Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM(R)-198, history and specifications page; history extract credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II (Turner Publishing Co., 1997) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class/history block: laid down, launched, commissioned, theater assignments, Okinawa campaign dates, decommissioning, Maritime Commission transfer, sale; commanding-officer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's live USS LSM(R)-198 page, whose history extract is credited to LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II (Turner Publishing Co., 1997), records the hull as laid down 6 September 1944 at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 14 October 1944; commissioned 12 December 1944 with LT George B. Timmerman Jr., USNR, in command. It records wartime assignment to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater under LSM Flotilla Nine (CDR D. L. Francis, USN), LSM Group Twenty-Seven (LCDR J. H. Fulweiler, USNR), and LSM Division Fifty-Four; participation in the Okinawa Gunto operation (assault and occupation, 26 March to 17 June 1945); decommissioning 17 January 1946 at Terminal Island Navy Yard, San Pedro, CA; transfer to the Maritime Commission at San Pedro for disposal (PDX-225, 27 September 1946); sale for scrapping 18 February 1948 to National Metal & Steel Co., Terminal Island, CA; one World War II battle star; and the struck-from-Naval-Register date as unknown.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades; ship's company, 1944-1946
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer archive and the narrative is credited to a published compilation rather than a government-produced ship history. It documents service and disposition, not asbestos, insulation, hazmat condition, exposure, or causation. The cited .net page was live when checked (HTTP 200); the dead navsource.org mirror was not used.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-01
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[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LSM(R)-198 specification block [other_primary]
- Locator
- Specifications section: displacement, dimensions, speed, complement, armor, armament, propulsion, generators
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's hull-specific specification block gives 758 t light / 983 t attack / 1,175 t fully loaded displacement, 203 feet 6 inches length, 34 feet 6 inches beam, 13.2-knot maximum speed, 5 officers and 76 enlisted complement, one single 5-inch/38 dual-purpose gun, two single 40-mm and three single 20-mm AA mounts, seventy-five 4-rail Mark 36 and thirty 6-rail Mark 30 rocket launchers, and propulsion by two General Motors 16-278A diesel engines (non-reversible with airflex clutch), direct drive, 1,440 BHP each at 720 rpm, twin propellers, 2,800 shaft horsepower combined.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Ship's company
- Limitations
- The specification block identifies a diesel propulsion plant and does not state that any listed system contained asbestos. No boiler or steam-turbine plant is documented for this hull. The figures do not establish material composition, quantity, condition, or exposure. The listed rocket-launcher fit conflicts with class references attributing 85 Mk. 51 automatic launchers to hulls 196-199; see ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-07 and gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-02
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[3]NavSource Online transcription, C.T.G. 52.21 (LSM Flotilla Nine) Action Report, Ie Shima and Southeastern Okinawa, 2-20 April 1945, serial C010 of 21 April 1945 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Action report cover letter and Enclosure A narrative, transcription pages 0600001.htm-0600007.htm; LSM(R)-198 mentions in picket/patrol assignments and 16 April reef-strike entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NavSource transcription of the C.T.G. 52.21 (Commander LSM Flotilla NINE, CDR Dennis L. Francis, USN, flagship LC(FF) 525) Action Report for Ie Shima and Southeastern Okinawa, 2-20 April 1945 (serial C010, dated 21 April 1945), names LSM(R)-198 repeatedly: initially on Radar Picket Station 2 with LSM(R)-197; assigned with LSM(R)s 192, 193, 196, 197, 199 and LC(FF) 535 to night harassment patrols and destructive bombardment of Ie Shima, 13-16 April 1945; reassigned to Radar Picket Station 4; reported striking a reef in the Ie Shima area on 16 April 1945 and retracting with no damage; and delivering rocket fire with the Southern Okinawa patrol in support of demonstration landings on 19 April 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-04-02 to 1945-04-20
- Population
- Ship's company; LSM Flotilla Nine units; Ie Shima/Okinawa invasion forces
- Limitations
- Volunteer transcription of a U.S. Navy primary document hosted on NavSource; the underlying original rests in Navy operational records. It documents combat operations and assignments of this hull, not construction materials, asbestos, insulation, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-03
-
[4]Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- LSM Flotilla Nine section: LSM(R) Group 27, LSM Division 54 table rows (page ~70 of source document)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC's 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (Navy Department Library transcription) lists 'LSM 198 (R)' under LSM(R) Group 27 (ComLSMGrp 27, Lt. Cdr. J. H. Fulweiler, USNR), LSM Division 54, with Lt. G. B. Timmerman (USNR) as commanding officer — consistent with the NavSource assignment and commissioning records.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- Ship's company, May 1945
- Limitations
- Official fleet-organization listing confirming the hull, its group/division assignment, and commanding officer on 1 May 1945; it does not document construction materials, asbestos, exposure, or causation. NavSource's history extract renders the assignment as 'LSM Group Twenty-Seven'; the NHHC table head reads 'LSM(R) GROUP 27' — the same formation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-04
-
[5]National Archives at Atlanta, RG 181, Sixth Naval District at Charleston ship files finding aid [other_primary]
- Locator
- Finding-aid table, Box 8, 'Landing Ship, Medium LSM-198' row (10/14/1944)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The National Archives at Atlanta finding aid for RG 181, Sixth Naval District at Charleston, lists a hull entry 'Landing Ship, Medium LSM-198' in Box 8 dated 10/14/1944 — consistent with the 14 October 1944 launch date recorded by NavSource (the finding aid catalogs the rocket-variant hulls under their base LSM numbers, e.g., LSM-188 through LSM-199).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction and commissioning personnel
- Limitations
- Finding-aid entry only; the underlying file contents were not retrieved or inspected. The listing confirms an archival file exists for this hull's construction period at Charleston; it does not report asbestos, insulation, or exposure content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-05
-
