Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]DANFS, 'LST-54' (NHHC online) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry text (single-paragraph vessel history)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry: LST-54 laid down 3 October 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp.; launched 13 November 1943, sponsored by Miss Wanda Oleksiak; commissioned 24 December 1943. Assigned to the European theater; participated in the Normandy invasion 6-25 June 1944. Decommissioned 5 November 1945; struck from the Navy list 28 November 1945; sold 22 March 1948 to Townsend Transportation Co., Bayonne, N.J., 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
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Ship's company; embarked troops (Normandy)
- Limitations
- Official ship history; establishes identity, dates, theater, campaign credit, disposal, battle star. Contains no asbestos, material, or survey information; DANFS does not give the commissioning location (the war diary places it at Algiers, La.). NHHC returns 404 to non-browser user agents; page verified live via browser-agent fetch 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-01
-
[2]NARA, RG 38, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories - 'USS LST-54 - Rep of Ops, 6/5-17/44, Invasion of Normandy, France' (NAID 78622053, Roll A1133, 8 images, Fold3-sourced scans) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 78622053; images 0612-0619 of Roll A1133 (letterhead LST54/A9-8, Serial 350)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's own report of operations (serial 350, dated 27 July 1944, signed by commanding officer Lt. (j.g.) R. L. Bunting Jr., forwarded by Commander U.S. Naval Forces in Europe to Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet on 25 August 1944) is digitized at NARA: a chronological narrative 5-17 June 1944 documenting convoy B1 from Portland; anchoring off Easy Red (Omaha) on 6 June and taking aboard 52 casualties returned by her boats; embarking 140 survivors of the mined transport Susan B. Anthony on 7 June; unloading tank-deck cargo to a Rhino pontoon while anchored on 8 June; a soldier's death aboard (S/Sgt. Charles Hoocke) and transfer of the six worst wounded to a hospital ship; a second run beaching Easy White (Omaha) at 1800 on 12 June with 173 troops and 76 vehicles; and a third run beaching Red Sugar (Utah) on 16 June with 231 troops and 59 vehicles, retracting 17 June with a bent port bow door after contacting LST-292.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-06-05 to 1944-06-17
- Population
- Ship's company (~117 complement) plus embarked troops and casualties (52 on 6 June, 8 more 7 June, 140 Susan B. Anthony survivors)
- Limitations
- Ship-authored primary record; establishes operations, cargo, casualties handled, and internal-space use (tank deck, boats, mess) for the Normandy shuttle. Contains no asbestos or material statement - the document was not inspected for material content and none appears in its text. Scanned microfilm, some handwriting-era type legibility limits; dates/times transcribed to day resolution only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-02
-
[3]NARA, RG 38, World War II War Diaries - 'USS LST-54 - War Diary, 12/24-31/43' (NAID 78369110, Roll A899, 11 images, Fold3-sourced scans) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 78369110; images 0702-0712 of Roll A899 (page 1 = 24 December 1943 commissioning entry)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's December 1943 war diary is digitized at NARA: on 24 December 1943 the ship was placed in full commission at Naval Section Base Algiers, New Orleans, La., turned over by the assistant captain of the New Orleans Navy Yard, moored alongside LST-291; the diary records assignment to LST Flotilla 11, Group 31 (Commander Crow, group commander) and fitting-out work at the New Orleans activity during 24-31 December 1943.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-12-24 to 1943-12-31
- Population
- Ship's company at commissioning; New Orleans Navy Yard / Naval Section Base Algiers fitting-out workforce
- Limitations
- Ship-authored handwritten war diary; establishes commissioning place (Algiers, La.) and formation assignment - detail DANFS does not carry. No asbestos or material content. Handwritten cursive; minor name readings (e.g., the delivering officer) are uncertain.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-03
-
[4]NARA, RG 24, Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities - 'LST-54, 12/11/43-11/5/45' (NAID 126553660, Roll No. 4298) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 126553660, Roll No. 4298 (167 images)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds the ship's muster rolls digitized: 'LST-54, 12/11/43-11/5/45' (167 images, Ancestry-sourced scans, Roll 4298) - personnel-level documentation covering effectively the entire commission, from fitting-out assembly before the 24 December 1943 commissioning through decommissioning.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-12-11 to 1945-11-05
- Population
- Every person carried on the ship's rolls, 11 Dec 1943 - 5 Nov 1945
- Limitations
- Personnel roster record; anchors the exposed population claim by name and rating for the full commission. Contains no asbestos or material information. Individual images not reviewed - the catalog-level record (title, dates, image count, series) is what is verified here.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-04
-
[5]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive, 'USS LST-54' (archive 10/16/160054; last updated 5 November 2021) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource archive 10/16/160054 - timeline, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer roster, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS LST-54: LST-1-class tank landing ship; laid down 3 October 1943 at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, PA; launched 13 November 1943; commissioned 24 December 1943, LTjg Robert L. Bunting Jr., USNR, in command; Europe-Africa-Middle East theater; Invasion of Normandy 6-25 June 1944 including landing troops and vehicles (56th Signal Battalion, V Corps elements) 8 June 1944 onto a Rhino off St. Laurent, France; decommissioned 5 November 1945; struck 28 November 1945; sold for scrapping 22 March 1948 to Townsend Transportation Co., Bayonne, N.J.; one battle star. Spec table: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt; 13 officers / 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers / 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; two GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, 1,700 shp, twin propellers; call sign NFGW. Photographic record: U.S. Army Center of Military History painting of LST-54 high and dry on Omaha Beach, June 1944; crew-family-submitted photographs including one captioned as her use as a temporary hospital/surgery after discharging vehicles.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1948; photo record June 1944
