USS LSM-63

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]research packet 592-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: **VERIFIED (hull identity) / milestone dates UNVERIFIABLE

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-lsm-63-lsm63-pkt-592-packet-md

2. [2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-63 page - construction, campaigns, awards, specifications, commanding officers, disposition (history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1997; page last updated 19 May 2018; verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/14/14063.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officers table, final disposition line

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: LSM-1-class Landing Ship Medium; laid down 14 July 1944 at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX; launched 5 August 1944; commissioned USS LSM-63, 30 August 1944, Lt. Robert B. Hinze USNR in command; radio call sign NVEV. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater: Luzon operation (Lingayen Gulf landings 9 January 1945); Manila Bay-Bicol operation (Zambales-Subic Bay 29-31 January 1945); consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines (Palawan Islands 28 February 1945; Visayan Islands 18-19 and 26-29 March 1945); Borneo operation (Brunei Bay 10-14 June 1945). Decommissioned 7 May 1946; struck from the Naval Register (date unknown per NavSource); sold 5 November 1947 to Robert P. Miller, McAllen, TX, fate unknown. Earned four battle stars for WWII service; ribbons: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4), WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Liberation Medal (2). Commanding officers: Lt. Robert B. Hinze USNR (30 Aug 1944 - Jan 1946); Lt.(jg) George E. Suber USNR (Jan 1946 - 7 May 1946). Specification block: displacement 520 t light / 743 t landing / 1,095 t full; length 203'6"; beam 34'6"; speed 13.2 kts; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; armament one twin bow-mounted 40mm + four single 20mm; troop accommodations 2 officers + 46 enlisted; endurance 4,900 mi @ 12 kts; propulsion two Fairbanks-Morse 38D81/8X10 diesels direct drive 1,440 bhp each at 720 rpm, twin propellers 2,800 shp.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Population

   Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew - 5 officers + 54 enlisted wartime complement; embarked troops (2 officers + 46 enlisted capacity)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation transcribing official records, not a primary registry; the underlying history extract is the USS LSM/LSMR Association's Turner Publishing volume. Ship-specific history only - the page contains no asbestos or material content. Striking date listed 'unknown' here vs 19 July 1946 at uboat.net (see gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-01

3. [3]uboat.net Allied Warships of WWII, USS LSM 63 (LSM 63) - build/milestone dates, stricken date, and Operation Oboe VI order of battle (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   uboat.net ship/12674 data table, history line, and 'Notable events' Operation Oboe VI composition (Task Units 78.1.14, 78.1.16)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: ordered 15 September 1943; laid down 14 July 1944; launched 5 August 1944; commissioned 30 August 1944; built by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas; decommissioned 7 May 1946; stricken 19 July 1946; sold 5 November 1947. Order-of-battle detail for the Brunei landings (Operation Oboe VI, 10 June 1945): LSM-63 (Lt. R. B. Hinze, USNR) is listed in Task Unit 78.1.14, the LSM Unit under T/Cdr. W. E. Verge, USN (COMLSMFLOT 7), and in Task Unit 78.1.16, the 'Brown' Assault Unit under T/Capt. H. B. Hudson, USN.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Crew (1944-46)

   Limitations

   uboat.net is a specialist secondary database (Allied Warships of WWII series), not a primary registry; its 19 July 1946 stricken date conflicts with NavSource's 'date unknown' - carried here with the conflict flagged, unresolved against a primary Navy list. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-02

4. [4]ShipbuildingHistory (T. Colton, njscuba.net mirror), Brown Shipbuilding yard production table; corroborated by its Landing Ships Medium index (us-navy-small/lsm) - class totals (558 LSMs, seven yards; design originally designated LCT(7)) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-emer-large/brown/ row 168; /us-navy-small/lsm/ header and LSM-63 row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The Brown Shipbuilding yard table lists LSM-63 as yard hull number 168: laid down 14 July 1944, launched 5 August 1944, delivered/commissioned 30 August 1944, sold to Robert P. Miller 1947 - matching NavSource milestones. Class context: 558 Landing Ships Medium were built in WWII by seven shipyards; the basic design was originally designated LCT(7), 203.5 ft length overall, 520 tons light displacement; sixty hulls were completed or converted as LSM(R) rocket ships.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Population

   Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944)

   Limitations

   Secondary shipbuilding-data compilation (Colton's ShipbuildingHistory, now mirrored on njscuba.net) - consistent with NavSource and uboat.net but not itself a primary registry. Yard hull number and totals are production records, not material records. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-03

5. [5]Australian War Memorial collection record 018707 - photograph by Jack Band, 'Labuan Island, Borneo. 26 June 1945. Jeeps plough their way through the water from LSM 63 which conveyed transport vehicles to Labuan Island.' (verified live 2026-10-02) [museum_official]

   Locator

   AWM collection record 018707 (accession no. 018707; maker Jack Band; public domain)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   An official Australian War Memorial catalog record names this hull: photograph 018707, made 26 June 1945, shows LSM 63 unloading jeeps at Labuan Island, Borneo, following the Brunei Bay operation - independent official confirmation of this hull's Borneo service consistent with the NavSource campaign table (Brunei Bay operation, 10-14 June 1945).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1945-06-26

   Population

   Crew and embarked Australian personnel during Brunei Bay follow-up operations

   Limitations

   Photographic presence record only - documents the vessel beached and unloading at Labuan on 26 June 1945, nothing about materials, conditions aboard, or any exposure. The catalog description names 'LSM 63' without the USS prefix (normal AWM caption convention). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-04

6. [6]Australian War Memorial collection record 109864 - 'MOROTAI. 20 JUNE 1945. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT OF 7 DIVISION BEING LOADED ABOARD LANDING SHIPS MECHANISED AT NO 1 DOCK JETTY FOR THE OBOE 2 OPERATION.' (verified live 2026-10-02); hull identification of LSM-63 and LSM-64 per NavSource photo caption [museum_official]

   Locator

   AWM collection record 109864; NavSource 10/14/14063.htm photo caption 'Australian personnel and equipment of the 7th Division ... Morotai ... 10 June 1945'

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   AWM photograph 109864 documents Australian 7th Division personnel and equipment loading aboard landing ships mechanised at Morotai's No. 1 dock jetty for the Oboe 2 operation; NavSource's caption for the same image identifies the hulls as USS LSM-63 and USS LSM-64 and dates it 10 June 1945, while the AWM catalog record is dated 20 June 1945 and names no hulls.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   June 1945

   Population

   Crew; Australian 7th Division embarked personnel

   Limitations

   Archival lead: the AWM catalog description does not itself name LSM-63 - the hull identification rests on NavSource's caption, and the two sources conflict on the date (NavSource 10 June vs AWM 20 June 1945; both postdate the 10 June Brunei landings, so the loading likely occurred earlier in June). Physical-presence documentation only; no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-05

7. [7]Period LSM ship's manual (Ship's Organization / engineering manual for the Landing Ship Medium type), image-scan PDFs hosted on NavSource, contributed by Patrick Blackman - Auxiliary Machinery chapter (ch. 31-9 'Boilers'), single-page scan OCR'd this session [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource lsm manual index; ch. 31-9 lsm02-31-9.pdf (single-page scan, OCR'd 2026-10-02)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The class ship's manual documents the LSM machinery fit beyond the diesel mains: the Auxiliary Machinery chapter describes an auxiliary steam boiler 'designed to supply 1500 pounds [of steam] per hour at 55 pounds per square [inch]' - an oil-fired water-tube unit with electric motor-driven burners - alongside refrigerating plants, compressors, distilling plant, and steering gear. A small steam boiler aboard a diesel-propelled amphibious ship is a boiler/lagging and steam-line pathway distinct from propulsion.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   WWII-era manual

   Population

   Crew engineering personnel (class level)

   Limitations

   Class manual, not a hull record - describes the LSM type, not LSM-63 individually, and does not state insulation materials. Hosted as image-only scans; figures read by OCR of a degraded scan (the '1500 lb/hr at 55 psi' reading is high-confidence but flagged). No asbestos content; material identity unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-06

