Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]DANFS, 'LST-1052' (NHHC) - construction, sponsor, commissioning, occupation duty, decommission/strike/disposal dates [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-1052 entry (full text)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 29 January 1945 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp.; launched 6 March 1945; sponsored by Mrs. M. M. Lachowski; commissioned 15 April 1945. Performed occupation duty in the Far East until early March 1946; returned to the United States; decommissioned 11 July 1946; struck from the Navy list 15 August 1946; sold 25 September 1947 to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, Wash., for scrapping.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Ship's company 13 officers / ~104 enlisted; embarked troops ~16 officers / 147 enlisted (per NavSource specs)
- Limitations
- Vessel history only - DANFS contains no asbestos, material, or crew-health content. Occupation-duty ports are not named. Does not establish or bear on asbestos presence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-01
-
[2]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-1052 page - specifications, unit assignment, occupation-service periods, CO list, photographic record [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource LST-1052 page (specifications block, unit assignment, occupation table, CO table, photo captions)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: LST-542 class; laid down 29 January 1945 at Dravo Corp., Pittsburgh, PA; launched 6 March 1945; commissioned 15 April 1945, Lt. Francis W. Swem USNR in command; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater, LST Flotilla 34 (CAPT C. A. H. H. Tiemroth), LST Group 100, LST Division 199; Navy Occupation Service Medal qualifying periods 1-26 Oct 1945, 12 Nov-15 Dec 1945, 11 Jan-2 Mar 1946 (Asia clasp); decommissioned 11 July 1946; struck 15 August 1946; sold for scrapping 25 September 1947 to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, WA. Specs: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; 13 officers/104 enlisted, troops 16 officers/147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; armament 2 twin 40mm, 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm (ultimate design); propulsion two GM 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100kW 230V DC generators, twin screws 1,700 shp. Photographic record includes launch 6 March 1945 at Dravo and the ship steaming in San Francisco Bay c.1946 with 'Homeward Bound' pennant and LCT(6)-989 as deck cargo. COs: Lt. Francis W. Swem (15 Apr 1945-Dec 1945); Ltjg. Raymond R. Gilbert (Dec 1945-May 1946); Ltjg. Dale E. Anstine (May 1946-11 Jul 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Crew and embarked troops; Dravo Neville Island construction workforce
- Limitations
- NavSource is a curated secondary compilation of official data, not itself a primary document; dates agree with DANFS. Contains no asbestos content. Armament listed is the ultimate class design; outfitting 'varied with availability' per the page itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-02
-
[3]NARA Catalog, USS LST-1052 - War Diary, 7/1-31/45 (NAID 101773381, microfilm roll A1788) and War Diary, 8/1-31/45 (NAID 77606010, roll A2015); RG 38, series 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/101773381 (6 images) and catalog.archives.gov/id/77606010 (4 images)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship's own war diaries (CONFIDENTIAL, serials 161 and 191, signed by commanding officer Lt. Francis W. Swem) document this hull's movements: 1-9 July 1945 steaming in Task Unit 13.11.50 (Comdr. Higgins, ComLSTGrp37, flagship USS LST-226), nine LSTs and six LSMs enroute Oahu to Eniwetok with firing exercises; anchored Eniwetok 9 July; 10-16 July independent Eniwetok to Ulithi under zig-zag plan 8; anchored Berth 169, Ulithi, 16 July-20 August (further firing exercises 3 August; submarine-attack notice 27 July); 21 August ordered via USS Prairie to Leyte with LST-1054 and LST-1135, reporting to ComSerDiv 101; anchored San Pedro Bay off Tacloban 26 August; called at USS Ocelot (IX-110) for instructions 27 August; moored alongside SS Furman Victory at Berth 161 off Talosa 28-31 August discharging cargo.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-07-01 to 1945-08-31
- Population
- Ship's company, July-August 1945
- Limitations
- Operational movements only - war diaries contain no asbestos, material, or health content. Only July and August 1945 file units for this hull are in the digitized WWII War Diaries catalog (114-result and 33-result catalog searches surfaced no other LST-1052 months); April-June 1945 and September 1945-March 1946 movements are not covered by the located diaries.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-03
-
[4]Christman v. Dravo Corp., 319 Pa. Super. 378, 466 A.2d 209 (1983) (Popovich, J.) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion text at 319 Pa. Super. 378, *385-*386 (interrogatory recitals); *389-*393 (LHWCA exclusivity holding)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Mesothelioma wrongful-death suit (filed 7 Nov 1979) by the widow of Jacob F. Christman, who worked for Dravo as a mechanic/welder at Neville Island 1942-1945. The opinion recites Dravo's own interrogatory answers admitting that 'from 1941 to 1945 the major portion of the ships that it built (over 145 LST-type vessels) were for the Bureau of Ships of the United States Navy and asbestos was used as pipe insulating material in the construction of motor vessels at the Neville Island building docks' (Dravo's Answers to Interrogatories Nos. 7, 13 & 17). This hull was built at that yard January-April 1945, inside the admitted window. The Superior Court affirmed summary judgment for Dravo on Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act exclusivity grounds (33 U.S.C. Sec. 905(a)) - Dravo had secured compensation insurance, so the tort action was barred and the remedy lay before the Deputy Commissioner.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1983 (opinion); exposure period 1942-1945
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island shipyard workforce, 1941-1945
- Limitations
- Yard/builder-level litigation record, not a hull record: the opinion names Neville Island construction generally (1941-45, >145 LST-type vessels) but does not name LST-1052. Dravo answered 'unknown' whether the decedent himself worked with or near asbestos products; the exposure allegation was a pleading-level claim never adjudicated - SJ was affirmed on statutory exclusivity, a merits-level negative for this plaintiff that says nothing about exposure at the yard. Stage classification per batch discipline: pleading allegation + defense SJ affirmed on exclusivity grounds, no exposure finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-04
