Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-80 (10/14/14080.htm), history extract from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Vol. II (Turner Publishing, 1997; ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 14080.htm header/history block, Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns table, awards ribbon display, specifications block, photo-caption series, 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 14 August 1944 at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX; launched 7 September 1944; commissioned USS LSM-80, 2 October 1944, LT. Preston C. Westmoreland USNR in command; WWII Asiatic-Pacific Theater assignment - LSM Flotilla Six (CDR. A. R. Quinn USN), LSM Group Seventeen (identified as group flagship, LCDR. C. H. Johnson, USNR), LSM Division Thirty-Four; campaign participation 'Okinawa Gunto operation - Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 9 April to 3 June 1945' with one battle star earned; postwar occupation service in the Far East 30 October 1945 to 27 July 1946; decommissioned 10 August 1946 at NOB Subic Bay, PI; 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown'; sold 13 February 1948 to the Republic of China, fate unknown. Ribbon display: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1); World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp). 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; one twin 40mm bow + four single 20mm; 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, 6 LVTs, or 9 DUKWs; endurance 4,900 mi @ 12 kts; two Fairbanks Morse 38D81/8X10 diesels. Photo captions: under way off Brown Ship Building yard Houston circa September 1944 in Camouflage Measure 31 Design 10L; at Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan 22-24 September 1945 (with LSM-283, LSM-344, LSM-476). CO list: Westmoreland (2 Oct 1944-Dec 1945), MacKenzie (Dec 1945-13 Feb 1946), Bechtold (13 Feb-29 Apr 1946), ENS. Wallace USNA 1946 (29 Apr-10 Aug 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (Houston, 1944); USN crew (1944-46); Republic of China Navy crew (1948-?); unknown handlers post-disposal
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track the Turner Publishing extract. Its 'LSM Division Thirty-Four' assignment conflicts with the NHHC 1 May 1945 Pacific Fleet roster, which places LSM 80 in LSM Division 33 (see ev-03 and gaps); its 'Group Seventeen flagship' label conflicts with the roster's (GF) group-flagship mark on LSM 72. Struck date explicitly unknown. Page verified live 2026-10-02 via Firecrawl (navsource.net - the .org domain is dead). Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-01
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[2]Shipbuilding History (T. Colton compilation), 'Brown Shipbuilding, Houston TX' yard history and hull-by-hull production table [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Brown yard page: hull table row 185 ('LSM 80')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard production record for this hull: Shipbuilding History's Brown Shipbuilding (Houston, TX) hull-by-hull table carries row '185 | LSM 80 | Landing Ship | 14-Aug-44 | 7-Sep-44 | 2-Oct-44 | To China 1948' - yard hull number 185, matching NavSource's laid-down/launched dates exactly and treating the 2 October 1944 Navy delivery as the commissioning date; disposition 'To China 1948' corroborates NavSource's 13 February 1948 Republic of China sale.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding yard workforce (1944)
- Limitations
- Published compilation of builder production records, not a primary contract document; dates corroborate NavSource exactly. Documents a high-volume wartime emergency yard building this class at peak tempo - it does not document materials, insulation practice, or any asbestos handling at the yard. Page verified live 2026-10-02 via Firecrawl. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-02
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[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 SIX > LSM GROUP 17 > LSM DIVISION 33, row 'LSM 80 (1)'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NHHC Navy Department Library transcription of 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' lists LSM 80 under LSM FLOTILLA SIX (Commander LSM Flotilla SIX: Comdr A. R. Quinn), LSM GROUP 17 (ComLSMGrp 17: Lt. Cdr. C. H. Johnson, USNR), LSM DIVISION 33 - alongside LSM 71, LSM 72 (marked GF), LSM 73, LSM 222, and LSM 321 - during the Okinawa Gunto campaign window (9 April - 3 June 1945) in which NavSource records her participation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Organizational roster only: establishes the hull's Pacific Fleet unit assignment as of 1 May 1945 but documents no operations, location, or service event for this hull, and contains no asbestos or material content. Places her in LSM Division 33 where NavSource/Turner says Division Thirty-Four, and marks LSM 72 - not LSM 80 - as group flagship (GF); documented source conflict carried in gaps. Page verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-03
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[4]National Archives catalog, RG 24 'Casualty Information Reports' series (parent NAID 803937): file unit 'USS LSM-80' (NAID 472241366) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/472241366 record page (series, access, College Park archived-copy block)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a ship-titled file unit for this hull: 'USS LSM-80' (NAID 472241366) in Record Group 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), series 'Casualty Information Reports' (compiled 1941-1960) - unrestricted textual records, paper only, held at National Archives at College Park (Copy: Reference/Reproduction/Preservation, Container 52). Not digitized; contents unsurveyed this session.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1960 (series window); hull active 1944-46
