Evidence
16 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-16).
-
[1]research packet 639-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-133-lst133-pkt-639-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'LST-133' entry - archived Wayback Machine capture (2012-09-14) of the history.navy.mil DANFS page; the live NHHC URL returns 404 (verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'LST-133' entry (single-paragraph entry, Vol. IV-era text); Wayback capture 20120914060745 of http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l11/lst-133.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry for this hull: laid down 24 June 1943 at Seneca, Ill., by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 2 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Bertha Hetelle; commissioned 29 November 1943, Lt. Floyd E. Richards in command. Assigned to the European and Asiatic-Pacific theaters: Invasion of Normandy, June 1944; assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May and June 1945. Post-war occupation duty in the Far East until late December 1945. Used as a target in the Bikini atomic bomb tests July 1946; decommissioned 29 August 1946. Sunk as a target 11 May 1948; stricken from the Navy list 28 May 1948. Earned two battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Limitations
- Official NHHC history text; establishes identity, milestones, and service chronology only. Contains no asbestos, material, overhaul, or condition information. Does not name the June 1944 damage event or the decommissioning/sinking locations.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-01
-
[3]NavSource Naval History, USS LST-133 page (Amphibious Photo Archive, file 10/16/160133; page last updated 6 June 2025) [other_primary]
- Locator
- 160133.htm main page - timeline block, campaign table, personnel-awards block, spec block, CO table, photo-caption block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource compiled record for this hull: LST-1-class tank landing ship laid down 24 June 1943 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 2 November 1943; commissioned 29 November 1943, LT. Floyd E. Richards, USN, in command. Campaign table: Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944 ('Torpedoed in the English Channel 17 June 1944 by U-621' - see correction row ev-06 for the date conflict); Okinawa Gunto assault and occupation 29 May-10 June 1945. Pacific assignment: LST Flotilla Thirty-Five (CAPT. D. H. Johnston), LST Division Two Hundred Five; the flotilla line reads 'Torpedoed and damaged, 15 June 1944, in the English Channel by U-621'. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 27 September-14 October 1945 and 9-18 December 1945. Assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.5 (Target Vessels - Landing Craft Units - LST Group 9) for Operation Crossroads, Bikini Atoll, July 1946. Decommissioned 29 August 1946; struck from the Naval Register 28 May 1948; final disposition sunk as a target 11 May 1948. Personnel awards: Silver Star Medal to CO LT. Floyd E. Richards, USN; Purple Hearts (7 KIA, 17 WIA, 8 MIA including Johnny Irvin Andrus F1/c, 15 June 1944) - figures identical to the ship's own action-report casualty table (ev-04). CO table: Richards 29 Nov 1943-January 1946; LT. Vinton C. Vint, USN, January 1946-29 August 1946. Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; 24,000 mi at 9 kt; two GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders, three 100-kW diesel-driven 230-V DC generators; complement 13 officers/104 enlisted, troop accommodations 16/147; ultimate armament 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm; 2 LCVP. Photography: an LST Homeport image captioned 'damage from a German acoustic mine, date and location unknown' (matching the ship's own 'presumed to be a mine' wording) and three NARA RG 19 Bureau of Ships photographs (NAIDs 505631757, 505631759, 505631761; local IDs 19-LCM-LST133-114562/-114563/-114566) showing the ship arriving at and nested at Norfolk, VA, in January 1945, with LCT-414 aboard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Ship's company 13 officers / 104 enlisted; embarked troops up to 16 officers / 147 enlisted
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary archive with primary-captioned NARA photography; no asbestos information. The campaign table's '17 June 1944' torpedo date conflicts with the same page's flotilla line and personnel-awards line (both 15 June) and with the ship's own action report (15 June) - see correction row ev-06.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-02
-
