Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[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-555-lsm555-pkt-590-packet-md
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[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-555 - construction, commissioning, theater assignment, decommissioning, reserve-fleet layup, Ecuadorian transfer and disposal; history extract from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14555.htm history extract, specifications block, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 3 March 1945 at the US Navy Yard, Charleston, SC; launched 22 March 1945; commissioned USS LSM-555, 24 September 1945, LT. Edmund R. Murphy USNR in command; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LSM Flotilla Fifteen, LSM Group Forty-Three, LSM Division Eighty-Six; decommissioned 3 May 1946 at Green Cove Springs, FL; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; transferred November 1958 to Ecuador and named Tarqui; assigned pennant numbers from 1963: TD02 then T32 and T52; struck by the Ecuadorian Navy and disposed of in 1987, fate unknown. Awards listed: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal. Specifications: 520 t. light / 743 t. landing / 1,095 t. full; 203'6" ovl; beam 34'6"; 13.2 kts; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; 1 twin 40mm + 4 single 20mm; propulsion 2 x General Motors 16-278A diesels direct drive, 1,440 bhp each @ 720 rpm, twin propellers 2,800 shp. Photographic record: Charleston Navy Yard fitting-out pier 'C' (yard photo 1997-45, pre-commission units LSM-553 through LSM-558); underway circa September 1945; reserve-fleet nest at Green Cove Springs with LSM-538/543/544, 3 March 1946; Ecuadorian service as Tarqui circa 1963.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1987
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction/fitting-out trades (1945); crew (1945-46); Ecuadorian crew (1958-87)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation; its history extract is credited to the Turner Publishing LSM-LSMR volume (1997), itself a secondary compilation - milestones corroborated independently by shipbuildinghistory.com, navypedia, and uboat.net (see ev-02, ev-04). Transfer-year conflict (Nov 1958 vs Nov 1959) and pennant caption variant (TD01 vs TD02) noted in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-01
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[3]ShipbuildingHistory, Charleston Naval Shipyard construction list (also mirrored at shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-navy-bases/charleston/) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Charleston Naval Shipyard ships-built table, LSM rows (LSM-413 through LSM-558 block)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The yard's production list records for this hull: 'LSM 555 - Landing Ship - 520 [tons] - 24-Sep-45 - To Ecuador 1958 as Tarqui (TD-02), disposed of 1987.' Adjacent rows document the same-yard build sequence (LSM-553, -554, -556, -557, -558 with delivery dates 6-Sep through 2-Nov 1945 and their own foreign transfers).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945; 1958; 1987
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1945)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of yard production records; corroborates commission/delivery date, 1958 Ecuador transfer (against uboat.net's 1959 variant), TD-02 pennant, and 1987 disposal. Lists delivery/commissioning date only - the 3 March laydown and 22 March launch rest on NavSource/uboat. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-02
-
[4]NARA Atlanta finding aid: RG 181, Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments - Sixth Naval District, Charleston, SC, Ship Commissioning Files (index of ship files held) [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 181 Sixth Naval District finding aid, box 9, 'Landing Ship, Medium | LSM-555 | 3/22/1945' row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A ship commissioning file for LSM-555 exists in NARA RG 181, Sixth Naval District (Charleston) ship commissioning files, box 9, indexed with the date 3/22/1945 (the launch date; the index column lists file/vessel dates). The file is undigitized - an archival lead for primary construction-era documentation of this hull at Charleston.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Commissioning-era crew and Charleston yard personnel (1945)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the finding aid proves a file exists, not its contents - it may hold commissioning-ceremony papers, correspondence, or yard work documentation, none of it examined. The indexed date (3/22/1945) matches the launch date. Whether the file contains any material/fitting-out specification relevant to asbestos is unknown until pulled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-03
-
[5]Navypedia, 'JAMBELI medium landing ships (1945/1958)' - Ecuadorian Navy page (companion entry Jambeli ex-LSM-539); corroborated by uboat.net Allied Warships ship page for USS LSM 555 [other_primary]
- Locator
- navypedia Ecuador amphibious page, Tarqui (ex-LSM555) table row; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/13102.html data table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ecuadorian-service record for this hull: Tarqui (ex-LSM555), Charleston N Yd built (laid 3/1945, launched 22.3.1945, commissioned 9.1945), transferred 11.1958, pennant T32 (1970- T52), deleted 1987. uboat.net independently records ordered 21 Aug 1944, laid down 3 Mar 1945, launched 22 Mar 1945, commissioned 24 Sep 1945, end service 3 May 1946 - but carries 'Transferred to Equador in November 1959,' a one-year variant on the transfer (see gaps).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1958-1987 (Ecuadorian service); 1944-46 (uboat build/service data)
- Population
- Ecuadorian Navy crew (1958-87)
- Limitations
