Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 643-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-171-lst171-pkt-643-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'LST-171' (NHHC, page published 2015-08-04; live fetch verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-171 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official DANFS entry for this hull (NHHC page live 2026-10-02): 'LST-171 was laid down on 20 October 1942 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 28 February 1943; sponsored by Miss Martha J. Miller; and commissioned on 5 June 1943, Lt. Comdr. H. A. West in command.' WWII Asiatic-Pacific operations listed: Bismarck Archipelago (Cape Gloucester, December 1943 - February 1944; Admiralty Islands landings, February-March 1944); Eastern New Guinea (Saidor occupation, January-February 1944); Western New Guinea (Biak Island, May-June 1944; Cape Sansapor, July-August 1944; Morotai landings, September 1944); Leyte landings, October-November 1944; Visayan Islands landings, March-April 1945; Borneo operations (Tarakan Island, April-May 1945; Balikpapan, June-July 1945). Post-war: occupation duty in the Far East until late October 1945; decommissioned 21 May 1946; struck from the Navy list 3 July 1946; sold to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Md., 26 September 1947 for scrapping. Earned seven battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- LST-171 wartime crew and embarked troops
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history only - contains no asbestos or material content, no crew figure, and no machinery detail. DANFS's commission date (5 June 1943) conflicts by one day with NavSource's (4 June 1943); see ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-09.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-171 page (page last updated 2021-07-30; live fetch verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Timeline, campaign table, specification block, and commanding-officer list on the LST-171 page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource hull page for this hull (live 2026-10-02): laid down 20 October 1942 at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville IN; launched 28 February 1943; 'Commissioned USS LST 171, 4 June 1943, LCDR. Harvey A. West, USNR, in command.' Assignments: LST Flotilla Seven (CAPT. R. M. Scruggs, USN), LST Group Nineteen (CDR. James E. Van Zandt, USNR). Campaign dates listed: Saidor occupation 2-11 January and 4-7 February 1944; Cape Gloucester 26-28 December 1943, 22-25 January and 30 January-2 February 1944; Admiralty Island landings 29 February-4 March and 7-11 March 1944; Hollandia operation 21-26 April and 1-7 May 1944; Biak Island 28 May-9 June 1944; Cape Sansapor 30 July, 4 August, 6-12 and 14-19 August 1944; Morotai landings 15 September 1944; Leyte landings 13-28 October and 12-29 November 1944; Visayan Island landings 26 March and 4 April 1945; Tarakan Island 27 April-5 May 1945; Balikpapan 27 April-5 May and 28 June-7 July 1945. Occupation service 7-13 September and 20 September-22 October 1945. Decommissioned 21 May 1946; struck 3 July 1946; sold 26 September 1947 to Boston Metals Co. for scrapping; seven battle stars. Specification block: 13 officers, 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; two GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers 1,700 shp, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230 V DC ship's-service generators, twin rudders; 11.6 knots (trial). Commanding officers listed: LCDR Harvey A. West USNR (4 June 1943 - May 1944), LT Lester H. Smiley USNR (May 1944 - 23 August 1944), LT Raymond L. McGirl USNR (23 August 1944 - November 1945), LTJG Paul E. DuPont USNR (November 1945 - 21 May 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- LST-171 crew (specification-block complement figure), embarked troops, commanding officers
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; its milestone dates corroborate DANFS except the one-day commission-date difference (4 vs 5 June 1943 - see ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-09). NavSource adds a Hollandia operation line absent from the DANFS campaign list. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-02
-
[4]History of LST Flotilla Seven (Third Amphibious Force unit history; NARA-declassified scan hosted by NavSource, live fetch verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Flotilla roster and operation narrative; LST-171 mentions at Saidor (3 Jan 1944), Tanahmerah Bay staging (17 Apr 1944), Red Beach Leyte damage, casualty-receiving Leyte Nov-Dec 1944, Mindoro (21 and 28 Dec 1944), Cebu (25 Mar-4 Apr 1945), Tarakan departure (27 Apr 1945), Balikpapan (28 Jun-3 Jul 1945), Yokohama (17-23 Sep 1945)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NARA-declassified unit history 'History of LST Flotilla Seven' (NavSource-hosted scan) names this hull repeatedly. LST-171 is on the original Flotilla Seven roster. Entries record: a support landing at Saidor on 3 January 1944 by LSTs 168, 171, 206, 468, and 475; LST-171 among LSTs 467(F), 171, 220, 245, 468, 470, 475 loaded at Goodenough Island for the invasion of Tanahmerah Bay, New Guinea, departing 17 April 1944; at Red Beach, Leyte during the initial landings, 'LSTs 171, 181, 452, and 456 received numerous direct hits from mortar and artillery batteries,' with LSTs 171, 181, and 452 taking 'numerous shell holes in hull and superstructure with resulting damage to guns and equipment' (flotilla-level casualties: 21 killed, 58 wounded, plus heavy embarked-troop casualties); after repairs completed 12 November 1944, LST-171 returned to Leyte in a resupply echelon and remained as a casualty receiving ship through November-December 1944; LST-171 participated in the initial assault on Mindoro, P.I. - the only Flotilla Seven ship in that operation - receiving minor material damage and additional casualties on 21 and 28 December 1944; departed Leyte 23 March 1945 and landed at Cebu 25 March 1945, remaining as casualty receiving ship until 4 April 1945; departed Morotai 27 April 1945 in the 21-LST initial Borneo invasion echelon; departed Morotai 28 June 1945 and landed at Balikpapan 3 July 1945 as first support echelon; joined the occupation-lift unit at Yokohama on 17 September 1945 and departed for Leyte 23 September 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LST-171 crew and embarked troops/casualties
- Limitations
- Operational/combat history only - contains no asbestos or material content. Unit-level document OCR'd from a scanned typescript; OCR artifacts ('4-54' for '454', '4&9' for '469') were read as the hull numbers context indicates. Records hull movements, battle damage, and casualties - not materials or conditions aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-03
-
[5]Navy Medicine, Vol. 85, No. 6 (November-December 1994), Bureau of Medicine and Surgery - 'Operations at Leyte' passage in the WWII 50th-anniversary history series (Wikimedia Commons scan of the official journal, verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Leyte operations narrative, Maryland kamikaze passage naming LST-171