[4]NARA, 'USS LST-133 - Act Rep of Ops for 6/5-8/44, Bay of the Seine, Normandy, France' (WWII War Diaries microfilm roll A1008, Fold3-scanned, NAID 78472814) - ship-authored action report serial 00168, dated 9 June 1944, CO to Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet (advance copy) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Roll A1008 images 0521-0530 (10 frames): action report serial 00168 and enclosure list (visual signaling log extract; diagram of USS LST #133 on beach Dog Red, 7 June 1944)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship's own D-Day action report (10 frames read in full): assigned Western Task Force, Assault Force O, Group O-3, Convoy Group III; mission to tow a Rhino ferry and tug to the assault area and land heavy artillery and anti-aircraft equipment on beaches in the Bay of the Seine (Sector Fox Green, Beach Omaha); moored Portland Harbor, Dorset; sortied D-1 (5 June) in Convoy Group III (45 LSTs) and took the Rhino ferries in tow at Weymouth Bay; arrived transport area 1900 on 6 June. On D+1 (7 June), under voice order from Captain Wright to 'BEACH AND DRY OUT ON DOG RED AT 1330,' the ship beached on the Dog Red sector of Omaha through an unmarked, obstructed shore line, grounding in six feet of water off the bow amid wrecked obstacles with attached Teller mines; beach engineers detonated ground mines hidden in the sand within 30 feet of the starboard bow and 25 feet of the port bow. The first of 54 vehicles left at 1648 and the last at 1644 (report figures as printed). Night of 6-7 June: a JU-88 strafed the ship and snapped a barrage-balloon cable; all ship's batteries engaged, and hits are claimed for the ship's No. 14 20mm on a second JU-88 that crashed about 800 yards away.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 5-9 June 1944
- Population
- Ship's company and embarked Army units (113th Field Artillery Battalion, 30th U.S. Infantry Division elements per the companion June-15 report)
- Limitations
- Ship-authored operational narrative; documents the Omaha beaching and air action - contains no asbestos, material, or repair-scope content. The secondary claim that this hull was 'the first tank landing ship to land on Omaha Beach' (uboat.net history note) is NOT made in this document and is not asserted in this record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-03
-
[5]NARA, 'USS LST-133 - Rep of Mining on 6/15/44 While Transporting Cargo from England to Normandy, France' (RG 38 WWII War Diaries microfilm roll A1210, Fold3-scanned, NAID 633392773) - ship-authored action report serial 00174, dated 18 June 1944, 'Action Report - 15 June 1944 - Operation NEPTUNE' [other_primary]
- Locator
- Roll A1210 images 0565-0569 (5 frames): serial 00174 pages 1-3, first endorsement (Commander LST Group Thirty, Flotilla Ten, 4 Aug 1944, A. R. Sodergren), second endorsement (CTG 124.5, 3 Nov 1944, L. B. Schulten); received CinC Flag Office 4 Nov 1944
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship's own report of the 15 June 1944 damage event (5 frames read in full): transporting her third cargo of Army vehicles and personnel from Portland Harbor to Beach OMAHA; sailed with convoy EPL-8 at 2200 on 14 June, delayed by late delivery of two C.B. Rhino tugs to be towed, falling 3,000 yards astern of the convoy; at 0816 on 15 June in position 50-01.5 N, 0-49.0 W, course 170 true, speed with tow estimated 10 knots, degaussing on, condition of readiness II, 'without warning an underwater explosion, presumed to be a mine, rocked the ship, and blew the greater part of the fantail into the water.' The ship went to general quarters; the starboard engine stalled; screws and rudder destroyed; watertight integrity from frame 41 forward perfect, with leakage only through bearing packings in the shaft alleys (repaired by ship's force). AMs 55 and 59 (USS Raven and USS Chickadee) took casualties alongside; tug ARIKARA took the tow at 1235; beached at OMAHA at 1938 with LCIs 490 and 84 assisting; unloaded all Army personnel and vehicles by 0200 on 16 June; retracted on the next high tide and berthed alongside a blockship for temporary repairs; left OMAHA 18 June in tow of EMPIRE MEADOW for Southampton. Casualty table (Part VI): ship's company - dead 7, wounded 17, missing 8, shock 7; Army passengers - dead 2, wounded 8, missing 20; C.B. passengers - dead 1, wounded 3, missing 5.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 14-18 June 1944
- Population
- Ship's company plus embarked passengers: HQ and three batteries, 113th Field Artillery Battalion, 30th U.S. Infantry Division, and attached Seabees
- Limitations