8. [8]Eric Pearson, 'The Brown Shipbuilding Company's Rise During World War II,' U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History, Vol. 39, No. 3 (June 2025) (verified live 2026-10-02) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   USNI Naval History June 2025 article, 'Building Different Types of Naval Vessels' and 'Recruiting and Training Shipyard Workers' sections

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Builder documentation for this hull's yard: Brown Shipbuilding Company was established in 1941 by George and Herman Brown of Brown and Root on Greens Bayou off the Houston Ship Channel, launching vessels sideways into the narrow waterway; the yard employed more than 25,000 workers at its peak from late 1942 (Houston's second-largest wartime employer); it built 12 PC-461-class submarine chasers, 61 destroyer escorts, 32 LCI landing craft, and 254 Landing Ship Medium amphibious ships - this hull among them - using assembly-line sectional construction; awarded the Army-Navy 'E' production award in December 1942.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1941-1945

   Population

   Brown Shipbuilding construction workforce (peak >25,000 from late 1942)

   Limitations

   Yard-level history only - documents the builder's workforce, methods, and output; contains no asbestos or material content and does not name LSM-63. Does not establish exposure conditions aboard this hull.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lsm-63-07

9. [9]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block for this hull (two Fairbanks-Morse 38D81/8X10 diesels, direct drive, twin screws 2,800 shp; diesel-drive generators); shipbuildinghistory class data (558 LSMs, 1944-45 construction); LSM class manual auxiliary-boiler documentation (ev-06); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (ev-08) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/14/14063.htm specification block; NavSource LSM manual ch. 31-9; GAO HRD-80-2 product page

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   A diesel-powered amphibious assault ship built in 1944 sits squarely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, thermal insulation on hot surfaces and piping, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation - plus lagging on the auxiliary oil-fired steam boiler and its low-pressure steam lines documented in the class manual (hotel services, distilling plant). The confined below-decks volume and small crew working around machinery spaces are the relevant exposure dynamic for the type.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1947

   Population

   Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); crew 5 officers + 54 enlisted (1944-46); embarked troops

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, specification sheet, or work package located for LSM-63. 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-63-08

10. [10]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 (1944) and service era (1944-46).

    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, confirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lsm-63-09

11. [11]Batch-6354 search ledger (this record): NavSource (live); uboat.net Allied Warships; shipbuildinghistory yard table and LSM index; AWM collection records 018707 and 109864; period LSM manual scan; USNI Naval History (Brown Shipbuilding); GAO HRD-80-2 product page (403 blocked); CourtListener API v4 (authenticated); NHHC DANFS URL sampling; NVR; NARA catalog [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-63-01 through sl-uss-lsm-63-14

    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-63 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated API returned zero opinions for both "LSM-63" and "USS LSM-63"; the single docket hit (Gillis v. Taylor, D. Del. 1:04-cv-00921, prisoner civil rights, filed 2004) is an incidental OCR text collision in a scanned filing - name collision, non-qualifying. No law-firm marketing content names this hull at all - the asbestos-specific web sweep surfaced no 'asbestos aboard' claims for LSM-63. NHHC publishes no individual DANFS entry for numbered LSMs (sampled URLs all 404).

    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. CourtListener variant queries ("LSM 63" unhyphenated; "USS LSM-63" docket index) were fleet-paced and not completed this session - a residual gap, not a negative. Deck logs (RG 24), builder work packages, and 1947 disposal records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lsm-63-10

12. [12]Milestone cross-check: NavSource LSM-63 page ('Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown') vs uboat.net Allied Warships record ('Stricken on 19 July 1946'); shipbuildinghistory and navalmarinearchive mirror show disposition only [other_primary]

    Locator

    NavSource 10/14/14063.htm disposition line; uboat.net ship/12674 history line

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    CORRECTION/COMPLETION: NavSource states the ship was 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown.' The uboat.net Allied Warships record supplies a specific date - stricken 19 July 1946 - consistent with the mid-1946 striking window for decommissioned LSMs. The record carries the uboat.net date (19 July 1946) flagged as secondary-source-only: no primary Navy list verification was located.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1946

    Limitations

    Corrects/completes a 'date unknown' field using a secondary database; the date is plausible but unverified against a primary Naval Register entry. Secondary-only; no asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lsm-63-11