USS LST-309

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [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-309-lst309-pkt-659-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, LST-309 - construction at Boston Navy Yard, sponsor, commissioning, ETO campaign list, occupation duty, decommission/strike/sale, battle stars (live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS service narrative (single-paragraph LST-format entry)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: 'LST-309 was laid down on 22 September 1942 at the Boston Navy Yard; launched on 23 November 1942; sponsored by Miss Mildred M. Leydon; and commissioned on 11 January 1943, Lt. C. A. Lanborn, USNR, in command.' WWII service assigned to the European theater: Sicilian occupation July 1943; Salerno landings September 1943; Invasion of Normandy June 1944. 'Following the war, LST-309 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945.' Decommissioned 19 June 1946; struck from the Navy list 23 June 1947; sold 1 June 1948 to Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, Tex., 'and converted for merchant service.' Three battle stars for WWII service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Boston Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); crew (1943-46)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific official history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS prints the commissioning CO as 'Lanborn' while NavSource's roster and header print 'Lamborn' (Charles Alonzo) - spelling conflict logged in gaps; NavSource spelling is likely correct but DANFS is the official record. DANFS gives the sale date (1 June 1948); the MARAD status card gives delivery date 25 June 1948 - distinct events, not a conflict. Page verified live 2026-10-02 via Firecrawl fetch; direct fetches from the research host return 404 absent a browser User-Agent (CDN filtering, not link rot).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-309 (10/16/160309) - campaign dates with day ranges, flotilla/group/division assignment, spec block, CO roster, photographic record, disposal line [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160309 header, campaign table, specifications block, CO table, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource record for this hull: LST-1 Class tank landing ship; laid down 22 September 1942 at Boston Navy Yard; launched 23 November 1942; commissioned USS LST-309, 11 January 1943, LT. C. A. Lamborn, USNR, in command. Europe-Africa-Middle East campaigns with day ranges: Sicilian occupation 9-15 July 1943; Salerno landings 9-21 September 1943; Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944. Asiatic-Pacific assignment: LST Flotilla Thirty-Six (CAPT. D. F. J. Shea), LST Group One Hundred Seven (CDR. L. F. Teuscher), LST Division Two Hundred Fourteen. Occupation service in the Far East 19 October - 6 November 1945. Decommissioned 19 June 1946; struck 23 June 1947; three battle stars; sold for conversion to merchant service 1 June 1948 to Humble Oil and Refining Co., Houston, TX; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 4 LCVP; ultimate armament 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm; propulsion 2 x GM 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, 3 diesel-drive 100kW 230V DC ship's service generators, 2 propellers, 1,700 shp, twin rudders. Award ribbons displayed: American Campaign, Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign (3 stars), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, WWII Victory, Navy Occupation (Asia clasp), Philippine Liberation. Photographic record documents: underway off Boston 2 February 1943 (probable acceptance trials); off England 1944 (US National Archives image); beached on Omaha Beach, Normandy, August 1944; with LCT-539 on her main deck at Pearl Harbor, T.I., 1945 and January 1946; on the beach at Saipan, December 1945. CO roster: LT/LCDR Charles Alonzo Lamborn (11 Jan 1943-Sep 1944); LT William H. A. Hauser (Sep 1944-Apr 1945 and Jun-31 Dec 1945); LT Melvin Sudheimer (Apr-Jun 1945); LTjg Mervin Robert Lippman (31 Dec 1945-Mar 1946); LTjg Francis J. Cain (Mar-1 May 1946).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Construction trades (Boston Navy Yard 1942-43); crew (1943-46); embarked troops (1943-45)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation tracking official sources; milestone dates agree with DANFS. Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon is displayed without a Pacific campaign entry in the table - consistent with post-VE-Day transfer for occupation duty, not Pacific combat. Photo captions (Omaha Beach August 1944, Saipan December 1945) are contributor-supplied and not independently verified against the photo archives. Contains no asbestos content. Page verified live 2026-10-02 (navsource.net, HTTP 200).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-02

4. [4]NHHC, United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 (official wartime organization table) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC online reading room, US Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945, LST Flotilla Thirty-Six > LST Group 107 > LST Division 214 listing

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The official 1 May 1945 Pacific Fleet organization lists LST 309 under LST Division 214, within LST Group 107, within LST Flotilla Thirty-Six - confirming the NavSource assignment chain and placing this hull in the Pacific Fleet organization before war's end.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1945-05-01

   Population

   Crew, 1945 Pacific assignment

   Limitations

   Establishes administrative assignment as of 1 May 1945 only; says nothing about operations performed, location, or material condition. Consistent with DANFS's post-war Far East occupation-duty statement but does not itself establish a Pacific combat record - no Pacific campaign is listed for this hull in the NavSource campaign table. Page verified live 2026-10-02 (browser-UA fetch HTTP 200; same CDN filtering as other NHHC pages).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-03

