Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 651-packet.md (4 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (hull identity
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-243-lst243-pkt-651-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-243 (construction, sponsor, commissioning, campaign list, LSTH-243 redesignation, decommissioning, striking, sale) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry, LST-243 (L section)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents for this hull: laid down 26 April 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 9 July 1943, sponsored by Miss Marybeth Malsie; commissioned 9 August 1943, Lt. F. H. Blaske, USNR, in command. Asiatic-Pacific service: Gilbert Islands operation (Nov-Dec 1943); occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls (Jan-Feb 1944); capture and occupation of Guam (Jul 1944); capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands (Sep-Oct 1944); Lingayen Gulf landings (Jan 1945). Redesignated LSTH-243 15 September 1945; occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946, 'returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 9 January 1946'; struck from the Navy list 17 July 1947; sold 2 April 1948 to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y., for scrapping. Five battle stars for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943); crew (1943-46); embarked troops
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS's 'returned to the United States' phrasing conflicts with NavSource's SCAJAP/Q006 assignment (see gaps). Page is live at NHHC (verified 2026-10-02; note: site returns 404 to HEAD/curl requests but serves full content to GET).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-01
-
[3]NARA, 'USS LST-243 - War History' (NAID 77707008, RG 38, WWII War Diaries series; Micro Serial 159165, 2 images, unrestricted, digitized) plus monthly war diary file units for USS LST-243, 12/1943-10/1945 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA NAID 77707008 (2-page war history); monthly war diaries NAIDs incl. 78478770 (12/1943), 78323473-78571793 (1944), 139770729-139984067, 77590375, 83550755, 140081435, 101766851 (1945) - RG 38 WWII War Diaries series
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's own war history documents: built by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville; 'commissioned on July 31, 1943' (conflicts with DANFS 9 August 1943 - see gaps); fitting-out at New Orleans; shakedown at St. Andrews Bay, Fla.; Panama Canal transit to Pago Pago; launched LVTs under fire at Tarawa 20 November 1943; 'repairs in drydick [drydock] at Pearl Harbor, T.H.' after Tarawa; Kwajalein assault-phase beaching 31 January 1944; Hollandia reserve service April 1944; torpedo-plane attack repelled 15 June 1944 (one plane credited); Guam assault phase 21 July 1944 receiving wounded for four days; Palau assault phase 15 September 1944; Lingayen Gulf assault 9 January 1945 - 'the first LST to be completely unloaded on the Lingayen Beach'; command changes Blaske->Cutts (April 1945, Eniwetok)->Stiller (July 1945)->Canfield (23 November 1945); returned to the U.S., 'went into drydock in San Diego, California and was overhauled' (spring-summer 1945); Seattle loadout; Okinawa, Tokyo Bay, Leyte, Aomori occupation runs; 'prepared for decommissioning' end of December 1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Crew (~13 officers/104 enlisted); embarked troops; Pearl Harbor and San Diego yard trades during documented drydock periods
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated narrative (Office of Public Relations stamped 18 Jan 1946) - exposure-relevant as documentation of two drydock/overhaul periods (Pearl Harbor T.H. ~Jan 1944; San Diego ~Apr-Jul 1945) and a hospital-role designation, which are the maintenance-disturbance pathways for era materials. Contains no asbestos content. The San Diego drydock facility is not named. The 'July 31, 1943' commissioning date conflicts with DANFS.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST(H)-243 ex USS LST-243 - timeline, flotilla/group/division assignment, awards, specifications, CO roster, scrapping disposition [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160243.htm header block, awards, specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline and specifications for this hull: laid down 26 April 1943, Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN; launched 9 July 1943; commissioned USS LST-243 9 August 1943, LT. Floyd H. Blaske, USNR. Assigned LST Flotilla Thirteen, LST Group Thirty-Eight, LST Division Seventy-Six; campaigns as per DANFS plus western Caroline Islands operation southern Palaus 6 Sep-14 Oct 1944. Redesignated LST(H)-243 15 September 1945; occupation duty 2 September 1945 - 9 January 1946; decommissioned 9 January 1946 and 'assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) redesignated Q006'; struck 17 July 1947; sold for scrapping 2 April 1948 to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y. Specs: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full load; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; 2 x GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, Falk main reduction gears, 3 x 100-kW 230V DC diesel-drive ship's service generators, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; complement 13 officers/104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers/147 enlisted; CO roster of five wartime COs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943); crew (1943-46); SCAJAP-period operators (1946-47); shipbreakers, Consolidated Shipbuilding (1948)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation of Navy data, not a primary registry - milestone dates here match DANFS. Contains no asbestos content. The SCAJAP/Q006 assignment conflicts with DANFS's 'returned to the United States' wording and is unresolved. The 1948 scrapping predates modern ACM-handling regulation; no hazmat or material record for the breakup was located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-03
-
[5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 13 April 1945), LST design table + roster (shipscribe.com scan; file relocated from prior /styles/usnaux/sdb/ path) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 v2, 'Landing Ship, Tank (LST)' design-characteristics table and machinery table (LST1-490 row) + accommodations footnotes 1-2
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official BuShips design data for the LST1-490 group (which includes this hull): 328 ft oa, 316 ft wl, 50 ft extreme beam, 2,366 t beaching / 4,080 t full-load displacement, 11.6 kt trial speed; machinery: 2 x G.M. Diesel 12-567A, 1,700 shp; accommodations footnotes: 16 Army officers in addition to 13 Navy officers, 131 Army enlisted in addition to 106 Navy enlisted. Confirms diesel machinery - no steam plant/boilers - for this design group.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Design-group construction trades; crews
- Limitations
