Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]research packet 705-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-658-lst658-pkt-705-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-658 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, campaign list, occupation/China service, decommissioning, State Department transfer, striking, battle stars [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-658 entry (complete entry text)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: 'LST-658 was laid down on 28 December 1943 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched on 13 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph R. McDonald; and commissioned on 17 April 1944.' Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; participated in: Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands (September and October 1944); Leyte landings (October and November 1944); Lingayen Gulf landing (January 1945); Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (April 1945). Post-war: occupation duty in the Far East and China service until late May 1946; decommissioned 1 June 1946; transferred to the State Department for disposition; struck from the Navy list 3 July 1946. Earned four battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46); embarked troops/passengers
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. Entry ends at the 1946 striking - the State Department disposal trail is not followed. Live page verified 2026-10-02 via firecrawl full-text fetch (plain-curl returns 404 due to UA filtering; HTTP 200 with browser user agent).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-01
-
[3]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (January 1945) - production roster entry for LST-658 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips volume) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 landing-craft production roster, American Bridge Ambridge block, LST658 row (PDF ~16.8 MB, text layer verified)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The BuShips production roster lists 'LST658' inside the American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa. builder block (block opens at LST653; 'do.' ditto carries down through the block) with dates 28 Dec 43 (laid down) / 13 Mar 44 (launched) / 17 Apr 44 (commissioned) - official-registry confirmation of builder and all three milestones, independent of DANFS.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1944 (roster entries)
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1943-44)
- Limitations
- Official BuShips registry data naming this hull; contains no asbestos or material content. Scan hosted by shipscribe.com (bibliographic-reproduction site); the 1945 volume was itself a wartime official publication - LST-658's roster row predates her disposal so no disposition data exists there. The class profile's earlier citation path (/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf) returned 404 on 2026-10-02; the file moved to /pubs/ - live URL verified this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-658 - commanding officers, flotilla assignments, campaign date table, occupation/China service periods, specifications, awards, disposal [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160658.htm - header block, campaign table, service-period tables, specifications block, commanding-officer roster, awards ribbons
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource detail for this hull: commissioned USS LST-658 on 17 April 1944, LT. Roger L. Conkling, USNR, in command. Commanding officers: LT. Conkling (17 Apr 1944 - 8 Nov 1944); LT. Linden G.V. Vander, USNR (8 Nov 1944 - Feb 1946); LTjg. Fredric C. Sanborn, USNR (Feb 1946 - 1 Jun 1946). Assignments: LST Flotilla Fourteen / Group Forty for Western Carolines, Leyte, Luzon; LST Flotilla Sixteen (CAPT. N.W. Sears) / Group Forty-Six (LCDR. J.R. Keeling) / Division Ninety-One for Okinawa Gunto. Campaign dates: Peleliu 15 Sep - 14 Oct 1944; Leyte 18 Oct - 6 Nov and 19 - 29 Nov 1944; Lingayen Gulf 4 - 18 Jan 1945; Okinawa Gunto 1 - 9 Apr 1945. Transported LCT-773 to the Western Carolines. Occupation service 2 Sep - 18 Oct 1945 and 1 Nov 1945 - 1 Jun 1946; China Service Medal (extended) 1 Nov 1945 - 1 Jun 1946. Decommissioned 1 Jun 1946; transferred to the State Department; struck 3 Jul 1946; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown.' Specifications: 2 x GM 12-567A diesels 900 hp each, single Falk main reduction gear, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders, 3 x diesel-driven 100 kW 230V DC generators; complement 13 officers / 104 enlisted + troops 16 officers / 147 enlisted. Awards: Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; Philippine Liberation Medal (2); China Service Medal (extended); Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp); American Campaign; Asiatic-Pacific (4 stars); WWII Victory.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- Crew (1944-46); embarked troops and passengers (419 aboard at Peleliu per ev-04)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates here are corroborated by DANFS and the BuShips roster (ev-01, ev-02). Contains no asbestos content. 'Fate unknown' disposition is an absence of record, not a finding. Complement 13/104 conflicts slightly with the BuShips design-table accommodations figure 13/106 (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-03
-
[5]USS LST-658 Action Report of the Invasion of Peleliu, Palau Islands (CO R.L. Conkling, 28 September 1944) - ship's own action report to CincUSFleet via ComLST Group 40 / ComLST Flotilla 14 (NARA-derived scan hosted by NavSource; fold3 annotation '10 01321') [other_primary]
- Locator
