Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
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[1]research packet 680-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-495-lst495-pkt-680-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-495 (build dates, sponsor, commissioning, theater assignments, campaigns, decommissioning, disposal, battle stars; live NHHC page verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-495 entry, full record (short LST-format entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down 14 August 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 16 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Arthur L. Nunn; commissioned 23 December 1943. Assigned to the European theater - invasion of Normandy (June 1944) and invasion of southern France (August-September 1944); then Asiatic-Pacific theater - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (April-June 1945). Occupation duty in the Far East until late October 1945. Decommissioned 23 April 1946; struck from the Navy list 5 June 1946; sold 8 April 1948 to Kaiser Co., Inc., of Seattle, Wash., and subsequently scrapped. Earned three battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943); crew (1943-46); embarked troops
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS does not give a complement figure - the 13 officers / 104 enlisted figure carried in this record's complement field comes from the NavSource specification block, not DANFS. Live NHHC page verified this session (contrast standing NHHC link-rot noted in BATCH-01).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-01
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[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-495 - campaign-date table, flotilla/group assignments, commanding-officer roster, specifications, captioned photographs (live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160495.htm header block, campaign table, unit assignments, CO roster, specifications block, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: LST-491 class tank landing ship; commissioned 23 December 1943, LTjg. Adam Y. McLachlan USN in command. Europe-Africa-Middle East theater: Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944; Invasion of southern France 15 August-25 September 1944 - assigned to LST Flotilla Ten, LST Group Thirty (LCDR. A. R. Sodergron). Asiatic-Pacific theater: Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation 29 April-24 June 1945 - assigned to LST Flotilla Thirty-Five (CAPT. D. H. Johnston), LST Group One Hundred Five (CDR. E. P. Wilson), LST Division Two Hundred Ten. Navy Occupation service Far East: 10-23 September 1945 and 22-29 October 1945. Decommissioned 23 April 1946; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; sold for scrapping 8 April 1948 to Kaiser, Inc., Seattle, WA. Specifications: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted, troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; two GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100 kW 230V DC generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders. Commanding officers: LTjg. Adam Y. McLachlan (Dec 1943-Dec 1944); LCDR. Herbert D. Smith USNR (Dec 1944-Aug 1945); LTjg. Marcus L. Jensen USNR (Aug-Dec 1945); LTjg. Thomas J. Purcell USNR (Dec 1945-Feb 1946); LTjg. Edward R. Karp USNR (Feb-23 Apr 1946). Captioned photographs place the hull loading at an English port pre-Normandy (US Army photo); beached alongside USS LST-1020 unloading during the invasion of southern France; beached at Okinawa 30 July 1945 discharging equipment and men of the 91st Reconnaissance Wing loaded in the Philippines (Wing-ding magazine photo); and at anchor in San Francisco Bay circa late 1945 (NHHC photo NH 79012).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- MVB&I construction trades (1943); wartime crew and embarked troops (1943-46); occupation-duty crew (1945)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its dates track DANFS here (all milestones agree) but the flotilla/group assignments and CO roster rest on compiled sources. Contains no asbestos content. Complement figure is the generic class spec block, not a muster count for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-02
-
[4]NHHC photographic record NH 79012, 'USS LST-495' - In San Francisco Bay, California, circa late 1945; courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1974 (live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC online image catalog, NH 79012 title/caption fields
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC catalog record NH 79012 documents this hull at anchor in San Francisco Bay, California, circa late 1945 - consistent with the post-war return leg before her April 1946 decommissioning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- circa late 1945
- Population
- Crew, circa late 1945
- Limitations
- Presence documentation only - a photograph and caption; no asbestos, material-condition, or work-record content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-03
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[5]Era inference built on: BuShips, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); NavSource spec block (GM 12-567A diesels); lst-1-class.class.json era analysis; GAO HRD-80-2 policy context [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table; NavSource 160495.htm specifications; lst-1-class.class.json (class-f worktree)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered amphibious ship built at an inland 'cornfield' yard (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron, Evansville) in 1943, inside the Navy's documented asbestos era: NO boilers or steam plant - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway does not apply. Plausible asbestos applications on this type concentrate in diesel-engine and exhaust-system insulation, gaskets and packing throughout the engineering spaces, electrical insulation and cable, deck coverings (incl. tank-deck surfaces), accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on winches and the stern-anchor windlass. The LST-491 design group (BuShips SDB-1945 v2 block LST491-541) carried the same GM 12-567A diesel plant as the LST-1 design group.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943); wartime crew and embarked troops (1943-46); Kaiser Co. scrapping workers (1948)
