Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]research packet 692-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-573-lst573-pkt-692-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-573 (NHHC ship-history page; verbatim text via Wayback capture 2024-12-09 - live NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-10-02) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-573 entry (NHHC page, single-paragraph LST entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (verbatim DANFS): 'LST-573 was laid down on 15 April 1944 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 31 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ernest C. Strpebe; and commissioned on 21 June 1944. During World War II, LST-573 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: Leyte landings - October and November 1944; Mindoro landings - December 1944; Consolidation of the southern Philippines: (a) Visayan Island landings - March and April 1945; (b) Mindanao Island landings - March 1945. Following the war, LST-573 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-January 1946. Upon her return to the United States, she was decommissioned on 24 January 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 31 October 1947. On 26 May 1948, the ship was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Co., of Bethlehem, Pa. LST-573 earned three battle stars for World War II service.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Construction trades (Evansville, 1944); crew (1944-46); embarked troops
- Limitations
- Ship-specific service history only; no asbestos or material content. The 'return to the United States' decommissioning clause conflicts with NavSource's SCAJAP/Q027 note (see ev-08 and gaps). Live NHHC URL 404s (standing link-rot); Wayback capture cited - the canonical URL itself, not an archive substitute for a live source. Campaign dates are month-level; NavSource supplies day-level landing windows.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-573 (10/16/160573) - milestone timeline, campaign table, specifications, commanding officers, photographic record (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 160573.htm header block, Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns table, Occupation-service table, specifications block, commanding-officers table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 15 April 1944 at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN; launched 31 May 1944; commissioned USS LST-573 21 June 1944, LTjg. George W. Hessemer, USNR, in command. Campaign table (day-level): Leyte landings 18-29 October 1944; Mindoro landings 12-18 December 1944; Mindanao Island landings 18 March 1945; Visayan Island landings 29 March - 1 April 1945. Navy Occupation Service medal periods: 2 October - 1 November 1945, 18 November - 25 December 1945, 7 - 24 January 1946. 'Decommissioned, 24 January 1946 and assigned to Commander Naval Forces Far East (COMNAVFE) Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q027.' Struck from the Naval Register 31 October 1947; three battle stars; transferred to the Maritime Commission (MARAD) 26 May 1948; final disposition sold for scrapping 26 May 1948 to Bethlehem Steel Corp., Bethlehem, PA. Specifications: 1,625 t. light / 4,080 t. full load / 2,366 t. beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; armament 2 twin 40mm, 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm; propulsion two GM 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three 100kW 230V DC diesel-drive generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders. Commanding officers: LTjg. George Wayne Hessemer, USNR (21 June 1944 - November 1945); LTjg. George E. Allen Jr., USNR (November 1945 - 24 January 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46); SCAJAP Japanese crews (1946-48, if Q027 assignment confirmed); Bethlehem Steel shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates track DANFS but the SCAJAP/Q027 note and MARAD transfer step appear only here (conflicts with DANFS 'return to the United States'; see ev-08). Specifications are the class-standard LST-542 block, not hull-surveyed figures. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-02
-
[4]NARA catalog, RG 38 'World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories' (series NAID 4697018): four ship-specific action-report file units digitized via Fold3 - NAID 78689470 (Leyte Gulf AA actions 10/24, 25 & 26/44, 10 images); NAID 139916403 (AA acts off Leyte & Mindoro 11/25 & 26/44 and 12/15/44, 12 images); NAID 139836784 (AA action Lingayen Gulf 1/12/45, 2 images); NAID 101716199 (AA action Brunei Bay, Borneo 6/14/45, 2 images) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search 'LST-573' (135 results, RG 38 series P 17); record pages for NAIDs 78689470, 139916403, 139836784, 101716199 - all 'Textual Records', digitized via Fold3, National Archives at College Park
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Primary operational records filed for this hull exist and are digitized: USS LST-573's own AA (anti-aircraft action) reports in the National Archives, covering Leyte Gulf (24-26 October 1944), off Leyte and Mindoro (25-26 November and 15 December 1944), Lingayen Gulf, Luzon (12 January 1945), and Brunei Bay, Borneo (14 June 1945). The Brunei Bay report documents a June 1945 Borneo operation not among the four operations in her campaign list (she earned three battle stars) - consistent with the photographic record of Morotai staging for the North Borneo landing (see ev-04). Unit-level reports naming her also exist for the Brunei Bay assault (COMTASK-GROUP 76.20, COMTASK-UNIT 76.20.50, COMTASK-UNIT 78.1.20, COM LST GR 43).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- LST-573 crew during the stated action windows
- Limitations
- Operational records, not material records: they establish the ship's presence and combat activity (AA engagements) on the stated dates but contain no asbestos, insulation, or crew-health content. Catalog titles verified on each record page; report contents were not read page-by-page beyond the catalog descriptions. Borneo participation derives from the report's existence and title, corroborating the Morotai photo caption - not an added battle star.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-03
-