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official Bureau of Medicine and Surgery journal records this hull performing casualty evacuation during the Leyte campaign: after a kamikaze carrying a 500-pound bomb struck USS Maryland (BB-46) at turret one during the Ormoc Bay period, 'The more seriously injured cases were transferred via LST-171 to a hospital ship 15 hours after the crash.' The same passage notes that 'the evacuation of personnel from stricken ships by LSTs became common during the fleet actions around Leyte.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-12 (Leyte/Ormoc Bay period)
- Population
- USS Maryland casualties evacuated via LST-171; LST-171 crew and medical personnel
- Limitations
- Corroborates LST-171's documented casualty-receiving role at Leyte (Flotilla Seven history) but adds no asbestos or material content. The article's chronology places the Maryland hit in the Ormoc Bay landing period; the scan is a mirror of the official BUMED publication. Does not name the receiving hospital ship.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-04
-
[6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, January 1945), LST design/roster section (shipscribe.com scan, live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- LST design table and LST roster
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Bureau of Ships design data for the LST group specifies two General Motors 12-567A diesels, approximately 1,700 shaft horsepower, about 11.6 knots, and design accommodations of 13 officers and 106 enlisted - consistent with, but slightly different from, the NavSource LST-171 specification block (13 officers, 104 enlisted). Supports the diesel design description used for this hull; does not verify the hull's actual complement or any hull-specific material installation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- LST-1-class design and operating personnel
- Limitations
- Class/era design data, not an LST-171 construction or crew record. Establishes the diesel configuration and design accommodations only; does not establish asbestos presence, quantity, condition, or exposure aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-05
-
[7]Conservative synthesis from BuShips LST design data (SDB 1945 v2), the NavSource specification block, and the 1942-1945 Navy asbestos-use-era context documented in GAO HRD-80-2; no hull-specific asbestos document located [other_primary]
- Locator
- LST design table; NavSource spec block; GAO HRD-80-2 product page
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST-1-class hull built October 1942 - June 1943: the plant is two GM 12-567A diesels on two shafts with diesel-driven ship's-service generators - no boilers, so the steam-plant lagging pathway does not apply. Era-standard asbestos-relevant applications aboard a 1942-43 landing ship of this type were diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal and acoustic insulation, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead/accommodation insulation, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and winch/windlass brake linings.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- 1942-1943 construction trades (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron, Evansville) and wartime ship personnel
- Limitations
- Inference only: no cited source names asbestos aboard LST-171 or identifies a product installed on this hull. Does not establish presence, absence, quantity, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-06
-
[8]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (published 1979-10-18, publicly released 1979-10-22) - product page and highlights text [gao]
- Locator
- GAO HRD-80-2 product page Highlights block
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO HRD-80-2 documents the Navy's asbestos-use era at program level: 'GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards. Specifically reviewed were the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities. The Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed to accomplish necessary repairs. This policy was modified in 1979 to include selectively replacing asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas where repairs would be expected during a ship's next operating cycle.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (Long Beach, Norfolk) and shipboard personnel generally
- Limitations
- Program-level context only: GAO fieldwork covered Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not Evansville construction or this hull; the report establishes that asbestos insulation was used aboard Navy ships and describes removal policy, not conditions aboard LST-171. gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to direct automated fetches; content verified via the rendered product page (standing access gap on full text).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-07
-
[9]Batch-6730 search ledger: NHHC DANFS, NavSource hull page and hosted primary documents, BuShips design data, GAO HRD-80-2, Navy Medicine, MARAD, NARA catalog, CourtListener sweep, and secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-171-lst171-01 through sl-uss-lst-171-lst171-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record was located in the sources searched: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or qualifying litigation record naming LST-171 was found. The DANFS entry, NavSource hull page, NARA-declassified LST Flotilla Seven unit history, and the Navy Medicine Leyte passage all lack any asbestos statement.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- A negative public-source search does not prove asbestos was absent aboard a 1942-43 hull. CourtListener coverage was interrupted by the fleet-wide pacing limiter (see ledger); the litigation negative is not exhaustive, is not a merits finding, and does not establish or defeat exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-08
-
[10]Commission-date cross-check: NHHC DANFS LST-171 (5 June 1943) vs NavSource 10/16/160171.htm timeline and CO list (4 June 1943) vs uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/11284.html (5 Jun 1943) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-171 entry; NavSource timeline and CO table; uboat.net LST 171 page
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- DISPUTED, unresolved one-day commission-date conflict: DANFS gives 'commissioned on 5 June 1943' and uboat.net's allied-warships compilation agrees (5 Jun 1943); NavSource's hull page and commanding-officer list give 'Commissioned USS LST 171, 4 June 1943' with LCDR West's command beginning 4 June 1943. No primary commissioning document was located to resolve the difference; the record carries the DANFS date with the conflict disclosed.
- Verification
- disputed
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-06
- Limitations
- A one-day milestone discrepancy between secondary/official compilations, flagged rather than resolved. No asbestos relevance. uboat.net is a secondary compilation corroborating DANFS; NavSource's CO list internally agrees with its own 4 June date.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-171-lst171-09