Evidence
15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).
-
[1]research packet 678-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-480-lst480-pkt-678-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-480 (NHHC ship-history entry) - construction at Kaiser, Inc., Richmond; Asiatic-Pacific assignment; Gilbert Islands and Kwajalein/Majuro operations; loss by accident 21 May 1944; striking 18 July 1944; two battle stars [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS entry body text (live page, verified 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: 'LST-480 was laid down on 31 August 1942 at Richmond, Calif., by Kaiser, Inc.; launched on 29 October 1942; and commissioned on 3 May 1943.' Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; participated in the Gilbert Islands operation November and December 1943 and the occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls February 1944. 'The ship was lost through an accident on 21 May 1944. She was struck from the Navy list on 18 July 1944.' Earned two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1944
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond Yard 4 construction trades (1942); crew (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content and does not describe the accident beyond 'lost through an accident' (the West Loch disaster detail comes from ev-05/-06/-07). Live page verified 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-480 (page 10/16/160480.htm) - timeline, campaign table, awards block, specifications, commanding-officer list, and NARA/Signal Corps/HABS-captioned photographs (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160480.htm header block, awards block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer list, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 31 August 1942 at Kaiser, Inc., Richmond, CA; launched 23 November 1942 (variant - see ev-uss-lst-480-13); commissioned USS LST-480, 3 May 1943, LT. W. H. Johnson, USN, in command (sole CO listed, through 21 May 1944). Campaign table: Gilbert Islands operation 21 November-8 December 1943; Marshall Islands operation - occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 1-6 February 1944. 'Lost in the accidental explosion of ammunition in West Loch Pearl Harbor, 21 May 1944'; 'Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946' (variant - see correction row). Awards block: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2), World War II Victory Medal. Specifications: two General Motors 12-567A diesels 900 hp each, single Falk main reduction gears, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230V DC ship's-service generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders, 11.6 kt trial; complement 13 officers/104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers/147 enlisted; 2 LCVP. Photo captions include NARA 80-G-276945 and 80-G-306116 (hull burning 22 May 1944), Signal Corps SC 427949/SC 187501, and HABS HI,2-PEHA,103 images of the surviving hulk.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1946
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond Yard 4 construction trades (1942); crew and embarked troops (1943-44)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates track DANFS/NVR conventions and two of them conflict with DANFS and the ShipbuildingHistory build table here (launch 23 Nov 1942 vs 29 Oct 1942; stricken 8 May 1946 vs 18 Jul 1944) - see ev-uss-lst-480-13. The NARA/HABS identifiers are transcribed from its captions and not independently re-verified at the source catalogs. Specifications block is class-typical LST-1 data, not a hull survey. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-02
-
[4]NARA catalog (catalog.archives.gov), USS LST-480 War Diary, 4/1-30/44 (NAID 78424691, RG 38, Roll A955; Fold3 scan, 6 images) - the ship's own monthly operational report, signed by her commanding officer [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/78424691, images 1-6 (war diary text, April 1944)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's own war diary for April 1944 (transmittal letter dated 3 May 1944 signed by the CO) records: attached to Group 7, LST Flotilla 3, Fifth Amphibious Force, Task Force 57; unloading cargo at Majuro Lagoon, Majuro Atoll, 1-3 April (alongside USS Jupiter; beached on Darrit Island); convoy to Kwajalein 3-5 April (port engine breakdown en route, proceeded with SC 759); beached Gugegewe Island and Roi Island to unload/load cargo and personnel 5-11 April (fresh water alongside USS Cascade; loading at the Cement Pier, Kwajalein); departed for Pearl Harbor 11 April in Task Unit 16.18.4 (with USS Sumner, other LSTs, LCIs, USS Devastator, SC 1066, SC 1012); moored in West Loch, Pearl Harbor 24 April; shifted to berth K-6 to unload cargo; moored in Dry Dock No. 4, Pearl Harbor, 28-30 April. She would be destroyed in West Loch three weeks after the diary period closed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-04
- Population
- LST-480 ship's company, April 1944
