Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]research packet 679-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-488-lst488-pkt-679-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-488 (NHHC page published 2015-08-03) - construction, WWII operations, LSTH-488 redesignation, MSTS service, Philippines transfer (ARCHIVED COPY: live NHHC page returned HTTP 404 on 2026-10-02; Wayback capture 2025-02-02 used) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body, NHHC DANFS 'L' volume; Wayback capture 20250202220502
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (verbatim): 'LST-488 was laid down on 11 January 1943 at Richmond, Calif., by Kaiser, Inc.; launched on 5 March 1943; and commissioned on 24 May 1943.' Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; participated in the occupation and defense of Cape Torokina (November 1943), capture and occupation of Guam (July 1944), Leyte landing (October 1944), and Lingayen Gulf landing (January 1945). 'Following the war, LST-488 was redesignated LSTH-488 on 15 September 1945 and performed occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946. Upon her return to the United States, she was decommissioned on 11 January 1946. She was redesignated LST-488 on 6 March 1952 and served with the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS LST-488 in the postwar period. The ship was transferred to the Republic of the Philippines as a lease on 15 July 1972.' Earned four battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1972 (entry coverage)
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond construction trades (1943); crew (1943-46); SCAJAP/MSTS crew (1946-72)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Entry ends at the 1972 Philippine lease - later milestones (1980 sale, strike) come from other rows. Live NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lst-488.html returned 404 on 2026-10-02; the archived capture is cited, not the dead live page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USNS T-LST-488 ex USS LST(H)-488 / USS LST-488 - full designation timeline, campaign dates, flotilla assignments, commanding officers, specifications, awards (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160488.htm header, campaign table, occupation-duty table, specifications block, commanding-officer list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 11 January 1943 at Kaiser, Inc., Richmond, CA; launched 5 March 1943; commissioned USS LST-488 24 May 1943, LTjg. Jessie M. MacKey, USN, in command. Assigned to LST Flotilla Five (CAPT. G.B. Carter), LST Group Fifteen (CDR. V.K. Busck), LST Division Twenty-Nine; and LST Flotilla Three (CDR. A.A. Ageton), LST Group Seven (LCDR. E.B. Garrigures), LST Division Thirteen. Campaign dates: Cape Torokina 6 and 17 November 1943; Guam 21-28 July 1944; Leyte 20 October 1944; Lingayen Gulf 4-15 January 1945. Redesignated LST(H)-488 15 September 1945; Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 17-29 October 1945, 12 November-2 December 1945, 3-11 January 1946. Decommissioned 11 January 1946 and transferred to COMNAVFE Shipping Control Authority (SCAJAP), redesignated Q009. Transferred to MSTS 12 March 1952, in service as USNS T-LST-488. Leased to the Philippines 15 July 1972 as BPR Suriago Del Norte (LT-94); sold outright 5 March 1980; 'Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown'; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Specs: 1,625 t. light / 4,080 t. full / 2,366 t. beaching; 328 ft o.a.; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; 2 twin 40mm + 4 single 40mm + 12 single 20mm (ultimate design); 4,300 bbls diesel; 2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, Falk main reduction gears, 3 x diesel-drive 100 kW 230 V D.C. ship's-service generators, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders. COs: LTjg. MacKey (24 May 1943 - 26 Apr 1944); LTjg. Scott (26 Apr 1944 - May 1945); LT. Lewis (May 1945 - 11 Jan 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1980
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond construction trades (1943); crew and embarked troops (1943-46); SCAJAP/MSTS crew (1946-72); Philippine Navy crew (1972-c.1980s)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-maintained archival compilation, not an official registry - its dates track DANFS where both cover the same events and its spec block reproduces class design data. Philippine pennant carried as LT-94 here and in the Kaiser yard table; a Wikipedia infobox variant 'LT-97' is uncorroborated (see gaps). Contains no asbestos content. Two date pairs coexist across sources without contradiction: DANFS LST-redesignation 6 March 1952 vs NavSource MSTS transfer 12 March 1952 (separate events).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-02
-
[4]T. Colton, ShipbuildingHistory, Kaiser Richmond yard delivery table (navalmarinearchive.com mirror of shipbuildinghistory.com) - yard description and per-hull build record (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- krichmond.html delivery table, row 43 (LST 488); yard-description paragraph
