Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 593-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lsm-69-lsm69-pkt-593-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-69 (10/14/14069) - construction milestones, unit assignments, medal/occupation/China-service windows, specifications, commanding-officer list, photo captions (history extract from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II, Turner Publishing 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14069.htm - header block, service narrative, awards display, specifications block, photo captions, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium; laid down 21 July 1944 at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX; launched 14 August 1944; commissioned USS LSM-69, 9 September 1944, LT. Ivan V. Merrick USNR in command. WWII assignment: Asiatic-Pacific Theater - LSM Flotilla Eight (CDR. H. Doe USN), LSM Group Twenty-Two (LCDR. N.E. Fryer Jr. USN), LSM Division Forty-Three. Post-war Occupation service windows: 5-20 September 1945; 8 October-15 November 1945; 19-21 March 1946. China Service Medal (extended) windows: 27 December 1945-20 January 1946; 22 March-19 May 1946. Decommissioned 19 June 1946 at NOB Subic Bay, P.I.; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; sold 13 February 1948 to Nationalist China, fate unknown. Awards displayed: China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Liberation Medal. Spec block: 520 t light / 743 t landing / 1,095 t full; 203'6" oa; beam 34'6"; 13.2 kts max; complement 5 officers + 54 enlisted; one twin 40mm bow mount, four single 20mm; capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVTs, or 9 DUKWs; propulsion two Fairbanks Morse (model 38D8 1/8 x 10, reversible with hydraulic clutch) diesels, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each at 720 rpm, twin propellers, 2,800 shp. Commanding officers: LT. Ivan V. Merrick USNR (9 Sep 1944-Dec 1945); LTjg. Marshall R. Frey USNR (Dec 1945-Mar 1946); LTjg. Norman M. Cassell USNR (Mar 1946-19 Jun 1946). Photo captions document the hull beached at Mindoro, P.I., 1945, and underway in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, 22 January 1946. No Asiatic-Pacific campaign-credit (battle star) table is listed for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); commissioned crew ~59 (1944-1946); embarked troops (capacity 48)
- Limitations
- Volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - the history extract is credited to the Turner Publishing LSM-LSMR volume, not DANFS (no DANFS entry exists for this hull). Struck date is explicitly 'date unknown.' Contains no asbestos content. Absence of a campaign table in this compilation does not alone prove no campaign participation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-01
-
[3]NARA, COM LSM GR 22 - War Diary, 10/1/45 to 11/30/45 (NAID 140083716, RG 38 WWII War Diaries microfilm, Fold3 file 302088889; 9 pages read directly) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 140083716, pages 1-9 (images 0486-0494); LSM-69 entries at 27 Oct (convoy composition), 20 Nov (loading note), 24 Nov ('LSM 69 ordered to report to Saipan')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The declassified war diary of Commander, LSM Group Twenty-Two (Lt. Comdr. N.E. Fryer Jr., in flagship LSM-180) names LSM-69 in the group's post-war occupation-era movements. 27 October 1945: 'A convoy was formed in accordance with AdComPhibsPacMARIANAS despatch 260047' - the Saipan-group echelon was 'Lt. Comdr. FRYER Commander, LSM Group TWENTY TWO (22) in LSM 180 with LSMs 69, 91, 95, 172, 177 and 185,' sortieing the Yokohama area for the Marianas. The convoy entered Saipan harbor 1 November; ships provisioned and refueled, then loaded rolling stock for Guam. 20 November: the group sortied Saipan for Guam per ComLCIFlot 5 despatch 192311 - 'LSMs 89, 91, 95, 172, 177, 180 and 185 were loaded with rolling stock. LSMs 69, 81 and 175 were not loaded.' The convoy entered Apra Harbor, Guam, 21 November. 24 November 1945: 'LSM 69 ordered to report to Saipan.' The diary's 1 October 1945 task organization lists the group's assigned LSMs and does not include LSM-69 - her first appearance in this diary is the 27 October convoy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-10-01 to 1945-11-30
- Population
- LSM-69 crew during occupation-duty lift operations, Yokohama-Saipan-Guam
- Limitations
- Primary-source group-level diary, not the hull's own log - it documents LSM-69's presence in named convoy formations, not her day-to-day activity. Covers only October-November 1945; her movements December 1945-June 1946 (China service, decommissioning) and earlier wartime operations are outside its scope. The 1 October organization list was read from the typed page image; absence of LSM-69 from that list indicates she joined the formation later, not that she was never assigned. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-02
-
[4]NARA, MR404(2) Sec. 24 'Composition of Task Forces - December 1944' (NAID 27578827, FDR Map Room papers, U.S. Fleet HQ / Combat Intelligence Division; PDF page 16 read directly) and MR404(2) Sec. 25 'Composition of Task Forces - January 1945' (NAID 27578829, PDF page 17 read directly) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 27578827 PDF p.16 (TG 13.9 listing, 'LSM 69, 70'); NAID 27578829 PDF p.17 (same listing)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet 'Composition of Task Forces' lists USS LSM-69 (with LSM-70) under Task Group 13.9, Training Command, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet (R. Adm. G.H. Fort), within Task Force 13, Amphibious Forces Pacific Fleet (V. Adm. R.K. Turner) - in both the 7 December 1944 composition (TG 13.9 lists 'LST 119, 240 / LSM 69, 70') and the January 1945 composition. As of January 1945 - four months after commissioning - LSM-69 was still assigned to the amphibious training command rather than an operational assault group.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-12 to 1945-01
- Population
- LSM-69 crew, training/workup period
- Limitations
- Assignment listing only - establishes organizational assignment, not operations or location on any specific date; the composition volumes are monthly snapshots. Does not establish when she left the training command or reached the forward area. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-03
-