- Limitations
- Contemporaneous ship-specific primary record - establishes her unit (Group 7 / LST Flotilla 3, Fifth Amphibious Force), itinerary, an engine casualty, and a Pearl Harbor drydock availability immediately before the loss. OCR of handwritten/typed columnar pages is imperfect (dates/times verified against the rendered images); the CO's signature reads 'W. G. Johnson' in the scan vs NavSource's 'W. H. Johnson' - see gaps. No asbestos or materials content - establishes operational context only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-03
-
[5]NARA Catalog search "LST-480" - ship-specific file units: USS LST-480 War Diaries, RG 38 (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov 1943 and Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr 1944 installments: NAIDs 134230081, 134267611, 134305690, 78149945, 78198633, 136047387, 78225340, 78296441, 78353466, 78371158, 78424691); RG 24 muster-roll file unit 'LST-480, 5/3/43-4/30/44' (NAID 126632777) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search "LST-480", file-unit results (NAIDs listed)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds enumerated digitized file units for this hull: eleven monthly war-diary installments spanning May 1943-April 1944 (RG 38 microfilm rolls A382-A955) and the ship's muster rolls covering her entire commissioned life 3 May 1943-30 April 1944 (RG 24, Roll 4544). These are archival leads - the catalog establishes that ship-specific crew and operational records exist and where they sit, not what they contain on materials or exposure. The December 1943 installment and the loss month (May 1944) did not surface in the catalog query.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1944 (record coverage)
- Population
- Crew (1943-44, record subjects); researchers
- Limitations
- Archival lead: catalog metadata verified and the April 1944 diary images spot-checked (see ev-03); the other ten installments and the muster rolls were not page-read. None of these file units is demonstrated to contain asbestos, material, or work-package information - muster rolls and war diaries of this type do not normally record insulation materials.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-04
-
[6]Howard E. Shuman, 'The Other Pearl Harbor Disaster,' Naval History Magazine (U.S. Naval Institute), Vol. 2 No. 3, July 1988 - account drawn from the Naval Court of Inquiry record at the Naval Historical Center and NARA (live page returned 403 to automated fetch; Wayback capture cited) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- USNI article text, 'The Six Doomed Ships' paragraph on LST-480; 'The Secret Disaster' and 'Conclusions' sections
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Court-of-inquiry-derived narrative for this hull's loss: LST-480 was the inboard ship at berth T-9, combat-loaded among the nested LSTs; in peril from burning debris on her decks she tried to get under way but was prevented by pile clusters astern and the ships outboard of her; the burning LST-69 - with LST-43 and LST-179 close by - drifted down on her, her stern fouled the piling on her starboard quarter, and LST-69 fouled her starboard side as she again tried to get under way; flames and heat from the three burning ships to windward ignited fires on LST-480 forward of the bridge; 'she was grounded and blown up by a violent explosion and sank nearby at berth T-10. Her fires burned for two days.' The account's sequence: initial explosion ~1508 aboard LST-353 at berth T-8 (LCT-963 alongside), further explosions at 1511 and 1522, six LSTs sunk and several damaged within hours. The Naval Court of Inquiry report of 29 June 1944 was classified secret and not declassified until 1 January 1960; it attributed the disaster's magnitude to 'the stowage of gasoline in the immediate proximity of high explosive ammunition' and 'the nesting of numerous combat loaded vessels at one berth,' found the initial explosion most likely from one or more M-3 mortar shells while allowing that gasoline vapor could not be excluded, and ruled out sabotage.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944 (event); 1988 (article)
- Population
- LST-480 crew and embarked troops at loss; adjacent crews; salvage workers
- Limitations
- Secondary account (professional naval press) reporting the official record - not itself the court of inquiry transcript, which the author locates at the Naval Historical Center/NARA; the transcript was not directly retrieved this session. Casualty aggregate and causal findings are consistent with NPS HABS HI-222 and NHHC references. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-05
-
[7]HABS HI-222, 'Naval Magazine Lualualei, West Loch Branch, LST Wreckage,' Historic American Buildings Survey (National Park Service), written historical and descriptive data compiled 1994 (historian Katharine Bouthillier, Spencer Mason Architects); 3 photos, 2 data pages, 1 caption page [haer]
- Locator
- HABS HI-222 data pages (hi0347data.pdf), 'Location,' 'Significance,' 'Description,' and 'History' paragraphs; item page hi0347
