Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 666-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-359-lst359-pkt-666-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-359 (NHHC live page) - construction, sponsor, commissioning, theater assignment, campaign list, loss, striking, awards [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS LST-359 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 21 November 1942 at the Charleston Navy Yard; launched 11 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Albert Miller Penn; commissioned 9 February 1943, Lt. James A. Ferreola in command. Assigned to the European theater; participated in the Sicilian occupation (DANFS prints 'July and August 1942' - a typographical error, corrected against NavSource's dated campaign table; see ev-07), Salerno landings September 1943, Convoy KMS-31 November 1943, Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings January through March 1944, and the Invasion of Normandy June 1944. 'Sunk on 20 December 1944 by a submarine torpedo in the eastern Atlantic.' Struck from the Navy list 8 February 1945. Earned five battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); crew (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history; contains no asbestos or material-content information. The printed '1942' Sicily date is impossible for a ship launched January 1943 - carried as a correction in ev-07. Live NHHC page verified 2026-10-02 (no link rot for this entry).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-359 - designation timeline, specifications block, campaign table with dates, commanding-officer roster, awards display, NARA/USCG-captioned photography [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160359.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer roster, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: LST-1-class tank landing ship; laid down 21 November 1942 at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.; launched 11 January 1943; commissioned USS LST-359, 9 February 1943, Lt. James A. Ferreola, USN, in command; assigned Europe-Africa-Middle East theater. Campaign dates: Sicilian occupation 9-15 July and 28 July-17 August 1943; Salerno landings 9-21 September 1943; Convoy KMS-31 11 November 1943; Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings 22 January-1 March 1944; Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944. 'Sunk by torpedo attack, 20 December 1944, by the German submarine U-870 in the eastern Atlantic.' Struck from the Naval Register 8 February 1945. Five battle stars; ribbon display: Combat Action Ribbon (20 December 1944), Navy Unit Commendation, American Campaign Medal, EAME Campaign Medal (5), WWII Victory Medal. Specifications: displacement 1,625 t. light / 4,080 t. full (sea-going draft w/1,675-ton load) / 2,366 t. beaching; 328 ft oa, 50 ft beam; 11.6 kts trial; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; two GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, Falk main reduction gears, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230 V D.C. generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; two LCVP. Commanding officers: Lt. Ferreola (9 Feb 1943-Feb 1944), Lt. Howard V. R. Palmer Jr. USNR (Feb-Aug 1944), Lt. Charles R. Masterson USNR (Aug 1944-20 Dec 1944). Photography places the hull at Termini-Imerese, Sicily, 13 September 1943 (NARA III-SC 182815, 182818, 182826, Box 187, US Army Signal Corps); beached at Paestum, Italy, September 1943 (USCG 26-G-1992, 218-19); and in the Anzio-Nettuno convoy circa 3 February 1944 with barrage balloon (ACME/Bert Brandt, War Picture Pool).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); crew and embarked troops (1943-44)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track DANFS and are corroborated by the live NHHC page. 'Decommissioned, date unknown' line is a template artifact for a hull sunk in service - she was never decommissioned. Contains no asbestos content. Photo captions cite NARA/USCG identifiers but the catalog records were not independently fetched.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-02
-
[4]uboat.net Allied ships hit by U-boats, USS LST-359 attack entry (ship 3392) + warship entry (ship 11435) - loss narrative, position, casualties, rescue [other_primary]
- Locator
- uboat.net attack entry ship/3392.html 'Notes on event'; warship page ship/11435.html 'History' block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Loss record for this hull: homeward bound Plymouth-USA in a convoy of landing ships, LST-359 was in tow by the American tug Farallon on the morning of 20 December 1944 when U-870 (Kptlt. Ernst Hechler) attacked roughly 370 miles from Sao Miguel, Azores. U-870 reported LST-350, LST-369 and an escort sunk; in fact LST-359 was hit on the port side by one torpedo and USS Fogg (DE-57) damaged by a Gnat acoustic torpedo. LST-359 broke in two and sank during the afternoon at 42 deg 04 min N, 19 deg 08 min W (grid CF 2636; warship page: about 440 nautical miles southwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain). Two crewmen lost; seven officers and 98 ratings taken off by the tug Moose Peak and later transferred to the fleet oiler USS Mattole (AO-17); uboat.net crew list totals 107 aboard (2 dead, 105 survivors).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-12-20
- Population
- Crew at loss: 107 aboard per uboat.net (2 dead, 105 survivors); convoy and rescue-vessel crews
- Limitations
- uboat.net is a specialist secondary compilation (standard U-boat/loss reference), not an official record - sinking narrative details (tow by Farallon, Moose Peak/Mattole rescue, casualty split) rest on it alone among sources searched. No asbestos content. Position coordinates from uboat.net.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-03
-
[5]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block (GM 12-567A diesel plant, no boilers); LST-1 class profile (lst-1-class.class.json, class-f worktree: BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 design table); shipyard-exposure-map product list for charleston-naval-shipyard [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design table (class profile ev-lst-1-class-01); shipyards.json product list for charleston-naval-shipyard
