Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 677-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-475-lst475-pkt-677-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-475 (NHHC page; live URL returns 404 - archived Wayback capture 2024-05-26 cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'LST-475', full record (short LST-format entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: 'LST-475 was laid down on 10 July 1942 at Vancouver, Wash., by Kaiser, Inc.; launched on 16 November 1942; and commissioned on 20 March 1943, Lt. Comdr. T. D. Blake, USNR, in command.' Asiatic-Pacific operations: Eastern New Guinea (Lae occupation September 1943, Saidor occupation January 1944); Cape Gloucester, New Britain (December 1943-January 1944); Hollandia (April 1944); Western New Guinea (Noemfoor July 1944, Cape Sansapor July-August 1944, Morotai September 1944); Leyte landings (October-November 1944); Lingayen Gulf (January 1945); Balikpapan (July 1945). Occupation duty in the Far East until mid-October 1945; decommissioned 24 April 1946; struck from the Navy list 5 June 1946; sold 31 October 1946 to Suwannee Fruit & Steamship Co., Jacksonville, Fla. 'LST-475 earned six battle stars for World War II service.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Kaiser Vancouver construction trades 1942; USNR wartime crew and embarked troops; occupation-duty personnel 1945-46
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history, not materials or asbestos content - no asbestos information of any kind. Live NHHC URL verified 404 on 2026-10-02 (standing NHHC link-rot defect); verbatim archived capture cited. The 10 July 1942 laid-down date conflicts with NavSource (14 November 1942) and the MC-derived build table (11 November 1942) - see ev-09 correction row; the date carried for this record is NavSource's. 'Six battle stars' conflicts with NavSource's seven - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-01
-
[3]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-475 (page 160475, verified live 2026-10-02) - unit assignments, campaign table with dates, specifications, CO roster, photo captions incl. record-build and Yokohama-landing detail [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource page 10/16/160475, full record incl. specifications block, campaign table, CO list, award display, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: LST-1-class tank landing ship laid down 14 November 1942 at Kaiser, Inc., Vancouver, WA; launched 16 November 1942; commissioned USS LST-475, 20 March 1943, LCDR. Thomas D. Blake, USNR, in command; call sign NPNN. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater under LST Flotilla Seven (CAPT. R. M. Scruggs, USN), LST Group Nineteen (CDR. James E. Van Zandt, USNR). Campaign dates: Eastern New Guinea - Lae 4-6 and 9-11 September 1943, Saidor 2-11 January 1944; Bismarck Archipelago - Cape Gloucester 26-29 December 1943, 22-25 January and 30 January-2 February 1944; Hollandia 21-26 April 1944; Western New Guinea - Noemfoor 11-18 July 1944, Cape Sansapor 31 July, 6, 8-14 and 16-22 August 1944, Morotai 15 September 1944; Leyte landings 13-27 October and 5-18 November 1944; Lingayen Gulf 4-15 January 1945; Balikpapan June-July 1945. Occupation service in the Far East 4 September-21 October 1945; decommissioned 24 April 1946; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; seven battle stars; sold 31 October 1946 to Suwannee Fruit and Steamship Co., Barber, N.J., fate unknown. Specs: complement 13 officers/104 enlisted, troops 16 officers/147 enlisted; propulsion two GM 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100kW ship's service generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders - no boilers or steam machinery; armament 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm; 2 LCVP. Photo captions document: construction at Kaiser Vancouver 'built in record time, 71 hours and 50 minutes from keel laying to launching' (source LCDR. Robert D. Shaner, USNR Ret.); LST-475 among LSTs loading at Oro Bay 24 December 1943 for Cape Gloucester (NHHC photo USMC 69080); beached at Yokohama off-loading an Army airfield support unit 13 September 1945 - 'the first LST landing after the surrender was signed on 2 September 1945'; Manila Pier 3 late 1945 loading troops for the West Coast; outbound from San Francisco February 1946 to New Orleans for decommissioning. CO roster: Blake (Mar-Dec 1943), Whitsett (Dec 1943-Nov 1944), Sadowski (Nov 1944-Aug 1945), Nelson (Aug 1945-Mar 1946), Zlotnik (Mar-24 Apr 1946), all USNR. Awards displayed: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7), Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Presidential Unit Citation, Philippines Liberation Medal (2).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Kaiser Vancouver construction trades 1942; USNR wartime crew; embarked troops at ten landing operations 1943-45; occupation-service personnel 1945-46
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-curated archive, not a government publication, but it transcribes official records and supplies detail DANFS omits (unit hierarchy, spec block, CO roster, campaign date bands, photo captions). Contains no asbestos information. Seven battle stars conflicts with DANFS's six - carried in gaps. 'Barber, N.J.' buyer location conflicts with DANFS's 'Jacksonville, Fla.' - plausibly delivery point vs. company location; carried in gaps. The 71h50m record caption is inconsistent with the MC-derived build table (35 days on ways) - see ev-09 correction row.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-02