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NPS HABS documentation of this hull's surviving wreck: 'In the West Loch Harbor just off of Waipio peninsula, across from the main wharf area, is the wreckage of an LST-480 ship, a beached LVT, and remains of a T-10 mooring barge. The LST ship wreckage is the most intact and visible of the various wreckage remains. Approximately the front half of the ship's rusted steel deck and hull are above water.' History section: 'Thirty-four ships preparing for Operation Forager, destined for Saipan and Guam, were located in West Loch Harbor on May 21, 1944, when ammunition being transferred from an LST ship exploded. Flames and fragments were sent over many of the other ships in the harbor, setting off other explosions. The casualty toll was 163 dead and 396 injured, and six LST's and some smaller amphibious craft were lost. The remains of this ship are still visible in the harbor today.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944; documented 1994
- Population
- Wreck-site visitation and maintenance personnel (1994-present); 1944 survivors/responders commemorated
- Limitations
- The HABS written history documents the wreck's presence, extent (forward half of deck and hull above water), and the disaster's casualty toll; it contains no materials, hazmat, or condition-survey content - whether asbestos or other materials persist in the hulk is undocumented here. Item page HTML returned 403 to automated fetch this session; the data-pages PDF (cdn.loc.gov/.../hi0347data.pdf) was retrieved and read.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-06
-
[8]NHHC, 'Pearl Harbor Ablaze Again: The West Loch Disaster' (feature essay); NHHC H-gram H-029-5 'Ordnance Accidents'; NHHC photo records 80-G-276913 and 80-G-276945; CNO 'U.S. Navy at War 1941-1945' final official report loss table; CNRH West Loch Disaster page; DVIDS photo 8421848 (VIRIN 240521-N-KH177-1007) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC west-loch.html body text; H-029-5 paragraph; NHHC photo pages 80-G-276913 / 80-G-276945 descriptions; history.navy.mil online-reading-room 'US Navy at War' loss table; cnrh.cnic.navy.mil West Loch Disaster page; dvidshub.net image 8421848
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official Navy documentation of the disaster and this hull's part in it: 34 ships were in West Loch on 21 May 1944 loading ammunition and supplies for Operation Forager (the invasion of the Marianas), including 29 LSTs nested beam-to-beam; at about 1508 an explosion on LST-353 set off a chain reaction that over several hours sank six LSTs (LST-39, -43, -69, -179, -353, -480), destroyed three LCTs and 17 LVTs, and killed 163 men with 396 wounded; some fires burned over 24 hours. NHHC photo record 80-G-276913 (21 May): 'LST-480 is just offshore, astern of these two ships, afire over her entire length.' 80-G-276945 (23 May): 'USS LST-480 afire again ... the sunken remains of USS LST-353 are off her starboard bow; the beached and burned out hulk of LST-39 is in the left distance.' The CNO's final official report lists 'LST 480, AT Pearl Harbor, 21 May 1944' in the loss table. CNRH: 'All that is left as a reminder of that fateful day is the rusted hulk of LST 480, standing silently off of Waipio Peninsula. In 1994, the National Park Service, in conjunction with the U.S. Navy, placed a wayside exhibit directly across from LST 480.' DVIDS (official Navy photo, 21 May 2024): Sailors of Navy Munitions Command and guests visited 'the site of the rusting hulk of LST-480 on Waipio Peninsula' for the 80th-anniversary ceremony. CNRH notes the invasion fleet sailed only a day late and the Marianas operation proceeded on schedule.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-2024
- Population
- LST crews and embarked troops (1944); firefighters/rescue craft; West Loch shore personnel
- Limitations
- Official history/imagery establishing the event and the wreck's survival in place; the DVIDS 2024 caption reports 'another 400 injured' vs the standard 396 - a minor official-source variant logged in gaps. None of these sources addresses materials or asbestos; the wayside exhibit is commemorative, not a survey.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-07
-
[9]National Park Service, USS Arizona Memorial Submerged Cultural Resources Study, Chapter II: Historical Record - 'West Loch Disaster' section (NPS parkhistory online book; live URL now redirects to a generic NPS page - archived copy cited) [nps]
- Locator
- NPS SCRS Chapter II 'West Loch Disaster' section, figures 2.47-2.50 narrative
