Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 659-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-304-lst304-pkt-659-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-304 (complete entry: construction, sponsor, US commission, UK transfer, return, strike, sale) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-304 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry (complete, two sentences): 'LST-304 was laid down on 3 July 1942 at the Boston Navy Yard; launched on 21 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Justine F. Dinn; and commissioned on 29 November 1942. LST-304 was transferred to the United Kingdom on 30 November 1942 and returned to United States Navy custody on 29 November 1946. On 1 August 1947, she was struck from the Navy list and sold to Tung Hwa Trading Co., Singapore, on 7 October 1947 for conversion for merchant service.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Boston Navy Yard construction trades (Jul-Nov 1942)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS records no US operational service - the transfer one day after commission is the entirety of her US Navy career. Entry does not state a decommission date for the US commission (30 November 1942 decommission-for-transfer per secondary sources).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, HM LST-304 - Lend-Lease transfer, Royal Navy campaign list, Ostend collision, Hong Kong, pay-off, strike and sale dates, specification block, IWM-captioned photographs [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160304.htm header block, Royal Navy History section, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 3 July 1942 at Boston Navy Yard; launched 21 September 1942; 'saw no active service with the US Navy'; transferred to the United Kingdom 30 November 1942 and commissioned into the Royal Navy as HM LST-304 the same day. Sailed from New York 27 January 1943 with the 1st Flotilla for Mediterranean duty via Bermuda. Campaigns listed: Sicilian occupation; Salerno landings; West Coast of Italy operations-1944 (Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings); invasion of Normandy; shuttle service between Tilbury, Ostend and Antwerp. Collided with blockship at Ostend October 1944, 'badly holed.' Sailed for the invasion of Malaya but orders changed; instead sailed from Trincomalee as part of a special force for Hong Kong ('believed to be Operation Tiderace'). Paid off, possibly at Singapore, 19 February 1946. Returned to US Navy custody 29 November 1946; struck 1 August 1947; sold 7 October 1947 to Tung Hwa Trading Co., Singapore, for merchant conversion; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Royal Navy crew HM LST-304 (1942-46); embarked troops; Boston NY construction trades (1942)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - the RN campaign list and the 'possibly at Singapore' pay-off location are uncorroborated at item level (Ostend collision and Normandy presence ARE corroborated by official RN war diaries - see ev-03/ev-04). Contains no asbestos content. URL verified live 2026-10-02 (navsource.net, not the dead .org domain).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-02
-
[4]Royal Navy Naval Staff War Diary, October 1944 (days 1-15), published by the Navy Historical Branch on royalnavy.mod.uk - L.S.T. 304 casualty at Ostend [other_primary]
- Locator
- War Diary Naval 1944-10 day 1-15: Ostend sitreps and signals of 6-7 October 1944 (entries incl. N.O.I.C. Ostend 061750/062327A; Situation Report 6th October para 2(a); F.O.B.A.A. 071234A)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official wartime diary documentation of the Ostend casualty: 'The N.E. gale necessitated the closing of Ostend Harbour. L.S.T. 304 got into difficulties with the blockship, was damaged and dragged her anchor, with flooded engine room, onto a lee shore.' Signals record 'Position of L.S.T. 304 serious. Anchored close to Lee shore, engine room flooded. Rescue Tugs needed urgently' (N.O.I.C. Ostend 062327A, i.e., 6 October 1944); 'Tug SEAMAN was eventually provided by Dover and towed L.S.T.304 away from Ostend'; tug DEXTEROUS also sailed to Portsmouth for onward routing via Dover to Ostend to render assistance (F.O.B.A.A. 071234A).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-10
- Population
- RN crew during casualty and tow; dockyard repair workers (location undocumented)
- Limitations
- Primary official source for the casualty event and flooded-engine-room damage; does not document where or how repairs were performed, what materials were disturbed, or any asbestos content. Flooded engine room + tow implies a repair availability somewhere in UK/Belgium - work record not located. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-03
-
[5]Royal Navy Naval Staff War Diary, June 1944 (days 16-30), Operation Neptune situation reports and convoy F.T.M.16 entries - L.S.T. 304 listed [other_primary]
- Locator
- War Diary Naval 1944-06 day 16-30: Operation 'Neptune' Situation Reports; convoy F.T.M.16 table entry
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official wartime diary listing of L.S.T. 304 within Operation 'Neptune' situation reports (the Normandy naval operation) - entry '(F) L.S.T. 304 (I), 87 (II) 512705' in the Neptune sitrep section, and convoy table entry 'F.T.M.16 ... L.S.T. 304. (1) 11 (2) 1' among follow-up transport sailings (Capt. N.S. 230900). Corroborates at primary level NavSource's Normandy campaign listing and the IWM-captioned 'high and dry on the beach at Normandy, June 1944' photographs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-06
- Population
- RN crew and embarked troops/personnel carried, June 1944
- Limitations
- Signal-list presence documents participation in the Normandy build-up; the diary does not describe LST-304's specific beach, cargo, or casualties. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-04
-
[6]Imperial War Museums object record A 23087 (Second World War Admiralty Official series, Lt. C. H. Parnall): 'PRE INVASION FLEET EXERCISES IN ENGLISH CHANNEL. 1 TO 5 MAY 1944, ON BOARD LST 304 IN ENGLISH CHANNEL.' [museum_official]
- Locator
- IWM collections object 205155218, catalogue number A 23087
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official museum documentation that Admiralty photographers worked on board LST 304 during pre-invasion fleet exercises in the English Channel, 1-5 May 1944 (catalogue A 23087; description 'Tank landing craft going to land their cargoes. Note the Red Cross ambulance in foreground'). The A 2308x series from this shoot documents the vessel's internal spaces and deck activity immediately before Normandy.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-05-01 to 1944-05-05
- Population
- RN crew and exercise personnel aboard, May 1944
- Limitations
- Archival lead: photographic-presence documentation, not a material or work record. Images may incidentally depict insulation/deck materials but IWM cataloguing makes no material claims. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-05
-
