USS LST-461

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet 675-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-461-lst461-pkt-675-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, LST-461 (Naval History and Heritage Command) - construction, sponsor, commissioning, campaign list, decommissioning, strike, disposal, battle-star credit [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS LST-461 entry, full text. Live page is UA-gated: bare fetch returns 404, browser-UA fetch returns HTTP 200 (re-verified 2026-10-02); verbatim text also confirmed against Wayback capture 2021-03-06 (web.archive.org/web/20210306135939/...)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS documents for this hull: laid down 30 September 1942 at Vancouver, Wash., by Kaiser, Inc.; launched 3 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Eugene E. Blazier; commissioned 18 February 1943, Lt. E. A. Bjork, USNR, in command. Asiatic-Pacific operations listed: capture and occupation of Saipan (June-July 1944); Tinian capture and occupation (July 1944); Leyte landings (October 1944); Manila Bay-Bicol operation - Nasugbu (January 1945); Lingayen Gulf landing (January 1945); assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (May 1945). Postwar: decommissioned 2 September 1947; struck from the Navy list 16 September 1947; sold 30 March 1948 to Consolidated Builders, Inc., of Seattle, Wash., and subsequently scrapped. 'LST-461 earned five battle stars for World War II.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Construction trades (Kaiser Vancouver, 1942-43); ship's company and embarked troops (1943-47)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific official history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS omits the Aleutian phase entirely (Attu occupation, Shemya supply runs, Kiska grounding/Adak repairs) that the ship's own war history documents. 'Five battle stars' conflicts with NavSource's six Asiatic-Pacific credits and the war history's ribbon accounting (AP 5 + PL 2) - see gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-461 (10/16/160461.htm, last updated 9 October 2015) - timeline, campaign table, unit assignments, spec block, CO table, awards, photo captions [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 160461.htm header block, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer table, awards block, photo captions (live HTTP 200)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource documents for this hull: LST-1-class tank landing ship; laid down 30 September 1942 at Kaiser, Inc., Vancouver, WA; launched 3 November 1942; commissioned USS LST-461 18 February 1943, LT Eskil A. Bjork USNR in command; radio call sign NPQJ. Campaign table: Marianas (Saipan 15 June-30 July 1944), Tinian (24-30 July 1944), Leyte landings (20 October 1944), Lingayen Gulf landings (9 January 1945), Nasugbu (31 January 1945), Okinawa Gunto (2-22 May 1945). Okinawa command chain: LST Flotilla Three (CDR A. A. Ageton), LST Group Seven (LCDR E. B. Garrigures), LST Division Fourteen. Ribbon rack: Navy Unit Commendation; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six credits; WWII Victory Medal; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; Philippine Liberation Medal with two credits. CO table: Bjork 18 Feb 1943-29 Feb 1944; Zelenko to 13 May 1944; Geis to 4 Sep 1944; Kaufman to 9 Oct 1945; Dickerman to 27 Nov 1945; Fritts to Mar 1946; Blackwell to Aug 1946; Richards Aug 1946-?. Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full; 328 ft x 50 ft; 11.6 kt; 2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, 2 shafts 1,700 shp, 3 x 100 kW DC generators; complement 13 officers / 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers / 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP. Timeline carries 'Decommissioned, 2 September 1948' - internally inconsistent with the same page's strike (16 September 1947) and sale (30 March 1948) dates; DANFS gives 2 September 1947. Photos document her at Majuro Atoll March 1944 (80-G-401019), at Lingayen Gulf January 1945 alongside LST-277/LST-917/LST-571, and moored 1945 with Yavapai (APB-42), LST-662, LST-672, LST-733 (80-G-350133).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Kaiser Vancouver construction workforce (1942-43); U.S. Navy crew (~117 ship's company plus embarked troops, 1943-47)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - dates cross-check cleanly against DANFS and the NARA war history except the 'Decommissioned, 2 September 1948' line, which is internally inconsistent (struck 16 Sep 1947, sold 30 Mar 1948) and is treated as a typo for 1947 pending corroboration. Lingayen arrival date (campaign-table 9 January vs war-history 11 January) likewise differs. Contains no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-02