[6]U.S. National Archives motion-picture record 428-NPC-7538 ('Invasion of Aka Jima--Rocket Fire, Landings'), NAID 78137, as identified in NavSource photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource USS LSM(R)-198 photo gallery caption; NARA catalog identifier 78137
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource photo captions identify a U.S. National Archives film, 'Invasion of Aka Jima--Rocket Fire, Landings' (NARA Identifier 78137; Local Identifier 428-NPC-7538; NAIL control NWDNM(m)-428-NPC-7538), a frame of which shows USS LSM(R)-197, LSM(R)-196, LSM(R)-198, and LSM(R)-199 conducting a rocket attack on the town of Aka, Aka-Jima, Kerama Islands, Okinawa, on 26 March 1945 — corroborating the hull's presence in the Kerama Retto phase of the Okinawa operation.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-03-26
- Population
- Ship's company, March 1945
- Limitations
- The NARA catalog record is JavaScript-rendered and could not be directly inspected this session; the identifier, local identifier, and 26 March 1945 Aka-Jima description are transcribed from NavSource captions credited to the National Archives. The film documents the hull's combat employment, not materials, asbestos, or exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-06
-
[7]HyperWar / ibiblio, Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945, LSM(R)-188 class summary [other_primary]
- Locator
- LSM(R)-188 class specifications block; armament note distinguishing hulls 196-199
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- HyperWar's 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' LSM(R)-188 class page describes the class as Landing Ships, Medium (Rocket) converted while building from LSMs, built at Charleston Navy Yard: 968 tons loaded, 203 feet 6 inches length, 34 feet 6 inches beam, 13.2-knot maximum speed, two GM 1,440-BHP diesels at 720 rpm on twin screws, and 5-officer/76-enlisted complement. It records a different rocket fit for hulls 196-199 (85 Mk. 51 automatic rocket launchers) versus hulls 188-195 (75 4-rail Mk. 36 plus 30 6-rail Mk. 30).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LSM(R)-188-class construction and operating personnel
- Limitations
- Class-level source describing the type, not a hull record for LSM(R)-198; its per-hull-blocks armament note conflicts with this hull's NavSource spec block (Mk. 36/Mk. 30 fit) — flagged in gaps, not resolved. It documents design data only: no asbestos, material composition, or exposure content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-07
-
[8]U.S. GAO, HRD-80-2, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure (1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO report highlights and full-report discussion of ship thermal insulation
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- GAO reported that the Navy used asbestos in ship thermal insulation, that ship-specific amounts could be obtained from individual ship weight-control reports, and that Navy policy addressed removal and replacement of damaged insulation or insulation removed during repairs.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1975-1979 policy/review period
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers and Navy ships generally
- Limitations
- Navy-wide/program-level context only; the report does not name LSM(R)-198 or establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, in what locations, in what quantity, or whether any material remained. Direct automated retrieval of the GAO page returned HTTP 403 this session; report content was reviewed via indexed web results.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-08
-
[9]OSHA Integrated Management Information System, Inspection 100361849, U.S. Dept of the Navy — Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Inspection Detail page: inspection number, establishment address, violation summary rows 01001/01002
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- OSHA's inspection record for Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106 (inspection 100361849, complaint type) shows violations under the asbestos standard, 29 CFR 1910.1001 — citation 01001 (clause D07 I) current, citation 01002 (clause J02 I) deleted by amendment — issued 10 March 1988 by the Columbia Area Office. The record confirms asbestos-standard enforcement activity at the yard that built this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1988
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard workforce, 1988 inspection period
- Limitations
- Yard-level record for the builder, dated 1988 — more than four decades after this hull's construction and forty years after its scrapping; it documents asbestos-standard enforcement at Charleston Naval Shipyard, not conditions in 1944, not this hull, and not any exposure. The live page is JS-rendered; contents verified via automated render this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-09
-
[10]Batch research review of the sources listed in search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-01 through -16 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Source-review negative finding; see search_ledger and gaps
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos documentation was located in the official and archival sources reviewed for this hull: the NavSource hull page, the C.T.G. 52.21 action-report transcription, the NHHC fleet-organization listing, the NARA RG 181 finding aid, and the NARA film record identify the vessel and its service but do not document asbestos, insulation composition, abatement, or a hazmat survey. The absence is reported as a research negative, not as proof that the hull never contained asbestos.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- A negative public-source finding is not proof of absence. NARA file contents, deck logs, war diaries, the 1945 Ordnance Vessel Register scan, and non-digitized Navy yard work packages were not retrieved or OCR-inspected. Asbestos documentation level therefore remains class_or_era, not ship_specific.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-10
-
[11]CourtListener API v4 via /Users/charlesfletcher/devin-prompts/cl-auth-search.py; authenticated queries 2026-09-30 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-10 through -13
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Authenticated CourtListener searches returned no indexed results: exact-name opinion search "USS LSM(R)-198" (0 hits), hull-number opinion search "LSMR-198" (0 hits), exact-name docket search "LSM(R)-198" (0 hits), and hull-number docket search "LSMR-198" (0 hits). No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located in the indexed corpus.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- A clean no-result on indexed opinions and RECAP dockets is not proof that no unindexed, non-digitized, or pleading-stage matter exists; the first attempt at the hull-number docket query was interrupted by the fleet pacing limiter and completed on retry the same session. No complaint, discovery record, trial finding, or judgment is asserted; nothing is classified upward.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-198-lsmr198-11