USS LST-531

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet 686-packet.md (3 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-531-lst531-pkt-686-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, LST-531 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, loss, and striking (live NHHC page verified 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS LST-531 entry (full text)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: 'LST-531 was laid down on 22 September 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 24 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Marion Yoder; and commissioned on 17 January 1944, Lt. William D. Bradley, USNR, in command. During World War II, LST-531 was sunk by a German E-boat torpedo attack in Lyme Bay, England, on 28 April 1944 while conducting a pre-invasion landing exercise. LST-531 was struck from the Navy list on 9 June 1944.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1944

   Population

   Evansville construction trades (Sep-Nov 1943); crew (Jan-Apr 1944)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific history only; the DANFS entry is three sentences with no asbestos or material content, and names only the commissioning CO (the second CO, Behrens, appears in the NavSource roster). The live NHHC URL was verified working on 2026-10-02 - unlike prior batches, no DANFS link-rot encountered.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-531 - class, milestones, awards, CO roster, spec block, commissioning/launch photography (live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 10/16/160531.htm header block, awards block, commanding-officer roster, specifications block, launch/commissioning photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull (LST-491 Class Tank Landing Ship): laid down 22 September 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN; launched 24 November 1943; commissioned USS LST-531, 17 January 1944, LT. William D. Bradley, USNR, in command; assigned to the European-Africa-Middle East Theater; 'Sunk by a German E-Boat torpedo attack off Slapton Sands, England, 28 April 1944, during Operation Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy invasion'; struck from the Naval Register 9 June 1944. Commanding officers: LT. Bradley, William D., USNR (17 January 1944 - 1944); LTjg. Behrens, John W., USN (1944 - 28 April 1944). Awards: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 28 April 1944), American Campaign Medal, European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal - no battle stars. Spec block: 1,625 t.(lt)/4,080 t.(fl)/2,366 t. beaching; 328' o.a.; 50' beam; 11.6 kts; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; two General Motors 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three diesel-drive 100-kW 230-V DC generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; diesel fuel 4,300 bbls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1944

   Population

   Evansville construction trades (1943); crew (Jan-Apr 1944); embarked troops (Apr 1944)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones track DANFS. It calls the exercise 'Operation Tiger' (Exercise Tiger in DANFS/NHHC usage). Contains no asbestos content. Spec block is class-standard data, not a hull-specific survey.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-02

4. [4]NHHC feature essay, 'Exercise Tiger: Disaster at Slapton Sands - 28 April 1944' (footnoted scholarly article; live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHHC Exercise Tiger essay, 'Convoy T-4 in Lyme Bay' and 'The Aftermath' sections, footnotes 19-20

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC essay on this hull's loss: Exercise Tiger was the full-scale rehearsal for Force U bound for Utah Beach under Rear Admiral Don P. Moon (221 vessels in and around Lyme Bay by 27 April 1944); Convoy T-4 had one escort, HMS Azalea, after HMS Scimitar was rammed by an LCT and could not sail; radio-frequency confusion left the LSTs deaf to British warnings. 'Suddenly, at 0217, another LST - 531 - erupted in flames as a result of two torpedo hits. Reports indicate that she continued to return fire as she sank in under 10 minutes. Reports also indicate that 467 of LST-531's 496 men died as a result of the sinking or the explosion.' LST-507 was hit first (S-130/S-150 closed on her) and LST-289 was torpedoed but reached shore; survivors floated in 42-degree water; total death toll 'approached or exceeded 700'; SHAEF's anti-S-boat campaign culminated in the 14 June 1944 RAF strike on Le Havre.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944

   Population

   LST-531 ship's company and embarked troops (28 Apr 1944); Convoy T-4 population

   Limitations

   Authoritative NHHC history, but its '467 of 496 men died' figure is footnoted to secondary literature (Tent, E-Boat Alert) and conflicts with the ship's own Loss of Ship report (424 dead & missing of 496 aboard - the same 496 total) and Historic England (424). The primary figure is carried; the 467 variant is logged in gaps. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-03