-
[5]In re: Dravo LLC-Derivative Claims Against Carmeuse Lime, Inc., and Certain Affiliated Entities, Appeal of: Carmeuse Lime, Inc., Pa. Nos. 33-34 WAP 2024 (decided 22 May 2026, Brobson, J.), reversing Pa. Super. 1210 & 1284 WDA 2022 (19 Dec 2023) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, J-79A/J-79B-2025, Factual Background section (stipulated facts); holding at Part III; CourtListener opinion ID 10863493
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- On stipulated facts, 'beginning in at least the early 1990s, a number of plaintiffs sued Dravo, alleging asbestos-related injuries ... typically ... based on allegations of exposure to asbestos during Dravo's operations from the 1940s through the 1980s.' Hundreds of asbestos claimants asserted claims by the 13 July 2020 LLC-dissolution claim-bar date; Dravo resolved all timely-filed claims through a $7 million settlement with its excess insurers; the trial court approved the settlement 17 July 2020 (Allegheny Cnty. CCP GD-18-010151). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that plaintiffs with claims time-barred under the LLC Act may not pierce the veil to recover against Dravo's surviving parent (Carmeuse Lime), reversing the Superior Court.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026 (opinion); exposure allegations 1940s-1980s
- Population
- Asbestos claimants against Dravo (all operations)
- Limitations
- Corporate/posture record only - the opinion addresses Dravo's asbestos litigation exposure across all operations 1940s-1980s without isolating Neville Island shipbuilding, and decides a corporate-veil/statutory-bar question, not any exposure fact. Documents the resolution channel (claim bar 13 July 2020; $7M insurer settlement) for Dravo asbestos claims. Cited URL is the official pacourts.us opinion PDF, verified live 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-05
-
[6]Era/design inference consolidated from: Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); LST-1-class class-profile record (lst-1-class.class.json, ships-exposure-map repo) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table; class profile asbestos section; Christman opinion *385
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- LST-1052 is an LST-542-class diesel-powered tank landing ship (hull block LST-980-1059 carries the standard 2 x GM 12-567A plant per BuShips SDB v2 - no boilers). Era-consistent asbestos-relevant applications for the type: diesel engine and exhaust lagging; machinery-space thermal/acoustic insulation; gaskets and valve packing; deck coverings and tile; bulkhead and accommodation insulation; winch and crane brake linings. Builder-level corroboration: Dravo's sworn admission in Christman (ev-uss-lst-1052-04) that asbestos pipe insulation was used in vessel construction at Neville Island 1941-45.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Dravo Neville Island construction trades (1945); ship's company (1945-46)
- Limitations
- Class/era and builder-yard inference only - no document names asbestos aboard this hull. Establishes no quantities, no individual exposure, and no present-day presence (hull scrapped 1947-48). Do not read as 'documented aboard LST-1052.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-06
-
[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 - consistent with, but not probative for, the WWII construction era of this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation of Navy-wide asbestos insulation use and 1970s-era protection policy - not class-specific and not hull-specific; this hull was scrapped in 1947-48, before the documented policy window. Full text returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch; content taken from the GAO product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-07
-
[8]Batch-6540 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; NARA catalog and WWII War Diaries; NVR; CourtListener API v4 opinion and RECAP docket searches; NARA asbestos research guide; pacourts.us opinion; Fold3 search [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-1052-01 through sl-uss-lst-1052-16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum documentation, or docketed case naming LST-1052 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Six authenticated CourtListener queries across the opinion and docket indexes ('LST-1052', 'LST 1052', 'USS LST-1052') all returned zero results.
- 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 - 1945 amphibious construction routinely used asbestos materials and the builder admitted asbestos pipe insulation at the yard in this hull's build window (ev-uss-lst-1052-04). Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. The ship's war diaries (Jul-Aug 1945) contain no asbestos content; other record series (RG 19 hull drawings, RG 24 deck logs/muster rolls) are not digitized and were not examined.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-08
-
[9]NARA research guide, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' - names the record series bearing on ship-specific asbestos research [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA guide sections: RG 19 correspondence entries; Cartographic Branch 19-Hull/19-Micro; RG 24 deck logs & muster rolls paragraph
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA's own asbestos-research guide identifies the hull-level record series for this ship: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) 'Hull Series' Ship Engineering Drawings (Local ID 19-Hull, arranged by hull number, Ship Material Group S-codes incl. S39 Insulation and Lagging and S48 Piping) and Microfilm of Ship Engineering Drawings 1945-1955 (19-Micro); RG 19 general/confidential correspondence by hull and builder (filing code QM/Dravo for the private yard); RG 24 deck logs and muster rolls (useful for dating work periods, contain no direct asbestos information per NARA). LST-1052 deck logs are not among the digitized Navy logbooks (digitization covers later-era ships); WWII-era muster rolls are digitized on Fold3 (subscription).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Archival lead, not a finding: the guide establishes that hull-arranged drawing and correspondence series exist at NARA; whether LST-1052-specific insulation/lagging drawings survive in 19-Hull/19-Micro is unverified and requires on-site or commissioned research. No claim about this hull's materials is made.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-1052-09