleston page; EPA Superfund profile (Non-NPL, deferred to RCRA) [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA FRS facility detail (registry 110043669214); https://www.bracpmo.navy.mil/BRAC-Bases/Southeast/Former-Naval-Shipyard-Charleston/ (verified live via Firecrawl); https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0404802 (HTTP 200)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The builder yard is a documented closed federal facility: EPA Envirofacts/FRS carries CHARLESTON NAVAL COMPLEX (EPA ID SC0170022560) with RCRA hazardous-waste and compliance records; the Navy BRAC-PMO page documents the 1993 BRAC closure recommendation, operational closure 1 April 1996, and completed phased conveyance of the ~2,900-acre complex under environmental-restoration review; EPA's Superfund profile lists the site as Non-NPL deferred to RCRA. The shipyard where this hull was built in 1945 thus has a post-closure environmental record - a builder-yard context, not a hull finding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1993-2005 (records window); yard operation 1901-1996
- Population
- Charleston Naval Complex workforce and redevelopment occupants (post-1996)
- Limitations
- Builder-yard environmental record only: documents the yard's post-closure regulatory status (RCRA/BRAC), not asbestos aboard any hull built there. No survey ties yard contamination to this vessel. Does not establish presence, exposure, or causation for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-10
-
[12]CourtListener API v4 via /Users/charlesfletcher/devin-prompts/cl-auth-search.py [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger sl-uss-lsm-553-lsm553 rows 10-12 and 19; authenticated exact-name and hull-number queries
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CourtListener searches returned zero results at every level completed: opinion searches for 'USS LSM-553', 'LSM-553', and 'LSM 553' (authenticated API v4, HTTP 200, count 0 each) and docket-level RECAP search for 'LSM-553' (HTTP 200, count 0, document_count 0). No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no 'asbestos aboard' claims for this hull at all - no law-firm listicle content was found to exclude.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- This is a search result, not proof that no unindexed or non-text-linked case exists. Coverage: opinion level for 'USS LSM-553', 'LSM-553', 'LSM 553' and docket level for 'LSM-553' all returned count 0; the 'LSM 553' docket, 'USS LSM 553' (both types), and 'Salamander L-752' queries were pace-blocked at session end (ledger row 19) - status open, not negative. The German name in US courts would be a high-collision query in any event.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-11
-
[13]Batch-6340 search ledger (this record): NavSource (live); NARA RG 181 finding aid; NHHC Pacific Fleet organization document; NHHC DANFS checks; HyperWar DANFS mirror; NVR scope check; MARAD Vessel History; uboat.net; navypedia; de.wikipedia Bundeswehr list; CourtListener opinion and docket searches; GAO product page; OSHA inspection detail; EPA FRS / Navy BRAC / EPA Superfund [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-01 through -19
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, outfitting specification, or verified litigation naming USS LSM-553 / FGS Salamander (L-752) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). NHHC has no DANFS entry for this hull; NVR excludes pre-1987 disposals; MARAD carries no record (direct Navy-to-foreign-navy transfer).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945 Navy-yard-built amphibious hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and German-service refit (1958) plus undocumented 1969 disposal leave material fate unrecorded. Non-digitized Navy, shipyard, reserve-fleet (Green Cove Springs), and Bundesmarine/Bundesarchiv records may contain additional evidence. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-553-lsm553-12