Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 681-packet.md (1 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-498-lst498-pkt-681-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-498 (build dates, sponsor, commissioning, theater assignment, decommissioning, disposal, battle star; live NHHC page verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-498 entry, full record (short LST-format entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: laid down 31 August 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 1 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Raymond M. Wall; commissioned 6 January 1944. Assigned to the European theater - participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Returned to the United States and decommissioned 8 November 1945; struck from the Navy list 28 November 1945; sold 21 November 1947 to the Washburn Wire Co., of Philipsdale, R.I., and subsequently scrapped. Earned one battle star for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-45); embarked troops
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS gives no commanding officer, no complement figure, and no detail between the Normandy operation and return to the United States - 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-498-lst498-01
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[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-498 - campaign-date table, awards, commanding-officer roster, specifications, captioned photographs (live navsource.net page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160498.htm header block, campaign table, awards ribbon block, CO roster, specifications block, photo captions 1016049801-1016049808
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: LST-491 class tank landing ship; laid down 31 August 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN; launched 1 November 1943; commissioned USS LST-498 6 January 1944, LT. Arford C. Boyett USN in command (sole CO listed: 6 January 1944 - 8 November 1945). Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign: Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944. Awards: American Campaign Medal; European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1 battle star); World War II Victory Medal. Decommissioned 8 November 1945; struck from the Naval Register 28 November 1945; sold for scrapping 21 November 1947 to Washburn Wire Co. (page prints 'Philadelphia, PA' - conflicts with DANFS 'Philipsdale, R.I.', see gaps). 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. Captioned photographs document the hull beached on Omaha Beach, Normandy, 1944 alongside British LCT-1071 (donated by Jim Wilson for his father LCDR Robert Q. Wilson USNR, ship's officer); officers photographed in England (ENS Joe Farina, LT Bob Barienbrock, LTjg James P. Lynch Jr., LTjg Robert Q. Wilson); and crew and engine-room-crew photographs at Falmouth, England, December 1944 (credited George M. Dietz, MoMM/3c).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- MVB&I construction trades (1943-44); wartime crew and embarked troops (1944-45)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates agree with DANFS here, but the CO roster and campaign date ranges rest on compiled sources. The disposal city conflicts with DANFS (Philadelphia, PA vs Philipsdale, R.I. - carried in gaps). Complement figure is the generic class spec block, not a muster count for this hull. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-02
-
[4]Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, 'Evansville in WWII' digital collection - Evansville Shipyard series (originals at Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science; Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. Shipbuilding Division, publisher; United States Navy, contributor; photographer Jack Rusche) [museum_official]
- Locator
- EVPL Evansville in WWII collection, digital ids 10244-10261 (launch series); representative item page digital.evpl.org/digital/collection/evawwii/id/10244/rec/2
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- A digitized collection of sixteen launch-day photographs of this hull exists in the Evansville Shipyard Collection, all dated 1 November 1943 and captioned 'launching #53 LST 498' (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron yard hull #53). Frames document sponsor Mrs. Raymond M. Wall christening the ship (consistent with DANFS), with named guests Miss Iona Zimmerman, Rev. Harold T. Marx, Mr. John Krauss, Ensign Mayer, and Lt. Hansen; item IDs run 1948.151.04455 through -04471 series (e.g., item 1948.151.04455, digital id 10244). Ship-specific construction-era archival record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-11-01
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville launch-day attendees and construction trades (November 1943)
- Limitations
- Photographic record only - no material, insulation, or asbestos content. One item in the same numeric series (digital id 10271, item 1948.151.04483) is captioned 'Mrs. Kohlmeyer christening ship, launching #53 LST 498' - inconsistent with the Wall sponsorship documented by DANFS and the fifteen companion frames; likely a same-day second launching or captioning error, disclosed but not adjudicated. Search results at https://digital.evpl.org/digital/search/collection/evawwii/searchterm/498.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-03
-
[5]Library of Congress, Veterans History Project - William R. Davenport Collection (interview/recording; item afc2001001.29004) [other_primary]
- Locator
- LOC item page, 'Service History' / 'Service Unit/Ship' fields
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The Library of Congress Veterans History Project holds an oral-history interview with William R. Davenport, U.S. Navy, service dates 1942-1945, highest rank Hospital Apprentice First Class, whose cataloged service units include USS LST-498 (alongside USS LST-493, USS LCI-218, and Bethesda Naval Hospital); location of service European Theater. Documents a named enlisted crewman (a pharmacist's-mate-rate hospital corpsman) assigned to this hull during her wartime service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Population