5. [5]NHHC photograph 80-G-44194 (USS LST-309 at Salerno, 9 September 1943) and 19-N-43607 (sponsor Miss Mildred M. Leydon at launching, Boston Navy Yard, 23 November 1942) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC photo catalog 80-G-44194; 19-N-43607

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official NHHC-held photography documents this hull at two documented points: 80-G-44194, 'Heads inshore to the beach, during the Salerno Invasion, 9 September 1943' (National Archives-owned image, NHHC catalog), and 19-N-43607, sponsor Miss Mildred M. Leydon at the launching ceremony, Boston Navy Yard, 23 November 1942.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1943

   Population

   Crew and embarked troops during Salerno assault (Sep 1943)

   Limitations

   Photographs establish presence and event context (Salerno assault wave; Boston Navy Yard launch) - not material condition, insulation content, or any exposure fact. NHHC's online caption spells the location 'Saleron' [sic]. Pages verified live 2026-10-02 via browser-UA fetch.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-04

6. [6]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - LST-309 (ShipHistory Detail 9334), vessel status card image 467_01.png [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MARAD ShipHistory Detail 9334, Status Cards tab, card 467_01.png

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory entry for LST-309: Type 'LST Tank Landing Ship', MARAD type Military, fate 'Sold - No Further Info'. The digitized vessel status card (467_01.png) reads: basis to U.S.M.C. 'Navy Surplus'; layup location 'Suisun Bay'; 'Sold to Humble Oil & Refining Co' under 'SP Act 1936'; date and time delivered '6-25-48' - documenting Suisun Bay reserve-fleet layup between decommissioning and sale, and delivery to the buyer 25 June 1948 (DANFS records the sale date as 1 June 1948).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1946-1948

   Population

   Suisun Bay NDRF caretakers (1946-48); Humble Oil conversion workforce (1948)

   Limitations

   Status card is a custody/sales instrument - it documents layup location, buyer, statutory basis, and delivery date, but no condition survey, materials inventory, or hazmat content. 'SP Act 1936' is the card's own notation (surplus-property sale authorization). Card is handwritten/partially legible; read directly from the scanned image 2026-10-02.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-05

7. [7]Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1976-77, A-L volume (Lloyd's Register Foundation scan, Internet Archive) - ILE DE L'EUROPE registry entry [other_primary]

   Locator

   Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1976-77 A-L, ILE DE L'EUROPE entry (archive.org HECROS1977AL, printed p.1692; OCR text layer verified against register column format)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Lloyd's Register 1976-77 carries ILE DE L'EUROPE as a tender: register number reads 1431076 in the OCR text layer (NavalCoverMuseum reports IMO 7431076 - variance logged in gaps); tonnage 3337; built 1943 at 'U.S. Navy Yard-Bos'; machinery 2 Vee oil engines, each 12-cylinder 226 x 254, 1,343 kW (1,800 bhp), General Motors Corp.; ex S-26-72; ex LST 309; owner Foramer S.A.; registered Dunkirk, French flag; notation 'conv' (converted). This is an authoritative registry confirmation of the merchant-service chain ex LST-309 -> S-26 -> ILE DE L'EUROPE.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1948-1977 (listing window); merchant service into early 1990s

   Population

   Humble Oil tender workforce (1948-c.1972); Foramer S.A. tender crew (c.1972-early 1990s)

   Limitations

   Registry data only - establishes the name chain, tonnage, builder attribution, owner, flag, and that the hull survived into merchant service through at least the 1976-77 register edition (NavalCoverMuseum reports continued listing into the early 1990s). No material, insulation, hazmat, or condition content. Digit-level variance between the OCR'd register number (1431076) and NavalCoverMuseum's IMO (7431076) is unresolved at OCR fidelity. The 'non-self-propelled tender moored to an oil platform' configuration is NavalCoverMuseum's description, not stated in the Lloyd's entry.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-06

8. [8]NavalCoverMuseum (Naval Cover Museum), LST 309 designation-history page [museum_official]

   Locator

   navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/LST_309, Ship Name and Designation History section

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavalCoverMuseum's designation chain for this hull: USS LST-309 (commissioned 11 January 1943 - decommissioned 19 June 1946; struck 23 June 1947); ST-26 commercial service - sold 1 June 1948 to Humble Oil and Refining Co., Houston, TX, 'converted to a non-self-propelled tender moored to an oil platform'; ILE DE L'EUROPE commercial service - 'sold to Foramer S.A., a French oil-drilling company, possibly in 1972, and renamed'; record first appears in Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1977 (1976-77) and continues into at least the early 1990s; IMO 7431076; fate unknown. Also documents a shipboard post office established 15 April 1943 (three months after commissioning).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1990s