4. [4]NARA NAID 77707300, 'USS LST-461 - War History' (serial 159209; RG 38, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories; Roll A2107; 5 images; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 77707300, images 0197-0201 (downloaded and read 2026-10-02)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The ship's own 'Ship's History' (war history, serial 159209, dated 20 October 1945, addressed to Secretary of the Navy / CinCPac; 5 images, downloaded and read this session) documents: commissioning 18 February 1943 at Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver; Aleutian service including beaching at Attu during its occupation (one battle star per the history) and seven Attu-Shemya supply runs earning a commendation from Brigadier General Copeland; the 13 September 1943 grounding on a submerged object at Broad Beach, Kiska damaging the starboard engine and shaft; drydock repairs at Adak; arrival at Bremerton Navy Yard 21 December 1943 'for overhaul and repairs' - 'Total availability was 30 days'; Marianas (Saipan 15 June; Tinian 24 July), Leyte (A-Day 20 October; under enemy fire during the fleet battle 25-26 October, four Japanese planes claimed, no casualties), Lingayen Gulf arrival 11 January 1945 and the 31 January Nasugbu landing of 11th Airborne Division units; 'After effecting repairs between 6 February and 8 March 1945' and services to S.S. Flying Mist; Okinawa operations 2-22 May 1945 (Hagushi discharge; 500 Marines lifted Nago Bay to Nakagasuku Wan; smoke-screen duty); and return to Seattle 23 July 1945 for 'a 60-day availability period at Lake Union Dry Dock and Machinery Co.', in drydock when the war ended 14 August, availability extended to 4 October 1945, departing Seattle 10 October for Pearl Harbor. The history's totals block records 56,300 miles, six landings on enemy-held islands, four Japanese planes claimed, and three commendations, and its ribbon accounting is 'Asiatic-Pacific with five (5) stars; Philippine Liberation with two (2) stars; American Theatre.' A commendation quoted on arrival in Seattle cites 'excellent material conditions, morale, and outstanding cleanliness in all departments.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-02-18 to 1945-10-20

   Population

   Ship's company (~13 officers / ~104 enlisted per class spec) and embarked troops, 1943-45; Adak drydock/repair personnel (Sep-Oct 1943); Puget Sound Navy Yard trades (Dec 1943-Feb 1944); Lake Union Dry Dock and Machinery Co. yard trades (Jul-Oct 1945)

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record read in full; microfilm image 0200 is a reversed/mirrored scan requiring manual transcription - quoted text verified against the page image. Documents yard events and dates, not material content: the history does not itemize materials and does not say 'asbestos.' The CO-relief line reads '10 October' for Dickerman relieving Kaufman where NavSource's CO table gives 9 October 1945 - one-day discrepancy flagged, not resolved.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-03

5. [5]NARA NAID 78189532, 'USS LST-461 - War Diary, 9/1-30/43' (RG 38 war-diaries series; Roll A578; 10 images; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 78189532, images 0853-0862 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-02); drydock entry and Markab/Charleston nesting on the late-September pages

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The September 1943 war diary (10 images, downloaded and read this session) documents the Kiska grounding repair verbatim: beaching operations at Kiska Harbor and Broad Beach early September; '1927, entered drydock for repairs of damage [from] attempting to beach at Broad Beach, Kiska'; 'Ship secured in dock at 2200'; '0926, ship waterborn, 0945 cleared drydock' days later; then '1253, proceeding to MARKAB for repairs', tying alongside USS MARKAB (AD-21, destroyer tender) portside-to with USS CHARLESTON (PG-51) nested on Markab's starboard side, awaiting repairs - the Adak drydocking and tender-assisted repair of the grounding damage the war history summarizes.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-09