- Limitations
- Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, or survey exists in the public record for this ship. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity, no manufacturer attribution. Asbestos aboard is a reasonable era-consistent inference, not a ship-proven fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-04
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[6]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 the Navy's asbestos-protection program: 1975 standing policy removed and replaced with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs; modified 1979 to add selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. Fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards. Post-dates this hull's entire existence (scrapped 1948) - establishes only that Navy-wide asbestos substitution did not begin until the early 1970s, i.e., her 1943 construction sat squarely inside the asbestos era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); era context for 1943 construction
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; post-dates the hull (scrapped 1948). Supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved - gao.gov PDF returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch (confirmed 2026-10-02); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-05
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[7]Woolsey v. Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., 88 N.E.2d 54, 119 Ind. App. 391 (Ind. Ct. App. 1949-10-17, No. 17,878, Royse, J.) - CourtListener opinion 3428445, verified 2026-10-02 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinion 3428445 (No. 17,878, Ind. App. Oct. 17, 1949); parallel cites 88 N.E.2d 54 and 119 Ind. App. 391
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Occupational-disease litigation at this hull's builder during her construction window - NOT an asbestos case. Decedent Elbert Woolsey worked for Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron as a pipe fitter 'in the compartment of ships' 21 June - 11 November 1944 (the period in which the Evansville yard was turning out LSTs; LST-495 herself was built Aug-Dec 1943); he died 29 October 1945. His estate claimed compensation under the Indiana Workmen's Occupational Diseases Act for death allegedly caused by inhaling fumes and gases from galvanized metal being welded. The Industrial Board found (two members dissenting) that he was not exposed to and did not contract an occupational disease from the employment; the Court of Appeals affirmed the award - a merits-level negative for that claimant.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1949
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville wartime trades (ship-compartment pipe fitters)
- Limitations
- Documents the builder yard's wartime occupational-disease litigation landscape and a non-asbestos inhaled-fume pathway (galvanized-metal welding), not asbestos exposure; the ship itself is not named. Disposition described exactly: Industrial Board denial affirmed on appeal. Citation verified on CourtListener (opinion 3428445): 88 N.E.2d 54 / 119 Ind. App. 391 - an aggregator transcript's '87 N.E.2d 54' note was the erroneous variant.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-06
-
[8]Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library digital archive, 'Evansville Shipyard' collection (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. Shipbuilding Division; originals at Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science) [other_primary]
- Locator
- digital.evpl.org collection evawwii (e.g., item 1948.151.00029, March 1942 shipyard photo); collection description names Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company as publisher
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A digitized public collection exists for this hull's builder: EVPL's 'Evansville in WWII' archive holds the Evansville Shipyard collection - wartime photographs and records of the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Shipbuilding Division (e.g., March 1942 pig-iron testing-stand photo), scanned from Evansville Museum originals under an Indiana State Library grant. A collection search this session surfaced no LST-495-specific item (results returned LST-325 logbook records - a different hull preserved in Evansville).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (collection scope)
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville wartime workforce
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: collection content is yard-level, not hull-level; the search interface is JS-rendered and could not be exhaustively queried - absence of an LST-495 item is not proven. No asbestos content in located items.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-07
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[9]Batch-7001 search ledger (this record): live DANFS; NavSource; NHHC NH 79012; CourtListener opinion + RECAP sweeps; NVR; NARA deck-log lead; EVPL collection; GAO product page; secondary web sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-495-lst495-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LST-495 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener returned zero opinion hits for "LST-495" and "LST 495"; the single RECAP docket hit (Jacquelyn M. Hostler, Ch. 13 bankruptcy, M.D. Pa., 1:23-bk-01687) is a name collision - a personal bankruptcy whose docket text matched 'LST 495' incidentally, not a vessel or asbestos case. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; no law-firm 'asbestos aboard LST-495' content was relied on.
- 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 diesel-powered wartime build is consistent with era-standard asbestos applications, but no ship-specific proof exists and the hull itself no longer exists (scrapped 1948). The hull's 1948 scrapping at Kaiser Co., Seattle predates modern ACM-handling regulation; no disposal hazmat record was located. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-495-lst495-08