- Ship-authored contemporaneous report; the 'presumed to be a mine' wording is the ship's own assessment, not the postwar-attributed U-621 torpedo - see correction row ev-06. 'Bearing packings' is the only material named; no asbestos or insulation content mentioned. Casualty figures are the ship's own accounting (missing not folded into dead); secondary sources print variant totals - see gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-04
-
[6]NARA, 'USS LST-133 - Rep of Damage Sustained from Mining on 6/15/44 in English Channel' (RG 38 roll A1210, Fold3-scanned, NAID 633392784) - ship-authored damage report serial 00175, dated 22 June 1944, signed F. E. Richards [other_primary]
- Locator
- Roll A1210 images 0579-0587 (9 frames): serial 00175 with deck-by-deck itemization (conn deck, bridge deck, main deck, crew quarters, engineering spaces), endorsements by Commander LST Group Thirty / Flotilla Ten and CTG 124.5
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Ship's own itemized damage report (9 frames read in full): the 15 June 1944 underwater explosion destroyed the stern - Nos. 6 and 7 40mm gun tubs blown into the water; stern anchor and anchor winch blown forward into the deck house and into the supports of the Nos. 11 and 12 20mm gun platform; fantail deck blown open; crew quarters and head demolished with all fresh-water, salt-water, and steam lines broken and all lighting and power circuits destroyed including degaussing lines; steering engine room demolished; rudders and screws blown off; refrigeration compartments partly demolished and entirely flooded; after magazines crumpled and crushed; galley ranges and coppers crushed by the anchor winch; sheer strake and main deck cracked at frames 17 and 27 starboard; main deck destroyed aft of frame 47; additional towing damage - tug ARIKARA creased and scarred the port sheer strake for 75 feet and holed the second deck forward of frame 27, and an assisting LCI tore a 3-foot by 1.5-inch hole in the sheer strake forward of frame 11. Material condition Zed modified had been in effect per the CO's D-Day order (all X, Y, and Z doors closed except between living spaces).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- June 1944
- Population
- Ship's company; repair workforce at the undocumented U.S. repair yard (January 1945 and following)
- Limitations
- Documents destruction requiring a major rebuild (the ship was back in service by January 1945 per NARA Norfolk photos - a documented repair event), but names no materials other than systems categories (steam lines, piping, wiring); no asbestos or insulation content is mentioned anywhere in the report. Proves the repair event, not its material scope.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-05
-
[7]uboat.net, 'USS LST-133 - Ships hit by German U-boats' entry (specialist U-boat-war reference; NavSource links to it as its U-621 source) + NavSource campaign table [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship entry 3265 (attack narrative, revision note); NavSource 160133.htm campaign table vs flotilla/personnel-awards lines; NARA NAIDs 633392773/633392784 (primary documents)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CONFLICTS AND RESOLUTIONS: (a) Date - NavSource's campaign table says 'Torpedoed in the English Channel 17 June 1944'; the ship's own reports (serials 00174 and 00175), NavSource's own flotilla line and personnel-awards line, and uboat.net's U-621 entry all fix the event at 15 June 1944 (0816 ship's time, position 50-01.5 N, 0-49.0 W per the ship's report - matching uboat.net's recorded attack position 50 01'N, 0 49'W). The 17 June table entry is inconsistent with the primary record and the same page's other statements; 15 June 1944 is carried. (b) Cause - the ship's contemporaneous assessment was 'an underwater explosion, presumed to be a mine'; postwar German-side research attributes the hit to a Gnat acoustic torpedo fired by U-621 (Hermann Stuckmann) at convoy EPL-8. uboat.net's June 2013 revision transferred this attack credit from USS LST-280 to LST-133 on reported time/position grounds. (c) Casualties - the ship's own table reads ship's company 7 dead/17 wounded/8 missing/7 shock, Army passengers 2/8/20, C.B. passengers 1/3/5; uboat.net's entry prints '43 dead' by counting the missing as dead - a variant secondary accounting, not carried.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944 (event); 2013 (uboat.net revision)
- Limitations
- uboat.net is a specialist secondary reference, not an official source; the U-621/Gnat attribution rests on German records and is corroborated by the ship's own reported position (identical to one minute of arc), convoy (EPL-8), and time. The contemporaneous 'mine' assessment and the postwar 'torpedo' attribution are both recorded; neither affects asbestos status.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-06
-