-
[4]National Archives and Records Administration, 'USS LST-475 - Rep of AA Act in Leyte Gulf, Philippines on 11/12/44' (NARA catalog ID 39792267, micro serial 101070, serial 19, dated 17 November 1944); collection: Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, WWII War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories, National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (metadata surfaced via Digital Public Library of America, dp.la/item/39051ab27ad69c5790a11eae3f2e7af8) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog ID 39792267; DPLA item 39051ab27ad69c5790a11eae3f2e7af8 (National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference); nickname source https://www.uslst.org/articles/45-lsts-in-the-battle-for-the-philippines-in-wwii-80th-anniversary
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A wartime action report naming this hull exists in the National Archives: 'USS LST-475 - Rep of AA Act in Leyte Gulf, Philippines on 11/12/44', dated 17 November 1944 - the ship's own report of antiaircraft action at Leyte Gulf on 12 November 1944 ('11/12/44' in the title, five days before the report date), the day of the mass kamikaze attacks on the Leyte supply run that contemporaries called 'Bloody Sunday' (US LST Association coverage, uslst.org). The document is held at the National Archives at College Park in the CNO WWII operational records collection.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-11-12 to 1944-11-17 (document window)
- Population
- Wartime USNR ship's company at Leyte Gulf, November 1944
- Limitations
- The catalog title and dates establish that the hull filed an AA action report covering 12 November 1944 at Leyte Gulf; the full report text (casualties, damage, expenditure) was not retrieved - the DPLA page is a metadata record and catalog.archives.gov is JS-rendered. An action report is operational history, not a materials record; it contains no asbestos information and does not establish exposure. The 'Bloody Sunday' nickname is context from US LST Association coverage of the day's attacks (veterans' association source), not from the NARA document itself; the title alone does not establish that LST-475 was hit or suffered casualties.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-03
-
[5]shipbuildinghistory.com, Kaiser Vancouver build table (Maritime Commission-derived): yard 179, LST-475, MC hull 995 - keel 11-Nov-42, launch 16-Dec-42, delivery 20-Mar-43, 35 days on ways, 100 days in water, 135 total; disposition 'Sold private 1946, scrapped 1971' [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Kaiser Vancouver table, row 179 (LST-475, MC 995); also confirmed at shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net/us-navy-small/lstpart2
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Maritime Commission-derived build table for Kaiser Vancouver records a different build chronology for this hull than DANFS/NavSource: keel 11 November 1942, launch 16 December 1942, delivery 20 March 1943 - 35 days on the ways, consistent with the whole LST-466/475 block (33-37 days each). This conflicts with the record-build account (laid down ~14 November, launched 16 November after ~72 hours). The table also carries a disposition no other source has: 'Sold private 1946, scrapped 1971.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942; 1946-1971
- Population
- Kaiser Vancouver construction trades, November-December 1942
- Limitations
- shipbuildinghistory compiles official USMC hull records but is a private compilation, not a government source; its dates are internally consistent (35 days on ways matches the yard production sequence) yet conflict with three other sources on the launch date. Which account is correct cannot be resolved from located public sources - both are documented and the conflict is carried, not adjudicated. The 'scrapped 1971' disposition is a secondary claim accepted provisionally (verification_status partial on that element).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-04
-
[6]Library of Congress, Veterans History Project - James H. Fisher Collection (AFC/2001/001/73339) [other_primary]
- Locator
- loc.gov/item/afc2001001.73339 - unit_of_service field 'USS LST 475 (Landing Ship Tank)'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Library of Congress Veterans History Project holds the collection of James H. Fisher, Electrician's Mate First Class, USN, whose recorded unit of service is 'USS LST 475 (Landing Ship Tank)', World War II, Pacific Theater - a government-held primary record confirming a documented crew member aboard this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1939-1945
- Population
- One documented crew member (EM1c James H. Fisher, WWII Pacific Theater)
- Limitations
- Oral-history collection record; establishes that a veteran served aboard this hull in the documented theater. Contains no asbestos, materials, or exposure information; does not establish exposure for this or any other individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-05
-
[7]Corn JK, Starr J. 'Historical perspective on asbestos: policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding.' Am J Ind Med 12(4):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Am J Ind Med 12(4):359-373 (1987), DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700120402