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NPS historical study documentation: on 21 May 1944, 29 LSTs readying for the invasion of Saipan nested at six berths in West Loch, combat-loaded with ammunition, gasoline drums, and vehicles; at 3:08 p.m. an explosion erupted from LST-353, apparently originating near the bow of LCT-963 where Army troops were unloading mortar ammunition; red-hot fragments ignited gasoline drums on forecastles and fires raged 24 hours, damaging more than 20 shoreside buildings; six LSTs sunk, several damaged, 163 dead and 396 wounded; investigations produced no conclusive cause (gasoline vapor vs. mortar-shell handling); Admiral Nimitz defended nesting as 'a calculated risk that must be accepted.' On the aftermath: 'the bow of LST-480 is visible as it rusts in the tropical air of Oahu.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944; study published ~2001
- Population
- West Loch personnel (1944); archeological/park interpretive staff
- Limitations
- NPS study documents the wreck's survival ('the bow of LST-480 is visible') and the event; contains no materials or asbestos content. Live NPS URL is dead - redirected to a generic Park History page this session; the Wayback capture is cited and labeled archived.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-08
-
[10]Department of the Navy, Medium Landing Ship (LSM) Homeporting at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam EIS - Notice of Intent public fact sheet (nepa.navy.mil, June 2026) [other_primary]
- Locator
- LSM EIS NOI fact sheet, 'National Historic Preservation Act Section 106' section photo caption and 'Resource Areas to be Analyzed' list
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- A current Navy NEPA document references this hull's wreck in regulatory context: the Navy proposes an LSM homeporting action including a roll-on/roll-off ramp at West Loch with dredging limited to West Loch; the fact sheet's NHPA Section 106 discussion carries the photograph captioned 'The rusted hull of USS LST-480 at West Loch, JBPHH' among historic-property considerations, and lists 'Hazardous materials and waste' among the resource areas the EIS will analyze.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026 (document); wreck in place since 1944
- Population
- Future dredging/construction crews (proposed action); site visitors
- Limitations
- Documents that the wreck is a recognized site element inside a 2026 environmental-review area of potential effects; it does not state a formal NRHP/NHL determination for the wreck, does not assert any asbestos or hazardous-material content of the hulk, and does not announce any action on the wreck itself.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-09
-
[11]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block (two GM 12-567A diesels, no boilers); BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 2 LST design table (class profile lst-1-class.class.json, ev-lst-1-class-01/-03); DANFS service record; ShipbuildingHistory Kaiser Richmond No. 4 build table (yard hull 35, MC 1000) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design table (class profile); ShipbuildingHistory krichmond table row '35 LST-480 ... exploded and sank in Pearl Harbor 1944'
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- An LST-1-class tank landing ship built Aug-Oct 1942 sits inside the wartime asbestos-use era for U.S. naval construction. The diesel plant (no boilers) removes the boiler/turbine steam-lagging pathway; era-standard applications aboard a vessel of this type and period were diesel exhaust lagging, gaskets and valve packing, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, winch/crane brake linings, and electrical insulation. Built at Kaiser Richmond Yard 4, inside a shipyard complex whose wartime asbestos handling is documented at government level for an adjacent parcel (see ev-uss-lst-480-12).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond Yard 4 construction trades (1942); crew and embarked troops (1943-44); 1944-45 salvage divers and clearance crews
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, or work package exists for LST-480 (the hull was destroyed ~12.5 months after commissioning and never underwent postwar work). Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution, and no present-day presence claim can be made for the in-situ wreck, whose materials content is undocumented.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-10
-
[12]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, confirmed 2026-10-02)
- 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 existence (built 1942, destroyed May 1944).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); Navy-wide era coverage incl. 1942-44
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program scope); not hull-specific
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; 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, same standing defect as BATCH-01/BATCH-98); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-11
-
[13]California EPA DTSC EnviroStor, PORT OF RICHMOND (SHIPYARD #3), global_id 07370030 - state-response site profile documenting shipyard ship-building/repair and ship-decommissioning uses at the Richmond Harbor Channel site [other_primary]
- Locator