5. [5]NARA, RG 38 'WWII War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories,' file unit NAID 78532576: COM LST GR 32 (C.T.U. 125.11.4), Serial 001, LSTGr32/L11-1/P6-1, 'Report of Action on 28 April 1944,' dated 3 May 1944 - 51 digitized pages including Enclosure (I), the Loss of Ship report for USS LST-531 (2 May 1944, Ens. D. G. Harlander, D-V(G), USNR, senior survivor) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 78532576, Roll A1061: group report pp. 1-5 (images 0290-0294) and Enclosure (I) Loss of Ship report LST-531 pp. 28-29 (images 0317-0318)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Primary wartime documentation for this hull's loss, read directly from the digitized images: Convoy T-4's Plymouth section (LSTs 515, 496, 511, 531, 58 - LST-58 towing two pontoon causeways) sailed Plymouth 0945B, 27 April 1944 under Cdr. B. J. Skahill (embarked LST-515); HMS Azalea joined as escort ~1100B at 50-13N 4-12W; the Brixham section (LSTs 499, 289, 507) fell in astern ~1930B. The LST-531 narrative continues: general quarters sounded ~0130B (gunfire heard, not directed at this ship); secured ~0150B; at ~0203B an underwater explosion was logged; at ~0204B a ship was reported afire off the starboard quarter (LST-507); and at ~0218B she was 'torpedoed on the starboard side by two torpedoes separated by about one minute of time. First torpedo hit amidships, the second torpedo hit in the vicinity of #3 boat. The ship immediately burst into flames... All electric power failed, telephones were inoperative, and the engines stopped. Fire fighting was attempted but was futile.' Boats #5 and #6 were demolished by the explosions; at ~0224B she rolled over and abandon ship was ordered. Harlander reports rescue by HMS Onslow at approximately 0700B (the group report records Onslow arriving about 0500B to screen and pick up survivors; the convoy leader stopped to pick up survivors at 0442B and reached Portland at 1150B with 14 litter and 118 ambulatory survivors and 45 dead). Personnel statistics in the report: NAVY - originally aboard 142, rescued 28 (15 hospital cases), dead & missing 114; ARMY - originally aboard 354, rescued 44 (10 hospital cases), dead & missing 310 - total dead & missing 424. 'No government property was saved. No publications, records, or accounts were saved.' The group report confirms no LSTs opened fire until immediately after LST-531 was torpedoed at 0218B, that LSTs 507 and 531 were sunk and 289 reached port, and that LST-511 took personnel casualties and minor structural damage from small-caliber fire - 'it is believed the LST 496 may have fired on the LST 511.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-04-27 to 1944-05-03

   Population

   LST-531 ship's company (142 Navy aboard), 354 embarked Army personnel, survivors and rescuers (HMS Onslow, LST-515)

   Limitations

   Contemporaneous SECRET report (later declassified) - the strongest primary record for this hull. It is war-loss documentation, not an asbestos or material record. Casualty figures are dead & missing at report date. The group report's own event-times table shows ship-to-ship variance up to 13 minutes (0217 vs 0218B for the 531 hit). Digitized via Fold3 image set on catalog.archives.gov.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-04

6. [6]National Heritage List for England, official list entry 1463495, 'USS LST-531' - Scheduled Monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, first listed 29 April 2020 (live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NHLE 1463495 official list entry: Summary, Reasons for Designation, History, Details, Sources, Legal sections

