Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
-
[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (NHHC), 'Big Black River (LSMR-401)' entry, by Raymond A. Mann, dated 6 February 2006; published online 2015 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text, full operational chronology; spec block: dp. 1,084 (f.); l. 203'6"; b. 34'6"; dr. 6'8"; s. 12.6 k.; cpl. 138; a. 10 rkt. ln., 1 5", 4 4.2" M., 4 40mm.; cl. LSMR-401
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents the hull's full Navy arc: laid down 2 January 1945 at Charleston, S.C., by the Charleston Navy Yard; launched 22 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Percy H. Wood; commissioned 7 April 1945. Shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, then training out of San Diego; departed for the Pacific war in mid-August 1945 and received word of Japan's capitulation en route to Hawaii; entered Pearl Harbor 21 August 1945; returned to San Diego 9 October 1945 and trained on the Pacific coast for five years. Korean War: departed San Diego 10 July 1950, reached Yokosuka 6 August; as TF 90 element in Operation Chromite, at 0615 on 15 September 1950 LSMR-401 with sisters LSMR-403 and LSMR-404 (each carrying a 1,000-round allowance of 5-inch spin-stabilized rockets) delivered the pre-assault rocket bombardment of Wolmi Do, then shelled the Inchon tidal basin, Blue Beach, and the right flank before the main landing. Returned to Japan 20 September; covered the Hungnam evacuation (first rocket barrage 21 December 1950, withdrawal covered through 24 December); supported the January 1951 Inchon evacuation stage via Taechon; and across the 1951-52 static-war phase conducted roughly eight months of harbor-siege fire support at Wonsan and Songjin on the east coast and Chinnampo, Inchon, and Taeju on the west coast. Third Far East deployment arrived Yokosuka 29 July 1953, two days after the armistice; armistice-enforcement patrols and port calls followed. Final departure Yokosuka 10 March 1954, San Diego arrival 6 April 1954, Puget Sound June 1954, placed in commission in reserve at Astoria, Oregon, 6 July 1954 for inactivation overhaul, out of commission later in 1954, berthed Columbia River Group Pacific Reserve Fleet; named Big Black River 1 October 1955; redesignated inshore fire support ship LFR-401 on 1 January 1969; stricken 1 May 1973. Earned seven battle stars for the Korean conflict as LSMR-401.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1973
- Population
- Ship's company ~138 (officers and enlisted, DANFS spec block)
- Limitations
- Authoritative ship-history narrative. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey content; supports identity, chronology, and service only - no asbestos claim. Draft figure (6'8") differs from NavSource (7'2" lim); DANFS controls where sources differ.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-01
-
[2]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive - Big Black River (LFR-401) ex Big Black River (LSMR-401) ex USS LSM(R)-401 (page last updated 17 January 2020) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Timeline, specifications block, Korean War campaign table, merchant-service timeline, photo captions incl. NARA 80-G-354586
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource (navsource.net) photo-archive entry for Big Black River (LFR-401) ex LSMR-401 ex USS LSM(R)-401 supplies: commissioning commanding officer Lt. Robert Chitrin, USNR; the LSM(R)-401-class specification set (displacement 758 t light / 994 t attack / 1,084 t full; 203'6" x 34'6"; 12.6 kts; complement 5 officers / 133 enlisted = 138, consistent with DANFS cpl. 138; two GM 16-278A diesels, 1,440 BHP each, direct drive, twin screws 2,800 shp; ten twin-tube continuously loading 5-inch spin-stabilized rocket launchers, one 5"/38, two twin 40mm, four 20mm (post-Korea), four 4.2" mortars, small arms; 10-lb. STS/ASPP splinter protection); LSMR Squadron Three Korean campaign list matching the seven battle stars; and the post-Navy chain - DRMS sale 1 August 1974; for sale by Alaska Freight Services of Seattle in 1980; documented circa 1986 as MV Arctic Transport (ON 696457) for Far North Cargo Inc. of Seattle, reconfigured as a coastal cargo ship; subsequent owners Alliance Marine LLC and Arctic Transport LLC; sold to Island Tug and Barge Co. 2005, renamed MV Spudnik; last documented 2013, documentation expired 2014; scrapped by Canadian authorities spring 2020. NARA-captioned photography includes US National Archives photo 80-G-354586 (nest of LSM(R)s at San Diego, February 1946) and the 1 May 1951 Yokosuka nest with LSMR-409/-412/-403/-404/-419.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-2020
- Population
