Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM-81 page - construction milestones, unit assignments, campaign, decommission/disposal, specification block, commanding-officer roster (history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II, Turner Publishing, 1997, ISBN 1-56311-389-9) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive 10/14/14081.htm - header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 14 August 1944 at Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, TX; launched 7 September 1944; commissioned USS LSM-81 on 5 October 1944, LTjg. Norman A. Wodder USNR in command. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater: LSM Flotilla Eight (CDR. H. Doe USN), LSM Group Twenty-Two (LCDR. N.E. Fryer Jr. USN), LSM Division Forty-Four. Participated in the Okinawa Gunto operation - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2-26 April 1945. Assigned to Occupation Service in the Far East 17 September - 15 November 1945. Decommissioned 1 September 1946 at Norfolk, VA. Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown. Earned one battle star for WWII service. Final disposition: sold 10 November 1947 to Edward F. Jardine, Atlantic City, NJ; fate unknown. Awards displayed: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1); World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp. CO roster: LTjg. Wodder (5 Oct 1944 - Jun 1945); LTjg. Schell (Jun-Dec 1945); LTjg. Sawyer (Dec 1945 - Mar 1946); ENS. Bleck (Mar 1946 - 1946); LT. Tinsley (1946 - 1 Sep 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (Aug-Oct 1944); crew ~59 (5 officers, 54 enlisted), 1944-46; embarked troops
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its underlying history extract is Turner Publishing's LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces Vol. II (1997), itself a compiled veteran/history work rather than a contemporaneous official record. Milestone dates are corroborated by shipbuildinghistory and by the ship's own NARA action reports (ev-02, ev-03). Page contains no asbestos content. 'Struck, date unknown' and 'fate unknown' are stated as such by the source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-01
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[2]NARA, digitized action report: 'USS LSM-81 - Rep of opers in the occupation of the Okinawa Gunto, Ryukyu Islands, 4/2-9/45' (Serial 54, File LSM81/A16-3/bk, dated 9 May 1945, Confidential; CO LSM 81 to Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet via CTU 55.7.3/CTG 55.7/CTF 55/ComPhibPac/CinCPac). Parent series: World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories (NAID 4697018); micro serial 134513, roll A1775; 4 images via Fold3 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog NAID 101762956; images 0450-0453 of micro roll A1775 read in full (IIIF delivery)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's own action report, signed 'N. A. Wodder, Lt., Commanding': LSM-81 was part of Task Unit 55.7.3, Southern Defense Group, composed of 14 LSMs in the invasion of Okinawa Shima; her primary assignment was to land the cargo and personnel of Battery C, 749th Field Artillery Battalion on the established western beaches of Okinawa Jima. She was loaded at Kewalo Basin, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 25-28 February 1945 with 275 short tons (four 8-inch howitzers, four M-4 tractors, trucks, trailers, a D-8 dozer, ammunition, gasoline, oil, water, rations for 43 personnel - two officers, forty-one enlisted). Chronology: departed Pearl Harbor 4 March under escort of APD-6 (Stringham) and YMS 283/92/93/103/299/427; Eniwetok 17-19 March; Saipan 24-26 March; arrived off Okinawa Jima 2 April 1945. The report records the 3 and 6 April air actions at Kerama Retto anchorage (west of Aka Shima), the kamikaze strike on LST-447 amidships on the portside, LSM-81's 40mm fire against attackers, rescue of Victory-ship crews alongside LSM-61 and LSM-167, a friendly-fire downing of a U.S. Hellcat (pilot rescued), and 'No casualties' aboard LSM-81.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-02 to 1945-05 (events 25 Feb - 9 Apr 1945; report dated 9 May 1945)
- Population
- Crew of LSM-81 and embarked Battery C, 749th Field Artillery Battalion personnel (43: 2 officers, 41 enlisted)
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated record of combat service only - contains no asbestos or material content. Report text establishes operations and the embarked cargo battery, not construction materials. The report's via-line task organization (CTU 55.7.3 via ComLSM Group 16) is the operational chain for this operation and differs from the administrative flotilla/group listed by NavSource (Flotilla Eight/Group Twenty-Two) - complementary, not contradictory.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-02
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[3]NARA, digitized action report: 'USS LSM-81 - Rep of act with enemy aircraft in the Kerama Retto, Ryukyu Is on 4/3 & 6/45' (Serial 44, File LSM81/A16-3/bk, dated 12 April 1945, Confidential; CO LSM 81 to CominCh via Commander LSM Task Group 55.7/ComPhibFor/Com5thFlt). Same parent series (NAID 4697018); micro serial 118770, roll A1558; 3 images via Fold3 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog NAID 139983548; images 0852-0854 of micro roll A1558 read in full (IIIF delivery)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporaneous (12 April 1945) report of the same Kerama Retto air actions, filed three weeks earlier than Serial 54: at anchor west of Aka Shima with Task Group 55.7 (23 LSTs and 14 LSMs of the Southern Defense Group); general quarters 0655 on 3 April against a dive-bombing 'Val' (shot down into the sea); general quarters 1518 on 6 April against low-level suicide approaches - LSM-81's 40mm engaged; the ship witnessed the kamikaze hit on LST-447 and kamikaze strikes on two anchored Victory ships; LSM-81, LSM-61, and LSM-167 went to the rescue of the burning Victory ship's crew until ordered clear because of explosives aboard. Ammunition expenditure tabulated for 3 and 6 April (40mm, 20mm, .50 cal). 'No casualties.' Signed N. A. Wodder, Lt., Commanding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-04 (events 3-6 Apr 1945; report dated 12 Apr 1945)
- Population
- Crew of LSM-81
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated record; no asbestos or material content. Substantially overlaps Serial 54 (ev-02) in narrative - the two are separate filings (Serial 44 of 12 Apr on the air actions; Serial 54 of 9 May on the occupation operation overall), corroborating rather than adding distinct events.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-03