- HA1 William R. Davenport, USN (crew, WWII)
- Limitations
- Oral-history collection metadata only - establishes that a named individual served aboard; the interview content was not transcribed for this record and the record makes no exposure claim for Davenport or any individual. VHP items are personal recollections, not ship records.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: BuShips, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST design table (shipscribe.com scan, live URL verified 2026-10-02); NavSource specification block (GM 12-567A diesels); lst-1-class.class.json era analysis (class-f worktree); GAO HRD-80-2 policy context (ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table (LANDING SHIP, TANK section; LST491-541 machinery row); NavSource 160498.htm specifications
- 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 1943-44, 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. BuShips SDB-1945 v2 assigns the LST491-541 design group - which contains this hull - the same GM 12-567A diesel plant (2 engines, 1,700 bhp) as the LST-1 design group.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- MVB&I Evansville construction trades (1943-44); wartime crew and embarked troops (1944-45); shipbreakers (post-1947)
- 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-498-lst498-05
-
[7]National Park Service parkhistory document, 'Role of the LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) in WW II Amphibious Operations' (Carlos Luna) - builder-by-hull-block table (archived copy; live nps.gov URL now serves an HTML page, not the file, confirmed 2026-10-02) [nps]
- Locator
- LST.pptx slide 4 (builder/hull-block table), slide 3 (design dimensions), slide 5 (Evansville construction)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- An NPS-hosted presentation documents the wartime builder-by-hull-block assignment for the LST program: 'Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron, Evansville, IN - LST 122-131, 157-180, 237-247, 491-500, 531-599, 806-828, 874-883, 1101-1114.' LST-498 falls inside the 491-500 block - corroborating the DANFS/NavSource builder attribution for this hull and confirming the same Evansville yard built her sequential sisters. The deck also documents the 328 ft x 50 ft ocean-going LST design and that over 1,050 were produced with only hull numbers (no names), 37 lost in the war.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (program era)
- Population
- LST construction-yard workforce context
- Limitations
- Visitor-education deck, not a ship registry - used to corroborate the builder block only. The NPS URL now returns an HTML page (the .pptx no longer serves live); the cited URL is the 17 April 2025 Wayback capture, labeled as archived. No asbestos or material content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-06
-
[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 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. The report post-dates this hull's entire existence (sold for scrapping 1947) - it establishes only that Navy-wide asbestos substitution did not begin until the early 1970s, i.e., her 1943-44 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 1943-44 construction
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; post-dates the hull (scrapped post-1947). Supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved - gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch (confirmed 2026-10-02 for both product page and PDF); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-07
-
[9]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, live page 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 - NOT an asbestos case and NOT about this ship. Decedent Elbert Woolsey worked for Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron as a pipe fitter 'in the compartment of ships' 21 June - 11 November 1944 (after this hull's January 1944 delivery - the Evansville yard was still turning out LSTs for her sister blocks); 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 denial - 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, and the decedent's work window post-dates this hull's completion at the yard. Disposition described exactly: Industrial Board denial affirmed on appeal.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-08
-
[10]Batch-7004 search ledger (this record): live DANFS; live NavSource 160498; EVPL Evansville Shipyard collection; LOC Veterans History Project; BuShips SDB-1945 v2; NPS parkhistory LST.pptx (archived); CourtListener API v4 (four executed queries); GAO product page (403); NVR; Wikipedia; secondary web [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-498-lst498-01 through -15
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LST-498 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener: bare 'LST-498' returned 139 opinion hits, all token-collision noise ('LST' matching ordinal/text abbreviations, '498' numeric strings) - none about the vessel or asbestos; quoted 'USS LST-498' = 0 opinions; 'LST 498' OR 'Landing Ship Tank 498' = 0 opinions; RECAP docket search 'USS LST-498' OR 'LST-498' OR 'LST 498' = 0. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; no law-firm 'asbestos aboard LST-498' marketing content was located this session (several LST-class listicle hits exist but do not name 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 - the 1943-44 build era makes ACM plausible on inference. A phrase-qualified CourtListener query ('LST-498' AND asbestos) could not be executed this session - fleet pacing budget spent; logged as pending in search_ledger (open sub-item, not a negative result). Deck logs, muster rolls, and any scrapping-contract records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-498-lst498-09