- Secondary naval-reference compilations; navypedia's 11.1958 agrees with NavSource and shipbuildinghistory on the transfer year; uboat.net is the lone 1959 voice and is treated as a variant, not carried. Navypedia lists '4 General Motors diesels' against NavSource's detailed '2 x GM 16-278A' - NavSource's class-consistent figure carried. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: NavSource LSM-555 specifications (2 x GM 16-278A diesels, direct drive, diesel-drive generators - no steam plant); NavSource/Wikipedia LSM-1 class data; shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product list for Charleston Naval Shipyard (magnesia pipe insulation, asbestos gaskets in pumps and valves, packing, thermal insulation for steam systems, electrical insulation, spray-on insulation for ship interiors, fireproofing in living quarters); GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-08) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14555.htm specifications; shipyards.json product list for charleston-naval-shipyard; LSM-1 class data
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-direct-drive amphibious landing ship built March 1945 at Charleston Navy Yard sits inside that yard's and the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period: thermal insulation around machinery and exhaust uptakes, flange gaskets and valve packing throughout the engineering plant, electrical insulation, insulation board and fireproofing in accommodation and working spaces, and insulation aboard the diesel-driven generator sets. As a diesel ship she carried no boilers or 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
- 1945-1987
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1945); crew (1945-46); Green Cove Springs reserve-fleet maintenance personnel (1946-58); Ecuadorian crew and any reactivation trades (1958-87)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-555. 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-555-05
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[7]Pace v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., No. 14-2416 (4th Cir. Mar. 30, 2016) (unpublished), affirming summary judgment for defendants; appeal from D.S.C. Charleston, No. 2:11-cv-02688-BM [court_record]
- Locator
- 4th Cir. unpublished opinion No. 14-2416, Part I (Pace employment history and yard asbestos narrative, J.A. 1246)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Litigation documenting this hull's builder yard: William L. Pace worked at Charleston Naval Shipyard 1972-1995 (apprentice machinist 1972-75 including Shop 31, then marine machinist out of Shop 38 on pumps and valves). The opinion records that 'in the shipyard, both asbestos-containing and non-asbestos-containing gaskets, insulation, and packing materials were used with the pumps and valves,' describes needle-gun removal of thermal insulation from pumps in Shop 31, and notes unchallenged-on-appeal allegations of exposure aboard ships. The Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for all four appellant defendants - a merits-level negative for that plaintiff, not an exposure finding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1972-1985 (exposure window litigated); 2016 (opinion)
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard trades (1972-1995 evidence window)
- Limitations
- Yard-level litigation record, not a hull record: LSM-555 is not named, and the documented window (1972 to mid-1980s) post-dates this hull's construction (1945) and Charleston presence (1945-46) by decades. Establishes asbestos-materials use at the yard generally, not aboard this hull and not in 1945. Disposition: affirmed summary judgment FOR defendants on insufficient product-identification/causation proof - per litigation-stage discipline this is not affirmative exposure evidence for anyone. Unpublished opinion; not binding precedent.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-06
-
[8]OSHA Inspection 100361849, U.S. Dept of the Navy, Commander Charleston Naval Shipyard Code 106 - complaint-type partial health inspection opened 01/06/1988, SIC 3731 (shipbuilding/repair) [other_primary]
- Locator
- OSHA IMIS inspection detail page, violations table (citations 01001, 01002)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Government record of asbestos-standard enforcement at this hull's builder yard: the 1988 complaint inspection produced two initial 'Other' citations under the asbestos standard 29 CFR 1910.1001 - citation 01001 under provision D07 I (current) and citation 01002 under J02 I (later deleted by amendment); case closed 09/16/1988.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1988
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard establishment (1988)
- Limitations
- Yard-level OSHA enforcement record only: documents asbestos-standard issues at Charleston Naval Shipyard in 1988 - four decades after this hull was built there and three decades after it left U.S. custody. Contains no exposure measurements, no ship-specific reference, and no 1945-era information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (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 construction (1945) and U.S. service era (1945-46 active; 1946-58 reserve).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- 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, standing since 2026-09-14) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-08
-
[10]Batch-6342 search ledger (this record): NavSource; shipbuildinghistory.com; navypedia; uboat.net; NARA RG 181 finding aid; NHHC/DANFS (no entry); NVR (no entry); CourtListener API v4 (exact-phrase opinion and docket searches); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-555-01 through sl-uss-lsm-555-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LSM-555 / LSM 555 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener exact-phrase searches returned zero opinions for 'LSM-555' and 'LSM 555' and zero dockets for 'LSM-555'; an unquoted tokenized query returned 16 non-qualifying name-collision results. A supplementary 'Tarqui asbestos' opinion query could not be completed under fleet request pacing (blocked, not a negative result). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no marketing listicle naming this hull at all.
- 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 - LSM-555 was built at a documented asbestos-era yard and served nearly three decades under a foreign flag whose maintenance records are not in U.S. repositories. The NARA RG 181 commissioning file, any Green Cove Springs preservation records, and Ecuadorian Navy records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-555-09