   Finding type

   regulatory

   Finding

   UK statutory heritage record for this hull's wreck: 'USS LST-531 comprises a Landing Ship, Tank that was torpedoed on 28th April 1944 during a full scale rehearsal for D-Day. The wreck is a military maritime grave and remains the property of the US Government.' Located off Sidmouth in Lyme Bay (National Grid Ref SY4711559676); scheduled area is 80m around 50.434545, -2.745998. Designation reasons: period (material record of D-Day preparations), rarity (one of only two LSTs in UK waters), potential (primary archaeological source for Exercise TIGER), survival (hull plating holed but wreck 'sound'; stern most intact - torpedoed in the bow area), and group value (co-located with LST-507, NHLE 1463496). History section: LST-531 'was a LST-491-class landing ship launched at Evansville, Indiana, in November 1943. Displacing 4080 tons (when loaded), the one hundred metre long landing ship had a complement of some 117 officers and enlisted men. In preparation for Exercise TIGER, the LST carried an additional 25 naval personnel plus 354 officers and men of the 462nd Amphibian Truck Company and the 3206th Quartermaster Service Company... Just after 0215hrs on the 28th April, LST-531 was struck by two torpedoes... the ship rolled over and sank within six minutes. Out of the total of 749 US personnel who died during the German attack, 424 army and navy servicemen were lost from LST-531.' Details: lies mostly on its side stern NW; break amidships separates halves by up to 30m; five vehicles incl. at least three 2.5-ton trucks and a jeep on the seabed; LCVP remains near the stern; ammunition debris; 'an impact location can be seen on the port side' (survey finding - the ship's own loss report says the torpedoes struck the starboard side; discrepancy in gaps). On consorts: 'LST-289 was torpedoed but was able to make headway to Dartmouth; LST-507 was also torpedoed and was later sunk by Allied gunfire.' Surveys: 2014 Hydroid AUV + Royal Navy MASTT; Historic England-commissioned survey 2018/19.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-2020

   Population

   Deceased aboard at loss (unknown number remain in the wreck); dive/archaeological access controlled

   Limitations

   UK statutory record, not a US Navy source. Nuance: the summary calls the wreck a 'military maritime grave' while the Details text says it is 'not designated as a military maritime grave' - de facto grave status vs formal designation; both are quoted verbatim. Its claim that 'only one other LST survives' (LST-325) understates surviving LSTs (LST-393 and LST-510 also exist - see gaps). No asbestos content, but it documents as-built wartime material remaining in situ under statutory protection.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-05

7. [7]Historic England news release, 'American Landing Ships Involved in D-Day Rehearsals Protected,' published 1 May 2020 (live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Historic England news page, 1 May 2020 (body text + Neyland/Wessex Archaeology quotes + closing casualty line)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Official announcement of the 2020 protection action for this hull's wreck: the two Exercise Tiger LSTs (507 and 531) were 'protected by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England... scheduled and added to the National Heritage List for England. Scheduling means that divers can still dive the wrecks... but that the wrecks themselves and their contents are protected.' On the loss: 'LST-531 was struck by two torpedoes and burst into a fireball following two explosions. Ammunition started firing from the bow armament and surviving personnel immediately jumped into the freezing sea, amid burning fuel oil. Many personnel were also trapped below decks as the ship rolled over and sank within six minutes. Some 424 army and navy servicemen were lost. Two other LSTs were severely damaged in the attack and further lives lost.' Exercise total: 'Total casualties during Exercise Tiger, including those from LST-507 and 531, were 551 army and 198 naval personnel.' NHHC's underwater-archaeology head Dr Robert Neyland is quoted: 'these ships are protected under international and U.S. law... the fact that they reside in UK territorial waters and that the government has created additional safeguards ensures the safety and security of these historic sites.' Wessex Archaeology investigated the sites during the 75th D-Day anniversary (2019).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-2020

   Population

   Exercise TIGER casualties (749 total: 551 army, 198 navy per this release)

   Limitations

   Press release; its casualty split (551 army + 198 navy = 749) differs from contemporaneous Navy reporting and from the ship-level figures in the loss report (114 Navy + 310 Army = 424) - totals are consistent with the 749 convention but internal breakdowns vary across official sources (see gaps). 'Two other LSTs severely damaged' compresses LST-289 (torpedoed, reached port) and LST-511 (small-caliber damage). No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-06

8. [8]National Park Service, 'Places of WWII History in Evansville, IN' - Evansville Shipyard history (live page verified 2026-10-02) [nps]