- Population
- Ship's company; embarked troops
- Limitations
- NavSource is the canonical volunteer-built per-hull reference, not a government source; timeline and spec table agree with DANFS and BuShips-derived class data where they overlap. Photo captions are contributor-supplied (e.g., the temporary-hospital/surgery description from a crew member's family) - consistent with the ship's own report but not official findings. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-05
-
[6]MARAD Vessel History Database, 'LST-54' (ShipHistory Detail 9419) - vessel status card image 43J_01 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Detail page 'Status Cards' section; card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/43J_01.png (single card)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The vessel's U.S. Maritime Commission/MARAD vessel status card is digitized in the MARAD Vessel History Database: 'LST 54' is recorded as a surplus Department of the Navy hull; Townsend Transportation Company is entered as operator/purchaser ('Pur.') with delivery date in March 1948 - matching the DANFS sale date of 22 March 1948 and the scrapping disposition.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1948
- Population
- 1948 scrapping workforce (Bayonne, NJ area)
- Limitations
- Official disposal record; confirms purchaser and delivery month (handwritten '3/2x/48', day partially legible). Card fields for tonnage, builder, and completion are blank - it documents disposal only, not construction. No asbestos, condition, or hazmat information. MARAD narrative fields are empty ('Sold - No Further Info').
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-06
-
[7]Consolidated era inference anchored to the NavSource LST-1-class specification table (diesel plant, no boilers) and GAO HRD-80-2 Navy-wide asbestos-insulation documentation [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource LST-54 specifications block (propulsion); inference synthesis
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era inference for this diesel-powered LST-1-class hull: with no boilers or steam plant, the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam ships does not apply; era-relevant asbestos applications aboard a 1943-built LST are diesel exhaust lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/windlass brake linings - asbestos-containing materials in the era's standard marine construction practice.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943 (construction); 1943-1945 (operation)
- Population
- Construction trades (Dravo Neville Island, 1943); New Orleans fitting-out workforce; ship's company
- Limitations
- Era-consistent inference, not a ship record: no bill of material, survey, or hull document names asbestos aboard LST-54. Does not establish that asbestos was installed, its quantity, present-day presence (hull scrapped 1948), or exposure of any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-07
-
[8]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure', HRD-80-2 (published Oct 18, 1979; released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page Highlights section (fieldwork: Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO HRD-80-2 documents the Navy's asbestos-protection program: asbestos insulation was widely used in Navy ships; the 1975 policy removed/replaced only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for necessary repairs, modified in 1979 to add selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - i.e., era insulation typically remained in place for decades absent a yard period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1975-1979 (program period documented)
- Limitations
- Program-level context only - fieldwork was at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards and postdates this hull's 1948 scrapping; it says nothing about LST-54. gao.gov returns 403 to automated fetches; product-page Highlights were retrieved via browser-agent scrape 2026-10-02; full-text PDF not pulled.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-08
-
[9]Batch-7050 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NavSource; NARA catalog (war diary, report of operations, muster rolls, deck-log check); MARAD Vessel History Database; Naval Vessel Register; CourtListener opinion index; NHHC photo index [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-54-01 through sl-uss-lst-54-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, museum hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming LST-54 was found in the sources searched. CourtListener opinion searches for 'LST-54', 'USS LST-54', and 'LST 54' returned zero results; the hull was scrapped in 1948, decades before asbestos survey requirements, and was never preserved or named.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located record is not proof of absence: the hull was built in 1943 under standard wartime marine-insulation practice and scrapped pre-regulation, so asbestos aboard was plausible and is undocumented, not disproven. CourtListener coverage is opinion-index only ('LST-54', 'USS LST-54', 'LST 54' all 0); the docket-index query was blocked by the fleet request pacer this session (see ledger sl-09) - RECAP/docket coverage is stated as a gap, not assumed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-09
-
[10]NARA 'Digitized Deck Logs' guidance page + catalog search results for 'LST-54' (257 hits - war diary, report of operations, muster rolls, index cards - but no deck-log file unit) and 'LST-54 deck log' [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov digitized-logs page; catalog.archives.gov search 'LST-54' (result set reviewed)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival lead: LST-54's deck logs for the commission period were not located in NARA's digitized holdings - the digitized deck-log batches cover 1956-1978 plus a partial 1941-1950 set. Original World War II deck logs, if extant, sit in RG 24 at NARA College Park. Monthly war diaries after December 1943 were not surfaced in the catalog beyond the December file unit; COM LST GR 31 (Flotilla 11/Group 31) war diaries exist in the same RG 38 series and would carry formation-level context for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Lead, not a record of content: deck logs and post-December-1943 monthly war diaries were not retrieved; their non-appearance in the digitized catalog does not prove they do not exist in paper holdings. No asbestos finding is implied.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-54-10