[5]Shipbuilding History, 'Landing Ships, Medium' production table + Brown Shipbuilding yard list (navalmarinearchive.com/sbh mirror); uboat.net Allied Warships entry 12680 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory Brown yard table row 174; shipbuildinghistory LSM list row LSM-69; uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/12680.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Independent secondary corroboration of the hull's construction record: Brown Shipbuilding yard list shows LSM-69 as yard hull no. 174, laid down 21-Jul-44, launched 14-Aug-44, commissioned 9-Sep-44, 'To Taiwan 1948' - identical to NavSource dates; sisters LSM-67 (hull 172), LSM-68 (173), and LSM-70 (175) were laid down the same day (21 July 1944) and launched the same day (14 August 1944). uboat.net adds the contract 'Ordered 15 Sep 1943' and records 'End service 19 Jun 1946' and 'Sold on 13 February 1948.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations (shipbuildinghistory production tables; uboat.net Allied Warships database) - consistent with NavSource but not primary registries. The 15 September 1943 order date rests on uboat.net alone. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-04
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[6]Eric Pearson, 'The Brown Shipbuilding Company's Rise During World War II,' Naval History (U.S. Naval Institute), June 2025, Vol. 39 No. 3 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Naval History, June 2025 issue, 'Building Different Types of Naval Vessels' and 'Recruiting and Training Shipyard Workers' sections
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Yard-level history of this hull's builder: Brown Shipbuilding was established in 1941 by George and Herman Brown of Brown & Root at the junction of Greens Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel, launching vessels sideways into the narrow bayou; peak employment exceeded 25,000 workers from late 1942; total wartime output was 12 PC-461-class submarine chasers, 32 LCI(L)s, 61 destroyer escorts (38 Edsall-class, 23 John C. Butler-class) and 254 LSMs - 359 vessels in four years; awarded the Army-Navy 'E' production award December 1942.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding workforce (peak >25,000 from late 1942)
- Limitations
- Yard-level history only - does not name LSM-69 or describe materials aboard any hull. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material content; the article documents workforce, production, and labor history, not material composition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-05
-
[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 construction (1944) and U.S. service period (1944-1946).
- 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 returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed again 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description, same standing limitation as Batch-01/Batch-98.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: NavSource spec block (two Fairbanks Morse opposed-piston diesels, direct drive - diesel-only plant, no steam system); GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation (ev-06); LSM-1-class construction era (1944) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block (propulsion); GAO HRD-80-2 (era); LSM-1-class construction dates
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 1944-built U.S. Navy landing ship sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era. As a diesel-propelled amphibious hull she carried no boilers or steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply - but era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation on diesel exhaust and machinery spaces, gaskets, valve and flange packing, electrical insulation, and insulation in accommodation and galley spaces, concentrated in a small (203 ft) enclosed hull with ~59 crew.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); commissioned crew (1944-46); any post-1948 ROC crew
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or asbestos record located for LSM-69. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-07
-
[9]NARA file unit 'USS LSM-69' (NAID 472241361, RG 24 Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Casualty Information Reports series 1941-1960, HMS/MLR A1 1024, paper container 52) - catalog page verified; related lead: flagship LSM-180 deck logs digitized (NAID 126471586, 10/10/44-4/23/46) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/472241361 (series RG 24, A1 1024); catalog.archives.gov/id/126471586 (LSM-180 log); catalog search 'LSM-69' within NAID 594258 (79 full-text hits)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Open archival leads for this hull: (1) a casualty-information-report file unit titled 'USS LSM-69' exists in RG 24 at NARA College Park - paper only, 'Not Yet Available Online,' contents unexamined; (2) the hull's own deck logs were not located in the digitized logbook series (NAID 594258) - sister/group-flagship LSM-180's deck logs ARE digitized (NAID 126471586, covering 10 October 1944-23 April 1946) and overlap the documented Oct-Nov 1945 convoy period; (3) additional WWII War Diaries full-text hits exist for 'LSM-69' across flotilla/group diaries not yet page-reviewed.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Limitations
- Archival leads only - catalog metadata verified, but none of these sources was read in full for this hull beyond the Group 22 war diary. The casualty-report file's existence does not establish any casualty event or its cause; casualty information reports document personnel casualties and the file contents are unexamined. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-08
-
[10]Batch-6360 search ledger (this record): NavSource verified live; NARA primary documents read (war diary, task-force compositions, casualty-report file unit); shipbuildinghistory + uboat.net corroboration; USNI yard history; GAO product page; DANFS index (no LSM entries exist); NVR (host unreachable; hull disposed pre-1987); CourtListener authenticated API searches; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-01 through -10
- 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-69 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener (authenticated API): 'LSM-69' opinions = 0 results; 'LSM-69' dockets = 1 result - Kuck v. Veritas Software (D. Del. 1:04-cv-00831, securities class action), a name collision bearing no relation to the vessel; 'USS LSM-69' opinion/docket searches were attempted but deferred by fleet pacing - logged in the search ledger. The secondary web sweep surfaced no asbestos claims naming this hull at all - even law-firm marketing lists do not carry LSM-69.
- 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 1944 Navy hull of this type sat inside the documented asbestos era (ev-06/07). The 'USS LSM-69' exact-name CourtListener queries remained unexecuted at close of research (fleet pacing) - logged as such, not as a negative result. Deck logs, the casualty-report file, and any disposal/sale records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-69-lsm69-09