   Population

   Merchant tenders/platform workers (1948-1990s)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled naval-cover reference - the merchant-chain detail (ST-26, platform-tender conversion, Foramer sale 'possibly in 1972', IMO 7431076) is consistent with but more detailed than the Lloyd's 1976-77 entry, which is the authoritative anchor (Lloyd's prints 'S-26', not 'ST-26'). Use Lloyd's where they differ. No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-07

9. [9]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (1945 ed.) - LST design table and machinery table (shipscribe.com scan; official design data) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v2 LST design table (328 ft oa, 50 ft beam, 2,366 t light, 4,080 t trial, 11.6 kt) and machinery table (2 x GM 12-567A, 1,700 shp), LST1-490 block

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for this diesel-powered amphibious hull: the BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 machinery table lists the LST1-490 design block (which includes LST-309) at 2 x General Motors 12-567A diesels, 1,700 shp - a diesel plant with no boilers. Asbestos-relevant applications aboard a WWII amphibious auxiliary of this type and period were diesel-engine exhaust lagging, gaskets and valve packing, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings - in the confined below-decks volumes characteristic of the type. The diesel plant narrows the steam-lagging pathway of steam vessels but does not eliminate insulation applications.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1990s

   Population

   Boston Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); crew and embarked troops (1943-46); Suisun Bay caretakers (1946-48); Humble Oil conversion and tender workforce (1948-c.1972); Foramer crew (c.1972-1990s)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package located for LST-309. Names era-standard applications for the design block, not confirmed installed materials aboard this hull. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The 1948 merchant conversion to a non-self-propelled platform tender would have altered machinery spaces - scope undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-08

10. [10]In re John Crane, Inc., No. 01-03-00698-CV (Tex. App. 1st Dist. 2003) - mandamus opinion on discovery scope (via Justia; Atlas shipyards.json row ev-boston-naval-shipyar-02) [court_record]

    Locator

    In re John Crane, Inc., Tex. App. 1st Dist. 2003, opinion text (Terranova allegation; Crane Packing history)

    Finding type

    litigation_product_id

    Finding

    Yard-level litigation documentation for this hull's builder: in mandamus proceedings over discovery scope, the Texas appellate opinion records that real party in interest Carl Terranova 'alleged that, while working at the Boston Naval Shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts, he was exposed to John Crane's gaskets and sealing materials which contained asbestos.' The opinion also records that Crane Packing Company (John Crane predecessor) 'began the manufacture and sale of asbestos-containing products about 1930.' The case is a discovery mandamus - the trial court's compelled-discovery orders were challenged and largely modified; the shipyard exposure statement is a pleading-stage allegation, not a trial finding.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    2003 (opinion); underlying work period unstated

    Population

    Boston Naval Shipyard workers (era-level; Terranova's work period not stated in opinion excerpt)

    Limitations

    Yard-level, pleading-stage allegation only: documents a claimed exposure pathway (asbestos-containing gaskets/sealing materials) at Boston Naval Shipyard - the yard that built this hull in 1942-43 - not aboard any specific vessel. The appellate disposition is procedural (mandamus on discovery breadth); it is not an adjudication of exposure. Does not establish asbestos aboard LST-309, exposure of any individual, or legal eligibility. Opinion verified live 2026-10-02 via Firecrawl fetch.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-09

11. [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 - spanning this hull's entire Navy construction and service era (1942-1946) and reserve layup (1946-48).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers and crews (program context)

    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, consistent with prior batch treatment.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-10

12. [12]Batch-6845 search ledger (this record): live DANFS; NavSource amphibious archive; NHHC Pacific Fleet org doc and photo catalog; MARAD ShipHistory + status card; Lloyd's Register 1976-77 full text; NavalCoverMuseum; BuShips SDB 1945 v2 full text; CourtListener (4 searches); GAO product page; secondary web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-309-lst309-01 through -15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LST-309 (or merchant names ST-26/S-26, ILE DE L'EUROPE) was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener returned zero hits on all four searches (opinions and RECAP dockets, 'LST-309' and 'USS LST-309 OR LST 309'). Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing listicles asserting asbestos aboard (mesotheliomahelp.org lists the hull under Boston Navy Yard; mesotheliomahope.com, asbestos.com, simmonsfirm.com, swmwlaw.com listicles) - excluded by source policy; none cites a primary source or a case.

    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-number-only naming (until 1955) and the merchant-service aliases mean name-based litigation sweeps are inherently incomplete - the hull was never named, so claimant references may use 'LST 309', 'LST-309', 'S-26', or 'Ile de l'Europe' variants; four query forms were run but coverage cannot be exhaustive. Deck logs, Boston Navy Yard work packages, the 1948 Humble conversion contract, and Foramer-era surveys are undigitized leads.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-309-lst309-11