Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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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-557-lsm557-pkt-590-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-557 - construction, commissioning, assignment, decommissioning, transfer, loss; history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II, Turner Publishing (1997). Build milestones corroborated by uboat.net Allied Warships warship table, which adds order date 21 August 1944 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14557.htm header block, specifications block, and photo captions (Charleston NY photo # 1997-45; NAB Little Creek crew photos)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LSM-1 class Landing Ship Medium; ordered 21 August 1944 (uboat.net warship table); laid down 23 March 1945 at U.S. Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 10 April 1945; commissioned USS LSM-557, 22 October 1945, LTjg. James K. McMahon USNR in command; 'During World War II USS LSM-557 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LSM Flotilla Fourteen, LCDR. W. R. McCaleb; LSM Group Forty-Two; LSM Division Eighty-Four'; decommissioned 21 May 1946 at Green Cove Springs, FL; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; transferred 30 October 1958 to Greece and renamed Merlin (L-166); final disposition 'rammed and sunk, 15 November 1972, by M/V World Hero off the Western Greek coast, with 44 crew members lost.' Spec block: 520 t light / 1,095 t loaded, 203'6", 13.2 kts; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; two GM 16-278A diesels, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each; twin propellers, 2,800 shp. Photo record includes Charleston Navy Yard photo # 1997-45 (fitting-out pier 'C', six pre-commission LSMs including this hull) and USS LSM-557 crew photos at NAB Little Creek, VA.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1972
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1945); crew 1945-46 (5 officers + 54 enlisted spec complement); Hellenic Navy crew 1958-72 (44 lost 15 Nov 1972)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones generally track Navy records and its extract is credited to Turner Publishing's LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Vol. II, but no DANFS entry exists for verification (NHHC page 404). The 'assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater' claim is unverified for a hull commissioned 22 October 1945 (post-surrender) and decommissioned 21 May 1946; no source reviewed documents an actual Pacific deployment, and the photo record places her at NAB Little Creek, VA. Contains no asbestos content. 'Western Greek coast' wording on the loss conflicts with the Hellenic Navy's '3 miles off Piraeus harbour' - see ev-uss-lsm-557-08.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-01
-
[3]Hellenic Navy official website, 'Vehicle Carrier: Merlin, Lieutenant L-166 (1958-1972)' - transfer program, namesake, acceptance, loss (ARCHIVED COPY - the live hellenicnavy.gr page no longer exists under its original URL; the redesigned site does not carry this record) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wayback capture 2009-04-14 of hellenicnavy.gr/merlin58_72_en.asp - specification table and history paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official Hellenic Navy record for this hull's Greek service: 'Former USS LSM 557, VEHICLE CARRIER.' 'One of six ships of the same type (CRYSTALLIDIS, DANIOLOS, GRIGOROPOULOS, MERLIN, ROUSSEN and TOURNAS) transfered in 1958 from the U.S.A. as part of the military assistance program. She was named after and in honour of Lt N. Merlin HN lost on December 10th 1941 during the sinking of British submarine HMS PERSEUS. Was accepted by Lt Cdr Th. Manolopoulos HN in Boston U.S.A. on June 30th 1958. On November 15th 1972 (CO. Lt G. Beyietis HN) she sunk within a few minutes, 3 miles off Piraeus harbour, when she collided with the super tanker (VLCC) WORLD HERO taking down with her, 44 members of her crew.' Greek-era specifications listed: dimensions 59.75/10.5/2.6 m; displacement 743/1,095 tons; propulsion Diesel 3,600 bhp, 2 shafts; speed 13 knots; armament two 40 mm and eight 20 mm guns.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1958-1972
- Population
- Hellenic Navy crew (1958-72); 44 crew lost 15 Nov 1972
- Limitations
- Archived official source (Wayback capture 2009-04-14; the redesigned hellenicnavy.gr does not carry the page - cited as archived). Confirms the transfer program, namesake, loss location (3 nm off Piraeus - Saronic Gulf, not the 'Western Greek coast' of NavSource), and the 44-fatality figure. The 30 June 1958 Boston acceptance date conflicts with NavSource's 30 October 1958 transfer date - plausibly takeover vs formal title transfer; unresolved (see gaps). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-02
-
[4]Era inference built on: NavSource LSM-1-class specification block for this hull (GM 16-278A diesel plant, no steam); shipbuildinghistory.com LSM production table (558 LSMs built by seven yards, 1944-45; LSM-557 row lists Charleston NSY); NHHC 'The Navy's Happy Medium' (LSM design context); shipyard-exposure-map documented asbestos product list for charleston-naval-shipyard; OSHA inspection 100361849 and GAO HRD-80-2 (see ev-04, ev-05) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14557.htm specifications block; shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-navy-small/lsm/ (LSM-557 table row); shipyards.json entry charleston-naval-shipyard
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LSM-1-class landing ship built March-October 1945 at a U.S. Navy yard sits inside the documented asbestos-use era of American naval shipbuilding (GAO HRD-80-2: Navy asbestos insulation use into the early 1970s; builder yard later cited under the OSHA asbestos standard). Era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation on machinery and diesel-exhaust systems, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings. As a diesel ship she carried no steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1972
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1945); USN crew (1945-46); reserve-fleet caretakers (1946-58); Hellenic Navy crew and shipyard workers (1958-72)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-557. 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-557-03
-
[5]OSHA Integrated Management Information System, Inspection 100361849 - U.S. Dept of the Navy, Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106 (opened 01/06/1988, complaint-type health inspection, SIC 3731 shipbuilding/repair) [other_primary]
- Locator
- OSHA IMIS establishment.inspection_detail?id=100361849 - Inspection Detail, Violations table
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Government documentation of asbestos-regulated work at this hull's builder: OSHA inspection 100361849 at the Charleston Naval Shipyard cited two violations under the asbestos standard 29 CFR 1910.1001 - citation 01001 (standard 1910.1001 D07 I, 'Other' type, issued 03/10/1988, abatement due 04/25/1988) and citation 01002 (1910.1001 J02 I, later deleted by amendment; note field: 'Citation has been deleted'). Case closed 09/16/1988. Confirms asbestos-containing material was handled under federal regulation at the yard that constructed this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1988
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard trades (1988 inspection era)
- Limitations
- Yard-level regulatory record, not a hull record: the 1988 inspection postdates this ship's 1945 construction by 43 years and does not name LSM-557 or any vessel; it documents that the shipyard's workforce worked with regulated asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, or quantity. The shipyards.json internal record for this yard misstates the citation number/close date - the live OSHA page shows citation 01001 (D07 I) standing and case closed 09/16/1988.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-04
-
[6]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (published 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 use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities' at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; the Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only damaged insulation or insulation removed for necessary repairs, modified in 1979 to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas. Program-level documentation that asbestos insulation was standard aboard Navy ships of this hull's construction era and that removal was selective even in 1975-79.