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that WWII-era U.S. shipyards extensively installed asbestos-containing insulation, lagging, and gaskets in naval construction - the era in which this hull was built (November 1942, Kaiser Vancouver). For a diesel-powered LST with no boilers, the era-relevant applications concentrate in diesel exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings; her post-1946 commercial custody and reported 1971 scrapping are potential disturbance/removal events.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1945 (study scope); applied 1942-1971
- Population
- WWII-era shipyard workers (Kaiser Vancouver, 1942); wartime crew; postwar commercial crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Era-level scholarship plus class/type inference; the source does not name this hull or class and does not establish that any specific material aboard this ship contained asbestos. No ship-specific product is verified; the diesel plant (no boilers) narrows the exposure-relevant scope relative to steam vessels.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-06
-
[8]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy did not begin systematic asbestos substitution/abatement until the 1970s - long after this hull was built (1942), struck (1946), and sold to private hands (1946), and around the time of her reported scrapping (1971). No Navy asbestos-management policy was ever applied to this hull: era material installed at build would have remained, undisturbed by any documented Navy program, throughout her three-year naval service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review (not this hull)
- Limitations
- Program-level Navy documentation postdating this hull's Navy service by ~30 years; establishes the era context (no wartime Navy abatement), not any hull-specific condition. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 confirmed 2026-10-02); content via product-page description, consistent with prior batches.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-07
-
[9]Batch-6980 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC via Wayback; NavSource 160475; NARA catalog + DPLA; LOC Veterans History Project; shipbuildinghistory MC table; CourtListener API and index; NVR; shipyards.json cross-check [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-475-lst475-01 through sl-uss-lst-475-lst475-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LST-475 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Authenticated CourtListener queries returned zero opinions and zero dockets for the canonical hull-designation strings ("LST-475", "USS LST-475"); a search-engine index sweep returned only name collisions.
- 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 - a 1942-built LST is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her post-1946 commercial custody to a reported 1971 scrapping leaves material history undocumented. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage has one residual hole: the unhyphenated variant query ("LST 475") was blocked by the fleet-pacing window before completing - mitigated by the canonical-string zero results and the index sweep.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-08
-
[10]Kaiser-shipbuilding historical literature (via Wikipedia 'Henry J. Kaiser'/'Kaiser Industries' entries citing Foster, 'Henry J. Kaiser: Builder in the Modern American West'): 'A smaller vessel was completed in 71 hours and 40 minutes from the Vancouver yard on November 16, 1942' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 160475 photo caption; shipbuildinghistory Kaiser Vancouver row 179; Wikipedia 'Henry J. Kaiser' (shipbuilding section, citing Foster's Kaiser biography)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Documented but unresolvable build-date conflict for this hull: (a) DANFS records keel 10 July 1942, launch 16 November 1942; (b) NavSource and Wikipedia record keel 14 November 1942, launch 16 November 1942, with a period photo caption claiming a record build of 71 hours 50 minutes keel-to-launch; (c) the MC-derived Kaiser Vancouver build table records keel 11 November 1942, launch 16 December 1942, 35 days on ways - consistent with the whole LST-466/475 production block; (d) Kaiser literature independently documents 'a smaller vessel was completed in 71 hours and 40 minutes from the Vancouver yard on November 16, 1942' - the same launch date DANFS/NavSource/Wikipedia carry for this hull, supporting the identification of LST-475 as the record vessel. The carried dates (laid down 14 November 1942, launched 16 November 1942) follow the three-source consensus; no source set is fully internally consistent, and the DANFS 10 July keel is implausible against the yard's way-scheduling sequence.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-11-11 to 1942-12-16 (contested window)
- Population
- Kaiser Vancouver construction trades, November-December 1942
- Limitations
- The record-build claim rests on a period photo caption (NavSource, via LCDR. Shaner) and Kaiser biography literature (secondary, '71:40' vs the caption's '71:50' - a 10-minute discrepancy in the record itself). The MC-derived table's 16-Dec launch and 35-day ways figure conflict with the record account outright. Neither account can be adjudicated from located public sources; both are documented and the conflict is carried rather than resolved. Wikipedia is cited here only as the index to the Kaiser literature claim, not as an independent record source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-475-lst475-09