   Population

   Ship's company; Adak drydock and USS Markab repair personnel (September-October 1943)

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced deck-level record; OCR quality moderate (carbon-copy typescript) but the drydock entries are legible. Documents the repair event, not its material scope - no material or insulation content in the diary. The drydock facility at Adak is not a shipyards.json entry.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-04

6. [6]NARA NAID 77505127, 'USS LST-461 - War Diary, 8/1-31/45' (RG 38 war-diaries series; Roll A1887; 1 image; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 77505127, image 0347 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-02)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The August 1945 war diary (1 image, downloaded and read this session) documents the Seattle availability verbatim: '1 - 31 August the ship undergoing alterations and repair at Lake Union Dry Dock and Machine Works, Seattle, Washington. 6 August to 16 August ship in drydock. Remaining days moored portside to dock at overhaul yard.' The same diary records the hull attached to LST Flotilla FIVE, LST Group FIFTEEN as of August 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1945-08

   Population

   Ship's company; Lake Union Dry Dock and Machine Works yard trades (August 1945)

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record; documents the availability, drydock dates, and moored-alongside periods, not the work content or materials. 'Lake Union Dry Dock and Machine Works' is the diary's rendering; neither it nor the war history says 'asbestos' or itemizes material removed/installed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-05

7. [7]MARAD Vessel History Database, LST-461 (ShipHistory/Detail/9391) - sparse structured record plus ten official Navy photographs including dated Puget Sound Navy Yard imagery [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Detail page + images LST-461_9391_001-010.jpg (image fetch UA-gated; retrieved with browser UA + page referer, 2026-10-02)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD's Vessel History Database carries a record for LST-461 (Detail/9391: general type 'Naval Combatant', specific type 'LST Tank Landing Ship', MARAD type 'Military'; structured fields otherwise blank, year-built placeholder '9999'). Its ten scanned images are official Navy photographs of this hull, including a Puget Sound Navy Yard photo captioned 'Puget Sound Navy Yard. 30 January 1944. LST-461 - Stern view, starboard side' - dated inside the documented 21 December 1943-3 February 1944 Bremerton overhaul availability.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-01-30 (photo date); record covers hull 1942-1948

   Population

   Puget Sound Navy Yard trades (1943-44 availability)

   Limitations

   Corroborates the Bremerton yard period photographically; the record's structured fields are empty (no MC hull number shown on the detail page itself). Photographs do not document materials aboard. MC hull 981 circulates only in secondary sources - not asserted here.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-06

8. [8]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); NavSource LST-461 spec block; lst-1-class class profile (class-f worktree, 2026-09-16) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB 1945 v2 LST design table; NavSource 160461.htm specifications block

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era inference for this hull: the LST-1 design group ran a diesel plant (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, 900 hp each, 1,700 shp total, single Falk reduction gear, twin screws - BuShips 1945 design table and this hull's NavSource spec block) with no boilers, so the steam-plant lagging pathway of boiler vessels does not apply. Asbestos-relevant applications aboard a 1942-43 diesel landing ship of this type were the era-standard set - diesel-exhaust and machinery-space lagging, gaskets and packing, accommodation thermal insulation, deck coverings - and three documented yard availabilities aboard this hull (Adak drydock 1943; Bremerton Navy Yard 30-day overhaul 1943-44; Lake Union Dry Dock 60-day availability 1945) occurred inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1948

   Population

   Kaiser Vancouver construction trades (1942-43); ship's company/embarked troops (1943-47); Adak, Puget Sound Navy Yard, and Lake Union yard trades at the documented availabilities; Consolidated Builders shipbreakers (1948)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or yard work package was located for LST-461. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantities; no manufacturer attribution. The documented availabilities establish yard-work events aboard this hull, not the materials handled. SDB 1945 v2 link verified live 2026-10-02 (HTTP 200).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-07

9. [9]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 1942-43 construction, her wartime service and documented yard availabilities, and her 1948 scrapping.