[5]NHHC photographic record NH 84859 'USS LST-573' (caption: 'During landing operations in the southwest Pacific area, 1944-45'; verified live 2026-10-02); plus NavSource-captioned Signal Corps and Australian War Memorial photography with NARA references [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC NH-84859 page (live); NavSource 160573.htm photo-caption table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Verified photographic record for this hull: NHHC NH 84859 shows LST-573 beached at Morotai, Halmahera Islands, May 1945 during loading for the British North Borneo landing (NavSource caption; NHHC's own caption reads 'During landing operations in the southwest Pacific area, 1944-45', courtesy William H. Davis, 1976). NavSource-captioned primary photography further documents: five LSTs beached at San Fabian, Lingayen Gulf unloading trucks circa January 1945 (LST-697, LST-573, LST-1025, LST-496, unidentified); LST-573 beached ~3/4 mile north of the Pasig River, Manila Bay, 1 March 1945 - the Signal Corps caption (SWPA-SC-45-13197, US National Archives) states she 'was the first U.S. ship to enter Manila Bay after the battle to retake Manila from the Japanese'; LST-573 and LST-637 unloading at Panay, P.I. across earth ramps, 18 March 1945 (111-SCA-Album-2986, SWPA-SC-45-20696); LST-609, LST-612 and LST-573 beached at Mindoro (Acme Newspictures, captioned circa March 1945 - a caption date at odds with the December 1944 Mindoro landing); LST-573 and LST-619 beached at Morotai 30 May 1945 loading Australian Army's 2/16 Transport Platoon (AWM photos 108513, 108518).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- LST-573 crew; embarked Army/Australian troops during loadouts
- Limitations
- Photographs and caption claims are presence documentation, not exposure or material records. The 'first U.S. ship to enter Manila Bay' assertion is a period photo-caption claim carried as such - no official corroboration located. The Mindoro photo's 'circa March 1945' caption postdates the documented December 1944 landing and is treated as a caption error pending verification. NARA item-level records for the Signal Corps frames were not resolved in the catalog (JS-rendered) - NAID-level verification open.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-04
-
[6]Era/design inference built on: Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST design table (2 GM 12-567A diesels, ~1,700 shp, 2 shafts via Falk reduction gears, 11.6 kt; PDF verified live via range GET 2026-10-02); LST-1-series class profile (class-f worktree, researcher session 2026-09-16); GAO HRD-80-2 era documentation (ev-06) [other_primary]
- Locator
- BuShips SDB-1945 v2 LST design table (shipscribe scan); class-f/lst-1-class.class.json era inference
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LST-542-group tank landing ship built April-June 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard asbestos applications aboard an LST of this period were GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal and acoustic insulation, valve packing, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings in the crew and machinery spaces. She carried no boilers - the boiler/main-steam lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply, but a mass-produced steel hull of 1944 construction still carried era-standard insulation, gasket, packing, and deck-covering materials.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46); SCAJAP Japanese crews (1946-48); Bethlehem Steel shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, survey, or work package located for LST-573. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-05
-
[7]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 (1944) and service era (1944-48, including SCAJAP operation).
- 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 - standing defect noted since Batch 01) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-06
-
[8]Batch-7087 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; NavSource live; NARA catalog (4 ship-specific AA-report file units + unit-level Brunei Bay reports); NHHC photo NH 84859 live; NVR (no entry); MARAD vessel-history DB (blocked); shipscribe SDB-1945 v2 live; USNI SCAJAP program article; CourtListener (3 sweeps, all count 0); secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-573-lst573-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-573 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener returned count 0 on all three sweeps run this session: '"LST-573"' opinions (type=o), '"LST-573"' RECAP dockets (type=r, count 0 / document_count 0), and '"LST 573"' opinions - no opinion, docket, or filing names this hull. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (LST/ship listicles asserting 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. The CourtListener zero covers published opinions and RECAP-indexed dockets for the exact hull-number string and its space variant; coverage limits remain - RECAP does not index every state or federal filing, and suits that named the ship only in an exhibit or complaint attachment may not surface. Builder work packages (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron), SCAJAP-period records, 1948 scrapping-contract records, and 1944-46 deck logs (RG 24, analog at College Park) are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-07
-
[9]Designation/location conflict across sources: DANFS LST-573 entry ('upon her return to the United States, she was decommissioned on 24 January 1946') vs NavSource 160573.htm ('Decommissioned, 24 January 1946 and assigned to COMNAVFE SCAJAP, redesignated Q027'); USNI Naval History, 'The Strange Navy That Shipped Millions of Japanese Home' (SCAJAP LST program context) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-573 final paragraph; NavSource 160573.htm timeline; USNI article text
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CONFLICT: DANFS states LST-573 returned to the United States and was decommissioned there 24 January 1946; NavSource states she was decommissioned the same date and assigned to COMNAVFE Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP) as Q027 - i.e., decommissioned in the Far East and continued in Japanese-crewed repatriation service. The NavSource version is consistent with the documented SCAJAP program: USNI Naval History records that SCAJAP took ~85-100 LSTs 'slated for decommissioning' and operated them with Japanese crews on repatriation and Korea-support lift, and NavSource's Navy Occupation Service medal periods for this hull run to 24 January 1946 in Far East waters. Both versions are recorded; the DANFS 'return to the United States' clause is likely boilerplate but is not formally corrected here.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946-1948
- Population
- SCAJAP Japanese crew (1946-48, if confirmed)
- Limitations
- Source conflict disclosed, not resolved: no primary document located fixing where the decommissioning occurred. The Q027 designation and SCAJAP assignment rest on NavSource's compilation; program-level corroboration (USNI) confirms such assignments existed for this type and period but does not name this hull. Affects only the 1946-48 narrative - construction, combat record, and disposal dates are consistent across sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-573-lst573-08