- Crew (complement 138); later civilian merchant crews and BC dismantling workforce
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled secondary archive - detail-level items (Chitrin's name, merchant-owner chain, ON 696457) rest on contributor submissions and USCG documentation summaries not independently re-verified here (USCG PSIX unreachable this session). Its 'decommissioned 15 February 1954' conflicts with DANFS and is corrected at ev-04. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-02
-
[3]Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region / Canadian Coast Guard release, 'Canadian Coast Guard working to remove MV Spudnik from Fraser River,' 6 January 2020 (official Government of Canada wire distribution via CNW); corroborating coverage Global News (2014 break-away; 2020 removal) and contractor account westcoastcutting.ca [other_primary]
- Locator
- CNW release text incl. Quick Facts; Global News globalnews.ca/news/6374532 and /news/1667633; https://www.westcoastcutting.ca/mv-spudnick
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- Government of Canada records this hull's end-of-life environmental action: on 6 January 2020 the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard announced removal of the derelict MV Spudnik (the ex-LSM(R)-401 hull) from the Fraser River near Surrey, B.C.; the 2019 vessel assessment found 'imminent risks of pollution threat, hull corrosion, possible sinking and fire'; bulk pollutants had been removed in 2014 after the vessel broke its moorings in Howe Sound and was towed to New Westminster by a Coast Guard tug carrying roughly 5,000 litres of diesel and 1,500 litres of lubricating oil; the Canadian Coast Guard retained contractor Marine Recycling Corporation to dismantle and remove the vessel, with removal completed in 2020 (diamond-wire saw-cutting into sections by subcontractor West Coast Cutting & Coring, sections lifted by the 600-ton barge crane Arctic Tuk; estimated cost ~$3.3M CAD per CBC/CP).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2014-2020
- Population
- Marine Recycling Corporation / West Coast Cutting & Coring dismantling crews (2020); Fraser River marine environment
- Limitations
- Documents an end-of-life pollution/corrosion hazard and funded dismantling of this specific hull - NOT an asbestos record: the release's 'pollution' refers to petroleum products and hull integrity; no asbestos survey or abatement statement appears in the release or cited coverage. Dismantling trades encountered whatever era materials remained aboard; that material content is undocumented here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-03
-
[4]DANFS 'Big Black River (LSMR-401)' (controlling) vs NavSource timeline date 'Decommissioned, 15 February 1954' (not adopted) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS final-paragraph inactivation chronology; NavSource timeline bullet 'Decommissioned, 15 February 1954'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancy resolved: NavSource's timeline states 'Decommissioned, 15 February 1954' and 'Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet in February 1954,' but DANFS documents the ship still on active Far East duty through that date - final departure from Yokosuka 10 March 1954, San Diego arrival 6 April 1954, move north to Puget Sound June 1954, placement in commission in reserve at Astoria 6 July 1954, and out of commission 'later that same year.' A 15 February 1954 decommissioning is incompatible with the documented March-April 1954 trans-Pacific transit; DANFS is controlling and the inactivation sequence (July 1954 in-reserve, later-1954 out-of-commission, Astoria Columbia River Group) is adopted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1954
- Limitations
- Corrects a secondary-source date against the authoritative narrative. Does not affect asbestos status; no asbestos content in either source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-04
-
[5]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); applied to DANFS/NavSource-documented construction data (Charleston Navy Yard, Jan-Apr 1945; diesel propulsion) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373 (program-level WWII shipbuilding asbestos policy/use); vessel construction data per DANFS and NavSource specifications
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference for this hull: a 1945-built naval amphibious vessel constructed at Charleston Navy Yard during the wartime peak of asbestos use in U.S. shipbuilding - the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for the shipbuilding program. Propulsion was diesel (two GM 16-278A engines; no boilers or steam plant), so the boiler-lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; the era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were thermal insulation, machinery and diesel-exhaust lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, and interior fireproofing/deck material.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945; era documented through 1940s