- Class design table, not a hull record - the LST1-490 machinery line applies to the group, and no hull-specific material or insulation schedule is included. Establishes propulsion type (defining the asbestos-relevant system set) but says nothing about asbestos itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: BuShips SDB 1945 v2 LST1-490 machinery data (diesel, no boilers); NavSource specifications; NARA asbestos-research guidance (Navy materiel 1941-1961); LST-1-class class-profile notes (inland-yard emergency construction) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Consolidated era inference - SDB machinery data + DANFS/NavSource service record + NARA war history overhaul entries
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered tank landing ship built April-August 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard asbestos applications aboard an LST of this type and period were diesel engine and exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, gaskets, valve packing, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, and winch brake linings. The LST(H) hospital conversion (designated 15 September 1945) and the documented spring-summer 1945 San Diego drydock overhaul are additional interior-rework windows where era insulation materials would have been installed or disturbed.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943); crew incl. engine-room personnel (1943-46); Pearl Harbor and San Diego yard trades at documented drydock periods (1944, 1945); LST(H) conversion trades; shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LST-243. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The diesel plant narrows but does not eliminate the exposure pathways (no boiler lagging, but exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, deck covering and accommodation insulation remain).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-05
-
[7]NOAA Office of Response and Restoration IncidentNews, 'LST 1166; Columbia River' (initial notification: USCG Sector Portland trajectory forecast for removal actions - 'abatement of the onboard asbestos' aboard the former USS Washtenaw County LST-1166) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NOAA IncidentNews incident 7855, initial-notification text
- Finding type
- abatement_record
- Finding
- NOAA/USCG incident documentation records that a retired LST-type hull required 'abatement of the onboard asbestos' along with oil/hazmat removal - official confirmation that LST-type ships carried asbestos. NOTE: LST-1166 (USS Washtenaw County) is a postwar Terrebonne Parish (LST-1156)-class hull built 1951-53 at Christy Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI - a later design than the WWII LST-1 class of this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2004 incident (vessel built 1951-53)
- Population
- Abatement workers on a retired LST (context population)
- Limitations
- Type-level corroboration only: a different class (LST-1156/Terrebonne Parish), built 1951-53, not the WWII LST-1 design - documents that asbestos was used in LST-type construction but does not establish materials aboard LST-243. No fiber content or quantity reported for the subject hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-06
-
[8]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 the Navy's use of asbestos in ships and its insulation-removal policies (1975 policy removed only damaged insulation; modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas), with fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - establishing that Navy ships of this hull's construction era used asbestos insulation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 - confirmed 2026-10-02); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-07
-
[9]NARA guided topic, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov guided-topic page; referenced RG 19 entries (General Correspondence 1940-1945 series incl. A1 1266-I 'L1/A6 thru LVW/NOBS 646' block covering LST file codes)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA states that 'the use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961' is a frequently requested research topic and prescribes the research path for ship-specific asbestos documentation: BuShips RG 19 correspondence filed by hull designation (for this hull, filing code LST243), then class correspondence (LST1), plus shipyard correspondence for construction/overhaul yards - an actionable, still-open archival lead for this hull alongside the digitized war diary series.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1961 (coverage window)
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Research guidance, not a finding: NARA documents that asbestos was used in Navy materiel 1941-1961 generally and tells researchers where hull-specific records live. Nothing located in RG19/LST243 correspondence yet - that pull is the open lead. Does not establish asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-08
-
[10]Indiana Historical Society, collection finding aid for James H. Kellar, 'The Evansville Shipyard: Outside Any Shipbuilding Zone' (mss 0295) [other_primary]
- Locator
- IHS collection-information PDF (historical-sketch section)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Evansville Shipyard (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron, Shipbuilding Division) that built this hull was the Navy's inland emergency LST yard: selected January 1942, in production from summer 1942, largest wartime employer in Evansville with a peak workforce over 19,000, and ceased production late summer 1945 after constructing 202 vessels, 167 of them LSTs - mass-production wartime conditions under which era-standard insulation materials were installed on the class.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Evansville shipyard workforce (~19,000 peak, 1942-45)
- Limitations
- Builder-yard context only - documents the yard's scale and schedule, not materials used on this hull. The Kellar manuscript itself (368 pp., IHS William Henry Smith Memorial Library) was not retrieved - it is an archival lead for construction-period detail, not an asbestos source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-09
-
[11]Batch-6790 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live); NavSource 160243; NARA catalog (war history + monthly war diaries, digitized); BuShips SDB 1945 v2; NARA asbestos research guide; NOAA IncidentNews; CourtListener API v4 opinion and docket searches; IHS yard history; secondary web litigation/VA sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-243-lst243-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, scrapping material record, or docketed case naming USS LST-243 / LST(H)-243 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener API v4 (authenticated) returned zero results for "LST-243" on both opinion (type=o) and docket/RECAP (type=r) indexes and zero for "USS LST-243" on the opinion index, 2026-10-02. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case or VA/BVA decision; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content on generic ship lists (asbestos.com, mesotheliomahope.com, asbestos-ships.com, mesotheliomaveterans.org) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- 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 - the hull's wartime construction inside the documented asbestos-use era, its LST(H) conversion, and its 1945 overhaul keep era inference reasonable. Negative result covers public sources only; the BuShips RG19/LST243 correspondence, full war-diary text, and scrapping-contract records are undigitized/unexamined leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-243-lst243-10