- Population
- Any personnel named in the report file (contents unsurveyed)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: catalog metadata verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02; the file unit is not digitized and its contents were not surveyed. A casualty-information file's existence does not itself establish that combat or other casualties occurred aboard, and casualty reports document personnel events, not materials - no asbestos content expected or asserted.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-04
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[5]National Archives catalog, RG 24 'Index to Muster Rolls' (parent series NAID 27023012): file unit 'USS LCI(R)-704 to USS LSM-143' (NAID 118967603), 1,217 images [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/118967603 record page (1,217 images; Index to Muster Rolls series 1939-1975)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds digitized crew-roster coverage that includes this hull: RG 24 'Index to Muster Rolls' file unit 'USS LCI(R)-704 to USS LSM-143' (NAID 118967603) - 1,217 scanned images (Ancestry-partnership scans of microfilm) whose alphabetical hull range includes LSM-80 - a digitized index-level crew record for the hull's commissioned period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1939-1975 (series window); hull active 1944-46
- Population
- USN crew, USS LSM-80 (1944-46)
- Limitations
- An index to muster rolls, not the muster rolls themselves: a per-hull muster-roll file unit for LSM-80 was not located in the catalog search (sister hulls have them). Index entries document crew names/rates by reporting period - personnel records, not materials. Catalog page verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02; individual index frames not transcribed. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-05
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[6]uboat.net, Allied Warships of WWII, 'USS LSM 80 (LSM 80)' (ship/12691) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/12691 specification/history table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Independent secondary compilation corroborates the milestone record: uboat.net's Allied Warships entry 'USS LSM 80 (LSM 80)' lists Brown Shipbuilding Co. (Houston) builder; ordered 15 September 1943; laid down 14 August 1944; launched 7 September 1944; commissioned 2 October 1944; end of service 10 August 1946; 'Decommissioned on 10 August 1946; Sold on 13 February 1948' - consistent with NavSource and adding the contract order date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation cross-check only - corroborates NavSource/Shipbuilding History dates and adds 'ordered 15 Sep 1943'; does not name the Chinese purchaser or post-1948 fate. Verified live via Firecrawl 2026-10-02. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-06
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[7]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History magazine (Vol. 39, No. 3, June 2025): 'The Brown Shipbuilding Company's Rise During World War II' [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI Naval History June 2025 article - yard construction, wartime production, 1949 Todd lease, 1984 Brown & Root return, 2004 piecemeal sale
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The builder yard's documented history: USNI Naval History (June 2025) describes Brown Shipbuilding's Greens Bayou yard on the Houston Ship Channel - expanded wartime facility building submarine chasers, destroyer escorts, and landing craft (the LSM production line that included this hull); leased to Todd Shipyards Corporation in 1949 as a ship-repair facility; returned to Brown & Root in 1984 as an offshore fabrication yard; sold piecemeal to multiple buyers in 2004; site now the Brown Shipbuilding Industrial Park.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-2004
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding yard workforce (1941-45); Todd Houston Division workforce (1949-1984); Brown & Root fabrication workforce (1984-2004)
- Limitations
- Builder-yard history only: documents the construction facility's origin and post-war trajectory, not materials or conditions aboard any hull built there. The article contains no asbestos content. A related discrepancy: USNI says the yard was 'leased' to Todd in 1949; Wikipedia's Brown Shipbuilding article says 'sold' - lease-vs-sale nuance not material to this record. Yard is not in the Atlas shipyards.json dataset.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-07
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[8]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block (Fairbanks Morse diesel plant, this hull); Corn & Starr 1987 WWII-shipbuilding asbestos documentation (ev-10); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era program documentation (ev-11) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; synthesis of ev-10 and ev-11 era documentation
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LSM-1-class landing ship built August-October 1944 at a commercial wartime yard (Brown Shipbuilding, Houston) sits inside the documented WWII-era U.S. 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, and winch/windlass brake linings in a compact hull volume. As a diesel ship she carried no propulsion 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
- 1944-1948+