[8]NHHC, 'Composition of Joint Task Force One' (Operation Crossroads online reading room) - Task Group 1.2 (Target Vessel Group), Task Unit 1.2.5 (Landing Craft Unit), LST Group 9 [other_primary]
- Locator
- JTF-1 composition page, Task Group 1.2 section, Task Unit 1.2.5 LST GRU 9 list; archive fallback http://web.archive.org/web/20251208181244/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/o/operation-crossroads/composition-of-joint-task-force-one.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC roster of Joint Task Force One for Operation Crossroads lists USS LST-133 under Task Group 1.2 (Target Vessel Group), Task Unit 1.2.5 (Landing Craft Unit), LST Group 9 (LST GRU 9) - one of six LSTs (LST-52, -125, -133, -220, -545, -661) assigned as target vessels for the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll, July 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946
- Population
- JTF-1 target-vessel caretaker/positioning crews (cross-reference DNA-TR-82-05-V1 Table 7-2: crew size 78 for this hull)
- Limitations
- Establishes the hull's assignment to the Crossroads target array only; says nothing about asbestos, materials, or post-shot condition. Page verified live via browser-rendered fetch (Firecrawl) 2026-10-02; history.navy.mil returns 404 to plain HTTP fetches (bot filtering), not link rot - Wayback capture 20251208181244 exists as fallback.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-07
-
[9]NHHC, 'Disposition of Target Vessels' (Operation Crossroads online reading room) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Disposition of Target Vessels page, 'LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank)' section; archive fallback http://web.archive.org/web/20251208181458/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/o/operation-crossroads/disposition-of-target-vessels.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC disposition list for Operation Crossroads target vessels records: 'USS LST-133 scuttled off Kwajalein, 11 May 1948.' The hull survived both Bikini shots (Able 1 July, Baker 25 July 1946), was decommissioned during the post-test wind-down (29 August 1946), and was scuttled in the Kwajalein disposal round of 1948 alongside her LST GRU 9 sisters (LST-220 and LST-545 scuttled off Kwajalein 12 May 1948; LST-661, 25 July 1948).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946-1948
- Limitations
- Confirms place, date, and manner of sinking; does not name the scuttling vessel(s), the wreck position, or contamination status of this specific hull. Page verified live via browser-rendered fetch (Firecrawl) 2026-10-02; history.navy.mil returns 404 to plain HTTP fetches (bot filtering) - Wayback capture 20251208181458 exists as fallback (per sibling record batch-6695).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-08
-
[10]Delgado, Lenihan & Murphy, 'The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb: A Submerged Cultural Resources Assessment of the Sunken Fleet of Operation Crossroads at Bikini and Kwajalein Atoll Lagoons,' NPS Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers No. 37 (1991), Appendix I 'Target Vessels at Bikini and Their Disposition' and Chapter Two (full-text mirror at npshistory.com) [nps]
- Locator
- Report Appendix I, LSTs table; Chapter Two, decontamination/Kwajalein sections
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official National Park Service submerged-cultural-resources assessment of the Crossroads sunken fleet lists under 'LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank)': 'LST-133 - Scuttled off Kwajalein, May 11, 1948.' Chapter Two supplies the program context for that disposition: on 10 August 1946 orders were issued to cease decontamination efforts at Bikini and prepare the target ships for towing to Kwajalein after decontamination was found generally unsuccessful; the majority of ships, 'too hot to be decontaminated,' were left at Kwajalein, and 36 target vessels were ultimately sunk in the vicinity of Kwajalein.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946-1948 (events); 1989-1991 (NPS survey)
- Population
- Decontamination and disposal crews, Bikini and Kwajalein, 1946-1948 (program level)
- Limitations
- Corroborates disposal date, place, and the contamination-driven disposal program context. The Kwajalein-group contamination narrative is program-level - the report does not assign a measured contamination level to LST-133 by name in the cited sections. npshistory.com is a non-NPS host carrying the full text of the official 1991 NPS report; live-verified 2026-10-02. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-09
-