   Locator

   NPS article, 'Evansville Shipyard' section

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NPS documentation of this hull's builder: 'The Navy built Evansville Shipyard on 40 acres of land on the city's west side. Within four months after the plant was first announced in February 1942, the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company began production on Evansville Shipyard's first landing ship tank (LST).' Evansville became the 'world's largest inland producer of ocean-going ships'; 'By February 1945, Evansville Shipyard produced 167 LSTs... workers produced one ship every four days in 1944'; workers also built 13 ammunition lighters and 17 oceangoing barges; the last ship launched 12 December 1945; 'In January 1946, a fire destroyed Evansville Shipyard.' Evansville was designated an American World War II Heritage City in 2022.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1942-1946

   Population

   Evansville Shipyard workforce (~70,000 over the war per secondary accounts; NPS does not quantify)

   Limitations

   Yard-level context: documents the builder of this hull, not the hull itself - LST-531 is not named on the page. NPS rounds LST length to '300 feet' (actual 328 ft o.a.). NPS's 167-LST count is yard production 'by February 1945'; secondary sources carry 171 total - NPS figure carried, variance in gaps. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-07

9. [9]Era inference built on: DANFS/NavSource propulsion and class data (LST-491 class, 2x GM 12-567A diesels, no boilers); lst-1-class class profile (LST-1/491/542 design series, BuShips SD-1945 v2 groupings); GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-era documentation (see ev-09) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Composite inference row - see ev-01/02 (ship data), class profile lst-1-class (design group), ev-09 (era documentation)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   A diesel-powered LST built September-November 1943 sits squarely inside the Navy's documented asbestos-insulation era. Era-standard asbestos applications aboard an LST of this type and period were thermal insulation, diesel engine and exhaust-system lagging, gaskets, valve packing, electrical insulation, deck coverings, and accommodation insulation in the enclosed hull volume. The GM diesel plant carried no boilers or steam propulsion piping - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply; exposure relevance concentrates in engine-room/exhaust lagging and habitability materials. Because the hull was lost in action roughly three months after commissioning, with no refits or availabilities, any asbestos installed in construction would remain aboard the intact wreck.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1944 (construction and service); wreck persists 1944-present

   Population

   Evansville construction trades (Sep-Nov 1943); ship's company Jan-Apr 1944 (incl. enginemen near diesel lagging); embarked troops (Apr 1944); present-day divers are legally barred from disturbing the wreck

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, work package, or litigation record located for LST-531. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. No manufacturer attribution. The 'remains aboard the wreck' statement is inference from an undisturbed, statutorily protected wreck plus a zero-refit service life - not a survey finding; no wreck asbestos survey exists in the sources searched.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-08

10. [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 and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction window (Sep-Nov 1943) and her complete service life (Jan-Apr 1944).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    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-531-lst531-09

11. [11]US Army Headquarters Sub Area 'V' report (APO 167), 'Report of Enemy Naval Action,' 30 April 1944, declassified under E.O. 12356 - transcription hosted by exercisetiger.org.uk from the Eugene Eckstam Archive / NARA (live page verified 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

    Locator

    exercisetiger.org.uk document archive, 'Declassified Report - April 30th, 1944' (full transcription)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Contemporaneous Army report compiled two days after the attack from Admiral Wilkes's staff and 1st Lt. E. W. Dortch (1st Engineer): at 0204 on 28 April 1944 at 50 deg 7'N, 2 deg 50'W, 'a convoy of 8 LST Ships (Convoy T-4) was attacked by two German "E" Boats'; LST-507 departed Dartmouth and LST-531 departed Plymouth; 'two LST Ships (LST 507 and LST 531) were hit by enemy torpedoes and sunk. Two other LST Ships were hit by torpedoes but managed to make port... LST 531 was struck by a single torpedo.' Survivors were in the water three and a half to five hours; LST-515 returned to the scene and picked up survivors. CORRECTION: this report's 'single torpedo' and two-boat attribution are superseded by the ship's own Loss of Ship report (two torpedoes about one minute apart; ev-04) corroborated by NHHC ('two torpedo hits') and Historic England ('two torpedoes'), and its plotted attack position (50-07N) is ~20 nautical miles south of the wreck's surveyed position (~50-26N) - early-report error in a document written 48 hours after the event.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1944-04-30

