Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 656-packet.md (2 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-281-lst281-pkt-656-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-281 - construction at American Bridge Co., Ambridge; launch and sponsor; commissioning; Normandy/southern France/Okinawa service; occupation duty; decommissioning; SCAJAP transfer; MSTS T-LST-281; struck and sold; three battle stars [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-281 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS (NHHC): LST-281 laid down 25 June 1943 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched 30 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Mary Richards; commissioned 8 November 1943. Assigned to the European theater - invasion of Normandy June 1944 and invasion of southern France August-September 1944; then Asiatic-Pacific theater - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto June 1945. Occupation duty in the Far East until early February 1946; decommissioned 9 March 1946; transferred to the Shipping Control Authority, Japan, 20 May 1949; served with MSTS as USNS T-LST-281 from 31 March 1952 until struck from the Navy list 19 May 1954 and sold. Earned three battle stars for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1954
- Population
- WWII crew (~13 officers, 104 enlisted + embarked troops); occupation-duty crew; SCAJAP Japanese merchant crew; MSTS civilian crew
- Limitations
- Official NHHC DANFS entry - authoritative for milestones and campaigns. Contains no asbestos, material, survey, or crew-health information; does not name the Normandy beach; does not document the 1946-1949 laid-up period or post-sale fate beyond 'sold'. Page verified live 2026-10-02 via browser-agent fetch (the site returns 404 to non-browser HEAD requests - agent-gated, not dead).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USNS T-LST-281 ex USS LST-281 - designation timeline, campaign table with dates, commanding officers, awards, and specification block [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160281 - timeline, campaign table, CO list, specifications block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource (LST-1 class page for this hull): commissioned 8 November 1943, Lt. Harold R. Southworth USNR in command. EAME campaigns: Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944; invasion of southern France 15 August - 25 September 1944. Asiatic-Pacific: Okinawa Gunto operation 21-30 June 1945, under LST Flotilla Thirty-Five / LST Group One Hundred Three / LST Division Two Hundred Six. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 20 September - 20 December 1945 and 5-9 February 1946. Decommissioned 9 March 1946; assigned to COMNAVFE SCAJAP 20 May 1949, redesignated Q092; transferred to MSTS 31 March 1952 as USNS T-LST-281; out of service and struck from the Naval Register 19 May 1954. Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; 2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230 V D.C. generators, 1,700 shp, twin rudders; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troop berthing 16 officers + 147 enlisted. Commanding officers: Lt. Southworth (Nov 1943 - Aug 1945), Ltjg. Kenneth H. Squires (Aug - Dec 1945), Lt. Stephen J. Kucey (Dec 1945 - 9 Mar 1946). Final disposition: fate unknown.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1954
- Population
- Ship's company 1943-1946; occupation crew; SCAJAP/MSTS crews 1949-1954
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-maintained archival compilation (not an official record) but the canonical per-hull reference; its campaign dates and CO list are NARA/DANFS-consistent. Page verified live 2026-10-02 (navsource.net - the .org domain is dead). Contains no asbestos information. 'Fate unknown' conflicts with the secondary yard-list 'scrapped 1955' - see ev-05 and gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-02
-
[4]NavSource photographic record for LST-281 - US National Archives-captioned images incl. photo 80-G-252243 (invasion staging, Dart River, Dartmouth, 2 June 1944) and the SCAJAP Q092 Inchon beaching image (16 September 1950) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160281 image table (photos 1016028101-104; NARA 80-G-252243)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA-captioned photographs displayed on the NavSource page document this hull at named events: at anchor off Fowey, England, 27 April 1944; among invasion shipping in the Dart River at Dartmouth awaiting the invasion signal, 2 June 1944 (US National Archives photo 80-G-252243, alongside LCT(6)-551/-527/-528, LST-230, LST-49, and LST-311); at anchor off the Normandy coast, June 1944; and - as SCAJAP LST Q092 - beached on Yellow Beach, Inchon, 16 September 1950 with SCAJAP Q081 (ex LST-626) in the background.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944; 1950
- Limitations
- Photographic captions (NARA-attributed via NavSource) establish presence at the events photographed; they document no work performed aboard, no material condition, and no exposure. The Inchon frame places the ex-hull (Japanese-crewed, SCAJAP) at the Inchon landing logistics phase one day after the 15 September 1950 assault - it does not establish participation in the assault itself. NARA catalog (catalog.archives.gov) is JS-rendered and could not be queried from this session; NAID-level verification of 80-G-252243 remains an open lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-03
-
[5]NavalCoverMuseum (Museum of Naval Covers) LST 281 page - ship name and designation history, sponsor, awards summary, postal-cover artifact (Locy 2z postmark 17 April 1945) [museum_official]
- Locator
- NavalCoverMuseum LST_281 - designation table, postmark table, other-information section
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavalCoverMuseum designation history confirms the full chain: USS LST-281 commissioned 8 November 1943 - decommissioned 9 March 1946; transferred 20 May 1949 to COMNAVFE Shipping Control Authority for the Japanese Merchant Marine (SCAJAP), redesignated Q092; transferred to MSTS and placed in service 31 March 1952 as USNS T-LST-281; out of service and struck from the Naval Register 19 May 1954; fate unknown. Sponsor Mrs. Mary Richards confirmed; awards list (EAME 2 stars, Asiatic-Pacific 1 star, WWII Victory, Navy Occupation w/ Asia clasp, National Defense Service Medal) consistent with NavSource. A censored sailor's-mail cover postmarked aboard 17 April 1945 documents postal operations in service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1954