- EnviroStor profile_report global_id=07370030, 'Potential Contaminants of Concern' summary (live, verified 2026-10-02)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- A live DTSC EnviroStor profile documents that waste piles at the former Kaiser Shipyard #3 site (now the Port of Richmond site at the foot of the Richmond Harbor Channel) 'contained asbestos, lead, copper, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), abandoned drums, and solvent containers,' and that portions of the consolidated Seacliff site were originally part of Shipyard #3. Establishes asbestos contamination documented by the state at one parcel of the four-yard Kaiser Richmond complex where this hull was built (Yard 4).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1940-1945 (operations); remediation record current
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond complex wartime workforce (1940-45); remediation/terminal crews (1990s-present)
- Limitations
- Yard-complex context only - the documented parcel is Shipyard #3, NOT Yard 4 where this hull was built; no EnviroStor record specific to the Yard 4 parcel was located. Environmental-site documentation establishes wartime material handling at the complex, not materials installed aboard any hull. Does not establish ship-specific exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-12
-
[14]ShipbuildingHistory, Kaiser Permanente No. 4 Richmond CA yard table - row 35: LST-480, MC 1000, keel 31 Aug 1942, launched 29 Oct 1942, delivered 3 May 1943, 'exploded and sank in Pearl Harbor 1944' [other_primary]
- Locator
- ShipbuildingHistory krichmond table row 35; NavSource 10/16/160480 header; DANFS entry; HABS HI-222; Star-Advertiser 2024 correction (via sister record)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Source conflicts resolved for this hull: (1) Launch date - the MARCOM-derived ShipbuildingHistory build table and DANFS both give 29 October 1942; NavSource's '23 November 1942' is the outlier (NavSource's own text sequence puts the launch before the 3 May 1943 commissioning, and sister hulls bracket it: LST-479 launched 4 Oct, LST-481 launched 2 Dec). The 29 October 1942 date is adopted. (2) Stricken - DANFS gives 'struck from the Navy list on 18 July 1944' (consistent with the other five West Loch LSTs); NavSource lists 'Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946.' The 18 July 1944 date is adopted; the 1946 variant likely reflects a later administrative/disposal action on the hulk - unresolved. (3) Wreck identity - the surviving West Loch hulk is documented as this hull by NPS HABS HI-222, CNRH, DVIDS, and the NPS SCRS ('the bow of LST-480'); a 2009 Union-Tribune feature's body text called it LST-353 - a misidentification explicitly corrected in the Star-Advertiser and logged in the sister record (uss-lst-353-lst353).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1946 (dates in conflict)
- Limitations
- Correction/discrepancy documentation only. ShipbuildingHistory is a secondary compilation derived from Maritime Commission data - used here to corroborate the launch date against the NavSource outlier, not as sole authority. The 8 May 1946 variant and its administrative meaning are unverified.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-13
-
[15]Batch-6986 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live page; NavSource 10/16/160480.htm; NARA catalog file units + April 1944 war-diary images; NPS HABS HI-222; NHHC West Loch feature/H-gram/photo records; CNO 'US Navy at War' loss table; CNRH West Loch page; DVIDS 2024; Navy NEPA LSM-EIS fact sheet; NPS SCRS (archived); USNI court-of-inquiry account (archived); ShipbuildingHistory krichmond; shipscribe SDB-1945 v2; EnviroStor 07370030; GAO HRD-80-2 (403); NVR scope check; CourtListener authenticated sweeps; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-480-01 through sl-uss-lst-480-17
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or docketed case naming USS LST-480 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener authenticated sweeps on 2026-10-02: "LST-480" type=o, "USS LST-480" type=o, "LST-480" OR "LST 480" type=o, "LST 480" type=o, "LST-480" type=r, and "USS LST-480" type=r all returned count 0; the disaster-name sweep ("West Loch" asbestos, type=o) was throttled by the fleet pacing budget and is logged as blocked, not negative. STRUCTURAL NOTE: unlike the other five lost LSTs (salvaged and dumped offshore), this hull's burned wreck remains in place in West Loch - the one location where hull material could persist in situ - but no materials or hazmat documentation of the wreck was located in any source.
- 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 during her 1942-44 service - era inference supports the standard wartime applications. The wreck's in-situ materials content (including any retained insulation) is undocumented; the surviving hulk is a burned shell above waterline. Litigation coverage is substantively complete for hull-name/hull-number variants; only the disaster-name 'West Loch' sweep is outstanding (blocked). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-480-14