    Population

    Convoy T-4 population; survivors/rescue (LST-515)

    Limitations

    Near-contemporaneous primary source but with preliminary figures; hosted on a UK memorial organization's site transcribing a NARA-sourced document (Eugene Eckstam Archive) - the underlying NARA file unit was not independently located in the catalog this session, hence verification partial. No asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-10

12. [12]NARA catalog search 'LST-531' (179 records, 173 digitized) plus related Exercise TIGER file units located this session [other_primary]

    Locator

    catalog.archives.gov search 'LST-531'; NAIDs 78532576, 78401756, 78401887, 278490545; NavSource 10/16/pdf/160531a.pdf

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads for this hull: the NARA catalog search returns the digitized RG 38 action-report set for Convoy T-4 - COM LST GR 32 report (NAID 78532576, used as ev-04), USS LST-499 report of action 4/30/1944 (NAID 78401756), USS LST-511 report of action 4/28/44 (NAID 78401887) - plus Lt. James F. Murdock's LST-507 oral-history file (RG 38, NAID 278490545) and multiple Individual Deceased Personnel Files (RG 92) for exercise casualties. A NavSource-hosted memoir PDF attributed to 'LT. Tiffany Manning MD' (160531a.pdf) is a potential first-person ship source - fetch failed this session (SSL error).

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1944

    Population

    Crew and dead (IDPF series); convoy staffs (action reports)

    Limitations

    Leads, not findings: the related T-4 reports and IDPFs were located in the catalog but not individually read; LST-531's RG 24 deck logs (Jan-Apr 1944) were not located in digitized form and, if extant, sit at NARA College Park; the Manning memoir is unreviewed. No asbestos content expected in any of these series.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-11

13. [13]Batch-7041 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live), NHHC Exercise Tiger essay, NavSource 160531, NARA catalog + NAID 78532576 digitized report, Historic England NHLE 1463495 + news release, NPS Evansville article, uboat.net, exercisetiger.org.uk transcription, CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweep, GAO product page, secondary web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-531-lst531-01 through -15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LST-531 was found in the public sources searched - and no post-service abatement record can exist, because the hull was lost in action ~3 months after commissioning. CourtListener (API v4, authenticated, 2026-10-02): opinion searches 'LST-531', 'LST 531', 'USS LST-531', 'Exercise Tiger', 'Slapton Sands', 'LST-531'+asbestos, 'Exercise Tiger'+asbestos, and 'Evansville Shipyard'+asbestos all returned count 0; docket searches 'LST-531' and 'LST 531' count 0; docket search 'Exercise Tiger' returned 3 hits - United States v. Kuehne (D.D.C., filed 2021) and Hachette Book Group, Inc. v. Internet Archive (S.D.N.Y. 2020; 2d Cir. 2023) - all classified name collisions (criminal and copyright matters; none concerns the vessel or asbestos). 'Missouri Valley Bridge' (opinions) returned 126 hits; the top-ranked sample is entirely 1922-1949 contract, tax, and labor litigation involving the company (e.g., Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. v. Commissioner) - classified other litigation, no asbestos or LST-531 naming. The asbestos-qualified variant 'Missouri Valley Bridge'+asbestos remained fleet-paced at session end and is logged pending. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing content (asbestos.com, navyshipexposure.com) asserting LST-class asbestos 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 - and a three-month combat-loss hull will never accumulate the post-service paper trail (surveys, abatement bids, litigation) that documents sister ships. The pending CourtListener queries are residual: every hull-name and exercise-name query already completed returned zero or name collisions. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-531-lst531-12