- Limitations
- Museum wiki is a philatelic archive - corroborates designations and dates against DANFS/NavSource but is not an official naval record; 'fate unknown' here matches NavSource and is consistent with a missing post-sale record rather than affirmative scrapping documentation. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-04
-
[6]Naval Marine Archive, 'American Bridge, Ambridge PA' shipyard history and build list - yard background (US Steel subsidiary, Navy requisition 1942, $9M Navy investment) and the LST 281 build-list row ('U.S. Navy, Landing Ship, 8-Nov-43, To MSTS 1952, scrapped 1955') [other_primary]
- Locator
- navalmarinearchive.com American Bridge page - yard history paragraph + build-list table row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Naval Marine Archive's American Bridge yard page documents the builder (U.S. Steel subsidiary; Pittsburgh/Ambridge yard on the Ohio River requisitioned by the Navy in 1942 with $9M invested in improvements; built LSTs plus structural components for 43 aircraft carriers and 81 cargo ships; closed 1981) and carries the build-list row for this hull: 'LST 281, U.S. Navy, Landing Ship, 8-Nov-43, To MSTS 1952, scrapped 1955' - the only located source naming a post-sale fate (scrapping in 1955).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943; 1952; 1955
- Population
- American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1942-1945)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation (Canadian naval-archive charity) - 'scrapped 1955' is not corroborated by DANFS (which says only 'sold') or NavSource/NavalCoverMuseum ('fate unknown'), and no scrapping yard, contract, or buyer is named. Carried as an archival lead at partial verification, not an established disposition. No asbestos or hazmat content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block for this hull (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, diesel-drive generators, no steam plant) and the LST-1-class design record (BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 design table as transcribed in the lst-1-class profile - the shipscribe.com PDF cited there returned HTTP 404 on 2026-10-02 and could not be re-verified) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block (this hull) + lst-1-class class profile design data
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this diesel-powered LST: no boilers aboard, so the steam-plant lagging pathway is absent; era-typical asbestos applications for the type are engine and exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets and valve packing, joiner/bulkhead and accommodation insulation, deck coverings/vinyl-asbestos tile, and winch/crane brake linings. Construction-era amphibious auxiliaries were built within the Navy's documented asbestos-use period (see GAO row).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1955
- Population
- American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1943); ship's company; embarked troops; SCAJAP/MSTS crews (1949-1954)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no ship-specific material schedule, survey, or abatement record exists for this hull. Establishes no quantities, no individual exposure, and no present-day presence (hull disposed of in the 1950s). The BuShips primary design table could not be re-verified this session (source PDF 404); inference rests on the corroborated machinery description in the NavSource spec block.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - establishing that WWII-era naval construction used asbestos insulation extensively and that original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (policy context for 1943-1954 construction/service)
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not hull- or class-specific; postdates this ship's 1954 disposal, so it frames era exposure potential at construction and service only. gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch (confirmed 2026-10-02); content is from the product-page description - full text remains an open lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-07
-
[9]Lemen RA et al., 'Sailors and the Risk of Asbestos-Related Cancer,' Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18(16):8417 (PMC8394725) - peer-reviewed review of shipboard asbestos use and sailor disease epidemiology [other_primary]
- Locator
- PMC8394725 sections 'Asbestos Use in Ships' and 'Epidemiological Findings of Disease among Sailors'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed review documents that chrysotile and amphibole asbestos were used extensively in ship construction - joiner bulkhead systems in living spaces, hot-water and steam pipe insulation, inside and outside boilers and tanks, machinery casings, lagging, and vinyl-asbestos deck/floor tile - and that epidemiologic studies found elevated mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancer risk among sailors, who unlike shipyard workers live at their worksite 24 h/day.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2021 (review of 1918-2020 literature)
- Population
- Seagoing crews generally (merchant and naval)
- Limitations
- General maritime epidemiology - does not name LST-281, the LST type, or any naval hull; portions address merchant-marine crews. Useful only to frame why era shipboard applications matter for crew exposure potential; establishes nothing about this hull. Verified live via PMC full text 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-08
-
[10]Batch-6819 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NavSource amphibious archive; NavalCoverMuseum; Naval Marine Archive yard page; NARA catalog; MARAD ship-history database; CourtListener; law-firm/marketing exclusion sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-281-01 through sl-uss-lst-281-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, government study, or docketed case naming LST-281 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only 'asbestos' web content touching LSTs is law-firm marketing material for other hulls - 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 1943 construction sits squarely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era, so era-consistent inference is reasonable but unproven at ship level. CourtListener coverage was limited by fleet pacing this session (see ledger sl-uss-lst-281-07) - litigation status is an open gap, not a fully negative result. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-281-09