[11]Weitz et al., 'Analysis of Radiation Exposure for Naval Units of Operation Crossroads, Volume I - Basic Report,' Science Applications Inc. for Defense Nuclear Agency, DNA-TR-82-05-V1 (3 March 1982) - approved for public release; hosted by Defense Threat Reduction Agency [other_primary]
- Locator
- DNA-TR-82-05-V1: Table 7-2 (non-remanned target ships); Table 5-2 Reclaimer path report (27-28 July 1946 entries); Table 2-4 / Figure 1-3 (non-listing)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Official dose-reconstruction report for Crossroads naval units names this hull twice: Table 7-2 'Summary of Calculated Doses for Target Ship Crews' lists USS LST-133 among NON-REMANNED target vessels with a crew size of 78 and a total film-badge dose of 207 mrem; and the USS Reclaimer (ARS-42) salvage-unit path report (Table 5-2) records 'PASSING LST-133' in the target array on 27 and 28 July 1946 - documenting the hull afloat in the Bikini lagoon array after Shot Baker. The hull is absent from Table 2-4's calculated 24-hour post-Able ship intensities (vessels with calculated intensity below 0.001 R/day are not listed) and from the Baker sunk lists (Figure 1-3).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946 (tests); 1982 (report)
- Population
- Target-vessel crew of 78 (per Table 7-2) - personnel assigned to the hull during Crossroads
- Limitations
- Radiological exposure analysis, not asbestos documentation; included because it is the ship-specific personnel-exposure record this hull's Crossroads service generated. 'Non-remanned' means the vessel was not re-crewed after the test; the crew-size 78 and dose 207 mrem are the report's calculated figures for the target-ship crew, not the wartime complement. Scanned-document table layout verified by direct extraction. dtra.mil returns 403 to direct automated fetch; full text extracted via Firecrawl 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-10
-
[12]NARA Catalog (catalog.archives.gov), records search '"LST-133"' - WWII War Diaries microfilm series, Fold3-scanned; November 1945 war diary (NAID 140084132, roll A2009) read for this record [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog search '"LST-133"'; roll A2009 images 0142 ff. (November 1945 diary); rolls A1008, A1015, A1210 (reports); RG 19 19-LCM-LST133 photo file units
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds a substantial digitized ship-specific record set for this hull: nine monthly war-diary file units (January-March 1944: NAIDs 78280188, 78323462, 78360988; January-April 1945 combined unit NAID 101706683; June-July 1945 NAID 83529811; August 1945 NAID 77490451; September 1945 NAID 77542531; October 1945 NAID 77590345; November 1945 NAID 140084132) plus five RG 38 action/damage reports (NAIDs 78472814 D-Day ops 5-8 June; 78479240 AA action 6 June; 633392779 AA action English Channel; 633392773 mining report; 633392784 damage report) and three Bureau of Ships construction/repair photographs (NAIDs 505631757, 505631759, 505631761, Norfolk January 1945). The November 1945 war diary (read this session) documents the occupation-era close-out: LST Group 103 / Flotilla 35; Task Unit 33.2.13 Batangas Bay, Luzon, to Tokyo Bay with 15 LSTs (1-4 November); moored to the Tsurumi hard, Yokohama, unloading 5 November; return to Saipan 11-12 November with personnel transferred toward discharge - the postwar drawdown.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Limitations
- Archival lead - the war diaries are operational reports; two June 1944 events' reports were read in full and the November 1945 diary sampled; the remaining diary units were located but not exhaustively read. No asbestos, material, or repair-scope content was identified in the documents sampled. Notable coverage gaps in the digitized set: April-December 1944 (the torpedo/repair period is covered instead by the action and damage reports), May 1945, and December 1945-August 1946 (the Crossroads-assignment period).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-11
-
[13]Consolidated era inference - NavSource spec block for this hull (diesel plant, no boilers); Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, April 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); era amphibious-ship construction practice [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 Vol. II LST design table; NavSource spec block (160133.htm); NARA NAID 633392784 damage itemization