- 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. Fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - not Charleston. Full text not extracted this session; content via GAO product-page description (verified live 2026-10-02).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-05
-
[7]NARA catalog full-text search 'LSM-557' - 36 file-unit results mentioning this hull across RG 24 (logbooks/muster rolls) and RG 38 (WWII war diaries) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search 'LSM-557', results 1-20 of 36 (file units listed); e.g., NAID 77574770, NAID 140086106, NAID 214044279, NAID 217561048
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holdings mentioning this hull (full-text catalog hits, file units not individually reviewed): Fleet Administrative Office, Charleston war diaries for October 1945 (NAID 77574770) and November 1945 (NAID 140086106) - her commissioning window at the Charleston Navy Yard; COM 5 and COM 6 war diaries, October 1945-February 1946; and 1958 deck logs of U.S. vessels that reference LSM-557 during the Greek-transfer workup - Accokeek (ATA-181) February 1958, Catawba (ATA-210) February 1958, Blandy (DD-943) July 1958, Antietam (CVS-36) July 1958, Hermitage (LSD-34) August 1958, Nespelen (AOG-55) August and September 1958, Noxubee (AOG-56) September 1958. These are archival leads for her commissioning-period activity and 1958 transfer preparation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1946; 1958
- Population
- Crew and Charleston district activities (Oct-Nov 1945); U.S. vessels/crews in transfer workup (1958)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the catalog matches on full text, so LSM-557 appears inside other activities' records - no dedicated LSM-557 file unit (deck log or muster roll) was surfaced in the first page of results. Contents not reviewed; nothing establishes asbestos content or work performed. A dedicated deck-log series entry for this hull was not located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-06
-
[8]Batch-6344 search ledger (this record): NavSource/Turner extract; Hellenic Navy official page (archived); NARA catalog; OSHA IMIS; EPA Superfund profile; GAO product page; uboat.net; shipbuildinghistory; navypedia; CourtListener API v4 (opinions and dockets); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-557-01 through sl-uss-lsm-557-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or court record naming LSM-557 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated API v4 queries returned zero opinions and zero RECAP dockets for 'LSM-557'; a broadened variant ('Merlin' 'L-166' OR 'LSM 557') surfaced only unrelated name collisions (parties named Merlin) - classified as no qualifying result, not a blocked search. A secondary web sweep for 'LSM-557' + asbestos/mesothelioma/lawsuit surfaced no qualifying case.
- 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 - the hull was lost by collision in 1972 and no material survey of the wreck was located. CourtListener zero-results cover the exact hull string; the ship had no other U.S. name (numbered craft). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-07
-
[9]Location cross-check: Hellenic Navy official page ('3 miles off Piraeus harbour') and navypedia Grigoropoulos-class list ('3nm S of Piraeus') vs NavSource 10/14/14557.htm ('off the Western Greek coast') [other_primary]
- Locator
- hellenicnavy.gr/merlin58_72_en.asp (Wayback 2009-04-14); navypedia.org/ships/greece/gr_ls_grigoropoulos.htm; navsource.net/archives/10/14/14557.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: NavSource's loss description 'off the Western Greek coast' conflicts with the Hellenic Navy's official record - 'she sunk within a few minutes, 3 miles off Piraeus harbour' - corroborated by navypedia ('sunk 15.11.1972 in 3nm S of Piraeus after collision with supertanker World Hero'). Piraeus lies on the Saronic Gulf on the eastern side of the Greek mainland coast, not the western coast; Greek press accounts likewise place the collision south of Piraeus/Paleo Faliro. The Hellenic Navy location is carried in this record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1972-11-15
- Limitations
- Corrects a geographic characterization, not a material fact - date, collision partner, and loss of 44 crew agree across all sources. No asbestos content; the wreck's depth, condition, and any material hazard are undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-557-08