[7]Imperial War Museums object record SE 4949 (War Office, Central Office of Information and American Second World War Official Collection; No. 9 Army Film and Photo Section, Sgt. R. J. Watson): 'THE BRITISH REOCCUPATION OF HONG KONG, 1945' [museum_official]
- Locator
- IWM collections object 205208353, catalogue number SE 4949, production date 1945-09-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official museum documentation: 'Men of the 3rd Commando Brigade pass the time on board Landing Ship Tank LST 304 by playing cribbage. LST 304 sailed as part of the first convoy to Hong Kong following the Japanese surrender.' Production date 12 September 1945. Establishes embarked troops of the 3rd Commando Brigade aboard this hull during the Hong Kong reoccupation convoy; companion NavSource-captioned IWM frames SE 4950 (underway 1945) and SE 4970 (sampans alongside entering Hong Kong Harbour) document the same deployment.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-08/09
- Population
- RN crew; embarked 3rd Commando Brigade personnel, Aug-Sep 1945
- Limitations
- Documents embarked-personnel presence aboard, not materials. Establishes the exposed-population category (embarked 3rd Commando Brigade) for era inference; no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-06
-
[8]uboat.net Allied Warships: HMS LST 304 (LST 304) and USS LST 304 (ship/11380.html) - order date, US/RN commission dates, end of service, RN commanding officers [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net ship/11380.html (USN record) and ship/12250.html (RN record incl. commands table)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- uboat.net US-side record: ordered 20 May 1942; laid down 3 July 1942; launched 21 September 1942; commissioned 29 November 1942; end service 30 November 1942 - 'Decommissioned on 30 November 1942 for transfer to the Royal Navy. Returned to the USN on 29 November 1946. Sold on 7 October 1947.' RN-side record: commissioned 30 November 1942, end service 19 February 1946; commanding officers Lt. J. F. G. Fotheringham RNR (Aug 1943-mid 1944) and A. F. Dod RNR (mid-1944-Nov 1945).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- RN commanding officers and crew, 1942-1946
- Limitations
- Reputable volunteer-compiled secondary source (Guðmundur Helgason), not a primary registry; dates cross-check with DANFS/NavSource. 'Ordered 20 May 1942' rests on this source alone. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-07
-
[9]Era inference built on: NavSource specification block for this hull (2 x GM 12-567A diesels 900 hp, Falk reduction gear, 3 x 100 kW diesel generators, 11.6 kt); BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); LST-1 class profile era applications [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource spec block; BuShips SDB1945v2 LST design table (shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf); lst-1-class.class.json
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LST-1-class tank landing ship built July-November 1942 at Boston Navy Yard sits inside that yard's and the era's documented asbestos-use period. As a diesel ship she carried no boilers - the steam/boiler lagging pathway does not apply; era-standard applications for this type were GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. The RN took delivery one day after US commission, so construction-era material decisions are US Navy yard practice.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1947
- Population
- Boston Navy Yard construction trades (Jul-Nov 1942); RN crew (1942-46); dockyard repair workers Oct 1944 (location undocumented); Singapore conversion yard workers (1947)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, survey, or work package located for LST-304. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-08
-
[10]In re John Crane, Inc., No. 01-03-00698-CV (Tex. App. 1st Dist. 2003) - as carried in the Atlas shipyards.json record for boston-naval-shipyard [court_record]
- Locator
- In re John Crane, Inc., No. 01-03-00698-CV (Tex. App. 1st Dist. 2003), via shipyards.json boston-naval-shipyard evidence
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Yard-level asbestos litigation documentation for the builder: the Atlas shipyards registry records that a worker alleged exposure to John Crane gaskets and sealing materials at Boston Naval Shipyard (Charlestown) - the yard that built this hull July-November 1942. Documents asbestos-product presence at the construction site, at allegation stage.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- opinion 2003; exposure period not stated
- Population
- Boston Naval Shipyard workers (construction era incl. 1942)
- Limitations
- Yard-level, not hull-level: names the shipyard, not LST-304. Appellate opinion addressing a procedural question; the underlying exposure claim is an allegation, not a finding. Does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, or quantity. Citation carried via the yard registry record (shipyards.json ev-boston-naval-shipyar-02).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-09
-
[11]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; standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. This hull was built under US Navy yard practice in 1942 - inside the documented use era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); use era spanning 1942 construction
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; the surveyed program concerns US Navy ships and yards. This hull's service was almost entirely Royal Navy (US commission lasted one day), and the 1975/79 policies postdate her disposal by decades - use as construction-era context only. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, standing since 2026-09-14) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-10
-
[12]Batch-6840 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; RN Naval Staff war diaries Jun/Oct 1944; IWM object records A 23087/SE 4949; uboat.net; NVR; secondary web sweeps; CourtListener (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-304-lst304-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS/HM LST-304 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The one CourtListener query that completed - exact-string "LST-304" across the opinion index - returned zero hits. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no law-firm marketing page for this hull; the only asbestos-adjacent hit was an 'asbestos clad' reference to timber accommodation structures on a Combined Operations veterans' page - unrelated to shipboard material. CAVEAT: remaining CourtListener queries (docket index, name variants) could not be run - the authenticated helper returned the fleet pacing limit (~114/hr shared budget spent) on repeated attempts; logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result.
- 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 litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). UK National Archives ADM 53 ship's logs, the post-Ostend repair record, and the 1947 Singapore merchant conversion are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-304-lst304-11