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[4]ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton compilation), U.S. Navy Landing Ships Medium construction table - LSM-81 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- LSM construction table, row LSM-81 (adjacent rows LSM-78 through LSM-91 all Brown SB Houston)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Construction-table corroboration: 'LSM-81 | Brown SB | Houston TX | 5 Oct 1944 | sold to E. F. Jardine 1947' - matching NavSource on builder (Brown Shipbuilding, Houston), commissioning date (5 October 1944), and 1947 sale to Edward F. Jardine.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Limitations
- Secondary reference compilation (shipbuildinghistory, mirrored at shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net) - tabular corroboration only, no narrative detail and no asbestos content. Does not resolve the stricken date or post-sale fate.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-04
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[5]Era inference built on: NavSource LSM-1 class specification block (two Fairbanks-Morse 38D81/8X10 diesels, direct drive, 1,440 BHP each @ 720 rpm; twin screws 2,800 shp; diesel-driven ship's-service generators); NavSource/Turner class history; shipbuildinghistory LSM table (LSM-1 class built 1944-45) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/14/14081.htm specifications block; shipbuildinghistory LSM table
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-driven landing ship medium built August-October 1944 sits inside the U.S. Navy's documented asbestos-use era. Era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were diesel-exhaust lagging, thermal insulation on boundaries and under decks, machinery and piping gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation. As an all-diesel ship she carried no boilers or 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
- 1944-1947+
- Population
- Brown Shipbuilding construction trades (Aug-Oct 1944); crew (1944-46); Norfolk decommissioning yard/base personnel (1946); post-sale civilian handlers/scrappers (1947+)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LSM-81. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The WWII construction-era federal asbestos-priority context applies to the shipbuilding industry generally, not to this hull specifically.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-05
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[6]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section
- 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 and service era (1944-47). The GAO review covered asbestos use in Navy ships, removal costs, and compensation programs, with fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; the Navy's 1975 policy (modified 1979) limited removal/replacement to damaged insulation or insulation disturbed by repairs, later extended to high-maintenance areas.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (review of practices spanning the ship's era)
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full report PDF blocked to automated fetch (Akamai 'Access Denied' on www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-80-2.pdf, confirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description and highlights.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-06
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[7]Ferris BG Jr., Heimann H, 'Shipyard health problems,' Environmental Research (1976); NIOSH-hosted copy via CDC Stacks (proceedings lineage: NIOSH International Shipyard Health Conference, Dec 1973, stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/178680) [other_primary]
- Locator
- CDC Stacks cdc/184094, 'Shipyard health problems' (asbestos discussion, ~pp. 142-143 of the journal pagination)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Period occupational-health literature (government-hosted): asbestos 'has been one of the most generally used materials' for shipboard insulation - thermal insulation of steam/heating pipes, cold-water and refrigeration insulation, and under-deck insulation to limit solar heat transfer - and 'is still present in many of the ships afloat,' causing a problem 'when repair work is done and the old insulation material is ripped out' and 'at the time of scrapping of these ships.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1973-1976 (conference/publication); describes practices spanning the ship's era
- Population
- Shipyard workers industry-wide (repair and scrapping trades emphasized)
- Limitations
- Period survey of shipyard-health practice, not a hull record - describes shipboard asbestos use generically across the industry and does not name this vessel or the LSM class. Under-deck solar-heat insulation described is most relevant to larger vessels; no claim that every listed application existed aboard this hull. Scrapping/repair pathway is relevant context for the hull's 1947 sale and unknown civilian fate.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-07
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[8]Batch-6374 search ledger (this record): NavSource amphibious archive; NARA digitized action reports (NAID 101762956, 139983548); shipbuildinghistory LSM table; NHHC/DANFS (no individual entry - 404); NVR (no entry - disposed 1947); NARA deck-log search (not digitized); CourtListener API v4 type=o and type=r for "LSM-81" (0 results each); secondary-web litigation sweep (law-firm listicles only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-81-01 through sl-uss-lsm-81-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LSM-81 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener returned zero opinions and zero dockets for the exact hull designator 'LSM-81'. Secondary-web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing material asserting asbestos aboard WWII landing ships generically (e.g., gorilaw.com 'Asbestos on Landing Ships,' texasasbestosexposure.com Brown Shipbuilding jobsite page) - excluded by source policy; none names this hull or cites a primary record.
- 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 - 1944 construction at a wartime amphibious yard is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation and gasket materials. The sale-to-civilian fate and unknown post-1947 history mean any residual-material record is untraceable in public sources. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-81-08