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered amphibious ship built at a Navy yard in 1942-43 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were diesel-exhaust and engine-room thermal lagging, gaskets, valve and pump packing, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, electrical insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. The diesel plant (two GM 12-567A engines, no boilers, no steam propulsion) narrows but does not eliminate the pathway - the boiler/turbine lagging route of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1944
- Population
- Charleston Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); crew and embarked troops (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific material schedule, insulation survey, work package, or builder's specification located for LST-359. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Hull lost 1944: no postwar yard periods, no abatement history exists to check.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-04
-
[6]OSHA Inspection 100361849, U.S. Dept of the Navy / Commander, Charleston Naval Shipyard, Code 106 (opened 6 January 1988; SIC 3731; complaint health inspection; two citations under asbestos standard 29 CFR 1910.1001 - one current 'Other' violation, one deleted by amendment; case closed 16 September 1988) [other_primary]
- Locator
- OSHA IMIS inspection detail, establishment 100361849 - Violation Summary (citations 01001, 01002 under 1910.1001)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Yard-level government documentation: OSHA's 1988 complaint health inspection of Charleston Naval Shipyard (the renamed Charleston Navy Yard that built this hull in 1942-43) produced citations under the asbestos standard, 29 CFR 1910.1001 - evidence that asbestos-regulated work existed at the builder yard four decades after this hull's construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1988
- Population
- Charleston Naval Shipyard workforce (1988 inspection)
- Limitations
- Yard-level regulatory record 44 years after this hull's construction and loss - documents regulated asbestos activity at the yard, not materials aboard LST-359. The inspection record does not supply exposure levels, workers affected, ship-specific work, or construction-era conditions.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (published Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, report summary
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program: fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards found written programs conforming to OSHA requirements; Navy policy (1975) was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - program-level confirmation that the Navy used asbestos insulation aboard ships across this hull's 1942-43 construction era and beyond.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era context 1942-45
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull - and the ship sank in 1944, so the documented 1975-79 policies never applied to her. Content via the live GAO product-page description (verified 2026-10-02).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-06
-
[8]Date cross-check: NHHC DANFS campaign list ('Sicilian occupation - July and August 1942') vs NavSource dated campaign table (9-15 July and 28 July-17 August 1943) and the ship's own build dates (launched 11 January 1943) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS LST-359 campaign list; NavSource 10/16/160359.htm campaign table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: the official DANFS entry dates the Sicilian occupation 'July and August 1942' - impossible, since the hull was launched 11 January 1943. The campaign was July-August 1943 (NavSource dates: 9-15 July and 28 July-17 August 1943, consistent with the historical operation). The DANFS '1942' is a typographical slip carried here only to flag it; 1943 dates carried throughout this record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943
- Limitations
- Corrects a circulated typo in the primary DANFS text, not a material claim. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-07
-
[9]Archival leads carried in NavSource captions: Charleston Navy Yard photo 135-43 (launch, 11 January 1943); US National Archives III-SC 182815, 182818, 182826, Box 187, US Army Signal Corps (Termini-Imerese, Sicily, 13 September 1943); USCG photos 26-G-1992, 218-19 (Paestum beaching, September 1943); ACME/War Picture Pool by Bert Brandt via MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History (Anzio convoy, circa 3 February 1944) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160359.htm photo-caption block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Identified NARA/USCG photo series and a builder-yard photo placing this hull at specific points in service; NARA also holds the ship's war diaries and action reports (RG 38) and the U-870 loss documentation - undigitized leads for any future ship-specific record. Photo captions document physical presence only.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Crew visible in period photography
- Limitations
- Archival leads only: photo identifiers transcribed from NavSource captions; the underlying NARA catalog records were not independently fetched (JS-rendered catalog). Photos establish presence, not materials or work performed. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-08
-
[10]Batch-6898 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live page; NavSource 160359; uboat.net warship + attack entries; OSHA IMIS yard inspection; GAO product page; NVR hull lookup; CourtListener opinion + docket searches; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-359-01 through -10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no material schedule, insulation survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS LST-359 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener returned zero hits on both the opinion index and the RECAP docket index for 'LST-359' and 'USS LST-359', and zero on the opinion index for unhyphenated 'LST 359'. The only 'asbestos aboard' material encountered is law-firm marketing content (mesothelioma/asbestos listicles) asserting asbestos aboard WWII-era ships 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 - and this hull has no postwar documentation surface to search: she sank in action in 1944, so there are no decommissioning records, reserve-fleet cards, overhauls, or scrapping files. The ship-specific questions that cannot be answered (builder's material schedule, war-diary mentions) sit in gaps. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-359-09