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (Jan-Apr 1945); crew ~138; reserve-fleet caretakers (1954-1973); 2020 dismantling crews
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - the AJIM article documents the WWII shipbuilding asbestos program, not this vessel; no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package was located. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-05
-
[6]U.S. EPA, Superfund Site Profile: NAVAL SHIPYARD - CHARLESTON (EPA ID SC0170022560) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Site profile summary block (NPL status, non-NPL status, federal facility flag)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The hull's builder yard is under federal environmental remediation oversight: the U.S. EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System profile for NAVAL SHIPYARD - CHARLESTON (EPA ID SC0170022560, Viaduct Road, Charleston, SC; EPA Region 4; Federal Facility flag) records the site as not on the NPL, 'Deferred to RCRA (Subtitle C)' - i.e., a former naval shipyard with documented legacy contamination handled under RCRA corrective action rather than NPL listing.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- Profile current as of 2026-09-30; yard operated 1901-1996
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard workforce (historical); site remediation population (contemporary)
- Limitations
- Yard-level environmental-oversight record for the facility that built this hull in 1945. The EPA profile does not identify asbestos specifically among site contaminants, does not name this vessel, and says nothing about materials aboard the hull; inclusion is builder-yard context only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-06
-
[7]Batch-5848 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NavSource; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; CourtListener (one completed query + paced remainder); Government of Canada/DFO; US EPA; NARA; CanLII; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lsm-r-401-01 through -12
- 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(R)-401 / LSMR-401 / LFR-401 / Big Black River / Arctic Transport / Spudnik was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener: the opinion search for "LSMR-401" returned zero hits; further CourtListener queries this session were rate-limited by the shared fleet pace (logged as blocked, not a negative result). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the DFO/Canadian-Coast-Guard derelict record (ev-03) documents a petroleum/corrosion hazard, not asbestos. The only 'asbestos aboard' content anywhere is law-firm marketing material asserting asbestos on WWII-era hulls generally without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945 naval hull's era materials are consistent with retained ACM, and the 2020 dismantling documentation is silent on fiber. Litigation coverage is incomplete (CourtListener mostly pace-limited). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-07
-
[8]U.S. National Archives, '1941-1959 Deck Logs, including World War 2 and the Korean War' and 'How to Order Deck Log Reproductions' (RG 24, U.S. Navy Ship Deck Logs) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA logbook program pages; reproduction page specifies RG 24 / U.S. Navy Ship Deck Logs / ship name + hull number ordering data
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead: the hull's 1945-1954 deck logs - covering its entire commissioned Navy life, including the 1950-52 Korean deployments - are held in the National Archives' U.S. Navy Ship Deck Logs series (Record Group 24); the 1941-1959 segment, which covers WWII and Korean War-era logs, is administered at Archives II, College Park, MD, with reproduction via NATF Form-72 order or the online Catalog where digitized. Deck logs are the primary-source path for documenting shipboard locations, availabilities, and overhauls relevant to any future materials claim.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-30
- Study period
- 1945-1954 (logs); program page current 2026-09-30
- Limitations
- Program-level confirmation only - the hull-level catalog lookup was blocked: catalog.archives.gov returns a JS challenge to automated fetch, so LSMR-401's specific deck-log NAIDs were not confirmed digitized. Deck logs record movements and personnel, not materials; any asbestos relevance would be inferential (yard periods, ammo/stores handling notes).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lsm-r-401-08