   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 returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, reconfirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-08

10. [10]National Archives, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (archives.gov guided-topic research guide) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Guide main text: NARA confirmation of asbestos in USN materiel 1941-1961; RG 19 correspondence-filing method (hull designation, class file, QM yard files); enumerated RG 19 entry list

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NARA's official research guide 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' confirms that 'the use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961 is a frequently requested topic' and maps the primary-source path applicable to this hull: DANFS for the ship history, then Record Group 19 (Bureau of Ships) correspondence filed by hull designation - the 'LST461' ship file, then the 'LST1 Class' class correspondence - and shipyard files, private yards filed under 'QM' designations. RG 19 general/confidential correspondence 1940-1961 and the S-28/S-16 specification case-file series are enumerated entries.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1941-1961 scope

    Population

    Researchers; veterans filing VA claims (guide audience)

    Limitations

    A research-methodology guide, not a hull record: it establishes that asbestos in Navy materiel 1941-1961 is NARA-acknowledged and where hull-specific files would live, but it documents nothing about LST-461 herself. The enumerated RG 19/RG 71/RG 80/RG 428 series were not searched this session - they are the unfollowed archival lead for any materials finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-09

11. [11]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, fleet-paced helper), opinion and docket indexes [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-461-lst461-10 through -13

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    No qualifying asbestos litigation located: exact-phrase "LST-461" and exact-name "USS LST-461" each returned 0 results in both the opinion index and the docket index (four authenticated queries, all completed). No docketed case or opinion naming this hull.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    2026-10-02

    Limitations

    CourtListener indexes published opinions and RECAP dockets - state-court filings, unreported settlements, MDL-875 pleading-level vessel lists, and non-digitized dockets are outside coverage. A zero result means no located docketed case/opinion naming this hull, not proof none exists.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-10

12. [12]Batch-6965 search ledger (this record): DANFS (live, UA-gated) + Wayback corroboration; NavSource; NARA catalog + three war-history/diary file units read in full; MARAD vessel-history entry incl. dated yard photograph; BuShips SDB 1945 v2; GAO product page; NARA asbestos research guide; NARA digitized deck-log index; NVR; CourtListener API (partial); secondary web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-461-lst461-01 through -18

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material schedule, or qualifying case naming LST-461 was found in the public sources searched. The strongest ship-specific documentation is operational (war history and war diaries) and confirms three documented yard availabilities aboard this hull inside the asbestos era - relevant repair/refit events - but no primary source read names asbestos aboard this hull.

    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 - construction at a wartime yard and three documented availabilities sit squarely inside the Navy's asbestos-use era. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-11

13. [13]NARA catalog (catalog.archives.gov), "LST-461" result set; NARA 'Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog' index [other_primary]

    Locator

    catalog.archives.gov "LST-461" results (ship-titled NAIDs listed in search_ledger); muster rolls NAID 126475489; deck-log index checked - no LST-461 entry

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Primary archive coverage for this hull is digitized but incomplete: NARA's catalog returns about nineteen ship-titled file units in RG 38 for 'LST-461' - the consolidated war history (NAID 77707300) plus monthly war diaries for July-November 1943, June-December 1944, January-August 1945, and November 1945 - and a digitized muster-roll file unit covering the full commission period, 'LST-461, 2/18/43-9/1/47' (NAID 126475489, 614 images, Ancestry scan, not page-read). Ship-titled diaries for December 1943-May 1944 and September-October 1945 were not surfaced; the war history bridges those months narratively. WWII deck logs proper for this hull are not in NARA's digitized deck-log index.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1943-1947 records

    Population

    Ship's company (1943-47); researchers

    Limitations

    Archival-lead row: the unsurfaced diary months, the unread muster rolls, RG 19 hull/class correspondence, and RG 181 yard work-package records for the three documented availabilities were not reviewed; they may or may not contain asbestos-relevant material - no such content is represented as found.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-461-lst461-12