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST: LST-1-class ships carried no boilers - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply. Asbestos-relevant applications consistent with the 1943 design and era practice: diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets; engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation; valve, flange, and machinery packing and gaskets; deck coverings/tile; bulkhead and accommodation insulation; winch and crane brake linings. The hull's documented events that could have disturbed such materials: the 15 June 1944 stern destruction (crew quarters, galley, steering engine room, shaft alleys, steam/water lines all demolished per the ship's own damage report) and the subsequent U.S. rebuild, plus the 1946-48 contaminated-fleet decontamination attempts at Bikini/Kwajalein - documented events, undocumented material scope.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Construction trades at the inland Seneca builder's yard (1943); wartime crew; the undocumented U.S. repair-yard workforce (1944-45); Crossroads caretaker and decontamination crews (1946-48)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no ship-level asbestos record exists for this hull and none is expected (scuttled 1948, predating survey/abatement practice). The damage report names systems (steam lines, bearing packings) but no insulation materials; the rebuild's material scope is not documented. Establishes no quantities, no exposure for any individual, and no legal eligibility. Must never be read as 'asbestos documented aboard LST-133.' Note: the shipscribe URL cited by the class profile (shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf) returns 404; the live scan is at /pubs/ (verified HTTP 200 this session).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-12
-
[14]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure,' HRD-80-2 (18 October 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation until the early 1970s - a program-level finding that covers this hull's construction and service era (1943-1948).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era covered includes 1943-1948
- Population
- Navy shipboard personnel and shipyard workers, WWII-1970s (program level)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not hull-specific; does not name LST-133 or the LST program specifically. gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (standing block noted since Batch-01); the product-page description was used and full-text pull remains an open lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-13
-
[15]CourtListener API v4 searches (authenticated via cl-auth-search.py): '"LST-133"' type=o - 0 results; '"USS LST-133"' type=o - 0 results; '"LST-133"' type=r - 1 hit, a name collision [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-133-lst133-08 through -11
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener searches returned no qualifying litigation: the opinion full-text index has zero hits for 'LST-133' and 'USS LST-133' - no reported opinion names this hull (authenticated API, 2026-10-02). The docket index returned one hit for 'LST-133', Hernandez v. Curry (N.D. Cal. 3:07-cv-05455, habeas corpus), where the string appears inside a scanned exhibit attachment - a name collision with no maritime or asbestos content. One docket-form query ('USS LST-133', type=r) could not be completed - the fleet pacing limiter denied the call repeatedly; logged as pending, not as a negative result.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Zero opinion-index hits is a limited negative covering published opinion text only; it does not rule out unreported dockets, settled claims, bankruptcy-trust claims, or VA claims naming this hull. The single docket hit was classified by filing context (habeas exhibit) - the underlying scanned exhibit was not individually retrieved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-14
-
[16]Batch-6703 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC (archived), NavSource, NARA Catalog (war diaries, action reports, damage report, BuShips photos - several documents read in full), NHHC Operation Crossroads JTF-1 composition and target-disposition pages, NPS Delgado et al. 1991, DNA-TR-82-05-V1, Naval Vessel Register, CourtListener opinion and docket searches, general web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-133-lst133-01 through -14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, hazmat disclosure, or verified case naming USS LST-133 (or 'LST-133') was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). A general web sweep for '"USS LST-133" asbestos/mesothelioma' surfaced no ship-specific claims - results were authoritative records (NavSource, uboat.net, DANFS mirror, Wikidata) and one personal genealogy page; no law-firm page uniquely naming this hull was located.
- 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 1943-built hull with a documented major combat-damage rebuild and a contaminated-fleet disposal is consistent with era-standard materials. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-133-lst133-15