- 160658a.pdf pp. 1-4 (narrative, chronology, ordnance, damage, personnel sections; Enclosures A and B)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's own action report documents her Peleliu operation in detail: one unit of 30 LSTs under Task Force 32; embarked 22 vehicles (5 LVT flamethrowers, 15 LVTs, 2 DUKWs), 419 passenger personnel (12 Marine officers, 385 Marine enlisted, 2 Navy officers, 13 Navy enlisted, 7 Army enlisted), and LCT-773, plus priority cargo including HE ammunition, gasoline, rations, and equipment. Attack-wave launch of vehicles at H minus 1:15 about 2.5 miles off Orange Beach (D-day 15 Sep 1944, H-hour 0830); LCT launched at H plus 4.5 hours (1234); priority cargo unloaded by small boat from D+1 (42% of cargo unloaded by Ship's Company before beaching); beached Orange 3 Beach 24 September (D+9); Trackson Crane unloaded at Purple Beach 26 September; departed Peleliu 1700, 26 September. No battle damage sustained; no ammunition expended against the enemy; no personnel casualties. Enclosure A names boat-crew members Swigart (Cox) and Mathews (F1c, engineer) commended as LVT wave leaders.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 4-26 September 1944
- Population
- Ship's company (~117) + 419 embarked passengers at Peleliu; named: Swigart C.K. (Cox), Mathews J.R. (F1c)
- Limitations
- Primary operational record for this hull - establishes presence, cargo, passengers, and crew activity at Peleliu; contains no asbestos or material content. Internal inconsistency: the narrative states 'LST Flotilla Thirteen' while the report's own via-block routes it through 'Commander LST GROUP 40 / Commander LST FLOTILLA 14' - flotilla-number discrepancy noted in gaps. OCR says 'LGT' where LCT is meant.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table - LST-542-931 group specifications (shipscribe.com scan); lst-1-class.class.json class profile (session F, 2026-09-16) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table 'Landing Ships, Tank (LST)' pp. 168-169, LST542-931 row
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The official BuShips design table for the LST-542-931 group (which includes this hull) documents a diesel plant: 2 x G.M. Diesel 12-567A, 1,700 shp, 2 propellers; 328 ft oa, 50 ft beam, 2,366 t beaching / 4,080 t limiting-draft displacement, 11.6 kt trial; accommodations 13 officers / 106 enlisted; ultimate armament 2 twin + 4 single 40mm AA mounts. No boilers and no steam plant - the boiler/turbine steam-lagging pathway does not apply to this type. Era-standard asbestos-relevant applications for a diesel amphibian of this period were diesel exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, gaskets, valve packing, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, and winch brake linings; LSTs converted to repair/mother-ship roles (ARL/AGP/ARB) added interior insulation scope, but this hull was not converted.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Population
- American Bridge construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-46); any disposal/transfer workforce post-1946
- Limitations
- Design-group table + era inference only - the SDB design table is a type document and does not list installed materials for this hull; no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, or work package located for LST-658. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-05
-
[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 (1943-44) and service era (1944-46).
- 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-658-lst658-06
-
[8]National Archives, Special List 44: Navy Deck Logs Available in the National Archives Catalog, by Ship Number [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf ship-number table, LST-658 row ('4/17/1944 - 7/1/1945'); availability guide https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 indexes digitized Navy deck-log coverage for LST-658 spanning 17 April 1944 (commissioning day) through 1 July 1945 - the hull's entire combat career (Peleliu through the eve of the Okinawa-occupation period). The index establishes the listed record span; the underlying deck logs were not retrieved or reviewed.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-04-17 to 1945-07-01 (indexed span)
- Limitations
- Archival index entry, not review of the logs themselves - an index row establishes that digitized logs exist for the stated span, nothing about their contents (including any materials, maintenance, or casualty references). Coverage ends 1 July 1945; occupation and China-service periods (through 1 June 1946) are not in the digitized index. Deck logs rarely record materials data in any case.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-07
-
[9]Batch-7181 search ledger (this record): live DANFS entry; BuShips SDB-1945 v2 roster + design table; NavSource page + action-report PDF; NARA SL-44 index; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated, fleet helper); NVR probe; Wikipedia; secondary web litigation/shipyard sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-658-lst658-01 through sl-uss-lst-658-lst658-14
- 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-658 (LST-658) was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener authenticated sweeps: opinion 'LST-658' = 0 hits; docket 'LST-658' = 0 hits; opinion 'LST 658' = 0 hits (documents naming 'USS LST-658' necessarily contain these hull strings, so the exact-name space is covered; the residual unhyphenated docket sub-query was fleet-paced and is logged as blocked, not negative). Secondary sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing listicles asserting asbestos at 'American Bridge Shipyard' 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 hull's undocumented post-1946 disposition (State Department disposal, 'fate unknown' per NavSource) leaves even the fate of any installed material open. Deck logs are indexed but unreviewed; State Department/Foreign Liquidation Commission disposal records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-658-lst658-08