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 delivery-table row for this hull: yard hull no. 43, original name LST 488, MARCOM type S3-M-K2, MC hull no. 1008; keel laid 11 January 1943; launched 5 March 1943; delivered 24 May 1943; 117 days on the ways, 141 days fitting out, 258 days total; disposition note 'To the Philippines 1972 as Surigao del Norte (LT 94)'. Yard context per the same table header: Richmond #4 was an emergency yard developed by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., with 3 ways in the fifth wave of shipbuilding expansion; originally designated Richmond #3A, renamed Richmond #4; closed at war's end; located on the south side of the inner end of the channel at Wharf Street.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 4 construction trades (1943)
- Limitations
- Colton's ShipbuildingHistory is a private but standard reference compilation of U.S. shipbuilding/MARCOM records - not a government source; dates here are independently consistent with DANFS and NavSource. 'Delivered' column equals the Navy commissioning date for this hull. Contains no asbestos content. Yard-hull and MC-hull numbering corroborates the MARCOM-contract build provenance only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-03
-
[5]NHHC, Bougainville Imagery page - captioned NARA photograph 80-G-202485 (verified live 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC Bougainville Imagery page, caption for photo 80-G-202485
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC-captioned NARA photograph places this hull on the Cape Torokina objective beach: 'Reinforcements wade ashore from LST-353 on the shores of Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, on 6 November 1943. Also present are LST-488 and LST-70. Note barrage balloons overhead (80-G-202485).' Independent photographic corroboration of the DANFS-credited November 1943 Cape Torokina operation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-11-06
- Population
- Crew and embarked troops, Bougainville landing (Nov 1943)
- Limitations
- Confirms presence and date only; no asbestos or material content. Corroborates one of the four DANFS-credited campaigns.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-04
-
[6]NARA, 'USS LST-488 - AA Action Report, 6-17-1944 - Southeast of Saipan Island, Marianas' (National Archives at College Park, Textual Reference; NAID 78548930; micro serial 80717, serial 6, file A16-3, document date 1944-06-28) - indexed via Digital Pasifik/DPLA aggregation (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- digitalpasifik.org item 480465 (NARA NAID 78548930)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A ship-specific wartime operational record exists at NARA College Park for this hull: an AA (antiaircraft) action report covering the 17 June 1944 engagement southeast of Saipan, Marianas, dated 28 June 1944. Rights unrestricted. This documents the hull's Marianas presence in the DANFS-credited Guam window and is an open archival lead for further primary operational documentation of this hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-06
- Population
- Crew, Marianas operation (Jun 1944)
- Limitations
- Archival lead only - an operational/combat record, not a materials, maintenance, or medical record; no asbestos content. NARA catalog pages are JS-rendered and could not be independently fetched this session; metadata transcribed via the Digital Pasifik DPLA aggregation page, which links catalog.archives.gov/id/78548930.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table + roster (shipscribe.com scan, text layer) - official class design data [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table + roster section (shipscribe.com PDF scan)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official BuShips design data for the LST-1-class group this hull belongs to: 328 ft o.a., 50 ft beam, ~2,366 t light / 3,960-4,080 t trial, 11.6 kt; 2 x General Motors 12-567A diesels totaling ~1,700 shp (engine-variant blocks LST932-979 and LST1060-1080 carried GM 12-278A - not this hull's block); accommodations 13 officers / ~106 enlisted. Diesel plant - no boilers anywhere in the design. Consistent with the NavSource ship-specific spec block.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Class design table, not a hull record - it does not name LST-488; this hull falls inside the LST-1/490 design group per the same source's roster. Establishes the machinery plant only; no material or insulation schedule is given. Asbestos presence is not addressed by this source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: BuShips SDB-1945 v2 diesel design data (this record, ev-06); documented Kaiser Richmond shipyard asbestos context (Atlas shipyards.json kaiser-shipyards; ev-08); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-program documentation (ev-09) [other_primary]
- Locator
- BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST table; Atlas shipyards.json kaiser-shipyards product list; GAO HRD-80-2 product description
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A 1943-built Kaiser Richmond LST-1-class hull sits inside the documented era of asbestos use in U.S. emergency shipbuilding and Navy service. Era-standard applications for a diesel-powered amphibious ship of this type and period were: diesel-engine exhaust lagging and gaskets; engine-room thermal and acoustic insulation; deck coverings and tile; bulkhead and accommodation insulation; and winch/crane brake linings. As a diesel ship she carried no boilers or steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway does not apply; exposure relevance concentrates in machinery-space insulation, gaskets/packing, deck and accommodation materials, and brake linings. Her September 1945 LST(H) hospital conversion implies interior rework, but its material scope is undocumented.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1980
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond construction trades (1943); crew and embarked troops (1943-46); SCAJAP/MSTS crew (1946-72); conversion-yard trades (1945, undocumented); Philippine Navy crew and shipbreakers (1972-c.1990s, undocumented)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or conversion record located for LST-488. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution for this hull. The LST(H) conversion scope is inference, not documentation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-07
-
[9]California DTSC, Kaiser Richmond Shipyard site record (Site ID 400137001, Richmond Harbor Restoration Project) + EPA CERCLA CAD980637557 (Kaiser Alum & Chem Co Shipyard #2, NFRAP) - as recorded in Atlas shipyards.json 'kaiser-shipyards' (evidence_tier 3) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DTSC Kaiser Richmond Shipyard project page (403 to automated fetch); shipyards.json yard_id 'kaiser-shipyards' evidence rows ev-kaiser-shipyards-epa-01/-02
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- The builder yard is a government-documented asbestos site: California DTSC tracks the former Kaiser Richmond shipyard within the Richmond Harbor Restoration Project with asbestos-containing materials documented in soils and structures, and EPA carries the former Kaiser shipyard #2 property under CERCLA ID CAD980637557 (NFRAP determination). The Atlas shipyards.json record for 'kaiser-shipyards' documents era asbestos products at Kaiser yards including insulation, fireproofing, hull insulation, pipe coverings, deck materials, adhesives, and brake systems, with evidence_tier 3.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1940-1946 (operations); remediation-era records
- Population
- Kaiser Richmond construction and yard trades (1943); site remediation workers (1990s-2010s)
- Limitations
- Yard-level environmental records, not hull records: they document contamination at the former yard site and era products at Kaiser yards generally - LST-488 is not named. Establishes builder-yard asbestos context for the 1943 construction window only; does not establish materials aboard this hull, individual exposure, quantity, or present-day presence. DTSC page returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-10-02 - content carried via the Atlas shipyards.json citation of the same record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-08
-
[10]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 through the era that covers this hull's construction and U.S. service (1943-1980), and that Navy policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place for decades unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- 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 blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-09
-
[11]Batch-6994 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; NavSource live; Kaiser Richmond delivery table; NHHC Bougainville imagery; NARA/DigitalPasifik NAID 78548930; NVR detail page; BuShips SDB-1945 v2; DTSC (403); GAO (403); CourtListener via authenticated helper; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-488-lst488-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum record, or verified litigation naming USS LST-488 / LST(H)-488 / T-LST-488 / Q009 / Surigao del Norte was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The only 'asbestos aboard' content surfaced is law-firm marketing listicle material asserting asbestos on LSTs 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 - a 1943 Kaiser-built amphibious hull is era-consistent with installed asbestos materials. Open leads: NARA operational records (RG 24 deck logs; RG 38 action reports incl. NAID 78548930), MARCOM yard records for Kaiser Richmond #4, and Philippine Navy disposition records. CourtListener search status is recorded in search_ledger (see sl-uss-lst-488-lst488-07). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-488-lst488-10