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); USN crew (1944-46); Republic of China Navy crew and unknown disposal workers (1948-?)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, outfitting specification, or work package located for LSM-80. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution for this hull, no present-day presence claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-08
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[9]LSM Class Manual, 1 March 1944, Serial No. 1766 (issued to USS LSM-294), scanned page-image PDFs hosted on NavSource - U.S. Navy ship's organization and technical manual for the LSM-1 class [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource LSM Class Manual index; chapter PDFs lsm02-30, lsm02-31, lsm02-31-9, lsm02-32, lsm02-33 (200-dpi raster OCR, tesseract, this session)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The class's own operational document was checked at the source this session: the LSM Class Manual (Serial No. 1766, issued to sister ship USS LSM-294, scanned page-image PDFs hosted on NavSource) documents the machinery fit - two makes of diesel engine across the class (Fairbanks Morse and General Motors), distilling plant, steering engine room, ship's-service generators - consistent with this hull's Fairbanks Morse fit. Session OCR of the five machinery chapters (30 Main Propelling Machinery, 31 Auxiliary Machinery, 31-9 Boilers, 32 Pumps/Tanks/Piping, 33 Diesel Oil System - 21 scanned pages) found no explicit 'asbestos', 'insulation', 'lagging', 'magnesia', 'gasket', or 'packing' references.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944 (manual); hull service 1944-46
- Population
- LSM-1-class engineering/plant crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Scoped negative, not a null finding for the class: the manual is the class's operational/organizational document issued to a sister ship (LSM-294), not a construction or material specification, and it does not name this hull. OCR covered 21 pages across five machinery chapters only - not the full manual - and found no asbestos-material terms; that silence does not prove absence aboard. Does not establish installed materials, quantity, or exposure for this hull. Chapter 31-9 'Boilers' documents auxiliary (ship's-service) steam, not propulsion.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-09
-
[10]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 mass-produced at a commercial emergency yard in 1944 - 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-80-lsm80-10
-
[11]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 - 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 Brown Shipbuilding Houston (a commercial yard) - 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 in prior batches - content quoted from the live Highlights text.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-11
-
[12]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches via cl-auth-search.py, 2026-10-02: type=o quoted 'LSM-80' (0), quoted 'LSM 80' (0), quoted 'USS LSM-80' (0), quoted 'USS LSM 80' (0); type=r quoted 'LSM-80' docket search (0 dockets, 0 documents); type=o unquoted 'LSM-80' fuzzy (42 hits, all reviewed, all non-qualifying token collisions) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-80-11 through sl-uss-lsm-80-16
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming USS LSM-80 was located in CourtListener. Quoted exact-hull opinion searches returned zero hits at every name form tested: 'LSM-80' (count 0), 'LSM 80' (count 0), 'USS LSM-80' (count 0), 'USS LSM 80' (count 0). The RECAP docket-level search for quoted 'LSM-80' returned count 0, document_count 0. The unquoted fuzzy opinion search 'LSM-80' returned 42 relevance-ranked hits; all 42 results were reviewed page-by-page and all are non-qualifying token collisions - 'LSM'/'80' tokenization noise across postal-service employee cases, criminal appeals, Texas attorney-general opinions, contract disputes, and corporate 'LSM' acronyms - none names or involves the vessel or asbestos.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public docket does not prove no claim was ever filed - PACER/state-court records are not fully indexed by CourtListener, and short-lived numbered amphibious hulls (22 months in commission) are thinly litigated generally. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-80-lsm80-12
-
[13]Batch-6373 search ledger (this record): NavSource (live); Shipbuilding History Brown yard table; NHHC Pacific Fleet organization roster; NHHC DANFS checks; HyperWar mirror; NVR scope check; MARAD ShipHistory; NARA catalog (casualty file unit, muster-roll index); CourtListener opinion/docket searches (authenticated); GAO product page; LSM Class Manual OCR check; USNI Naval History; uboat.net [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-80-01 through sl-uss-lsm-80-27
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS LSM-80 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). NHHC has no DANFS entry for this hull (candidate URL 404; HyperWar mirror 404 - selective DANFS coverage of numbered LSMs: sister LSM-79 has an entry, LSM-80 does not); NVR excludes pre-1987 disposals (scope statement verified live); MARAD carries no record (direct Navy-to-foreign-navy transfer, never in MARAD custody). 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
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 commercial-yard-built amphibious hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and undocumented Republic of China service plus unknown final disposition leave material fate unrecorded. 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-80-lsm80-13