USS LST-660

Evidence

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

1. [1]research packet 706-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-660-lst660-pkt-706-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, LST-660 (construction, sponsor, commissioning, Asiatic-Pacific campaigns, occupation duty, decommissioning/striking/sale dates, four battle stars; live NHHC entry) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, full text (short numbered-LST format)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS record for this hull: 'LST-660 was laid down on 6 January 1944 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched on 24 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Robert Gibson; and commissioned on 26 April 1944. During World War II, LST-660 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands - September and October 1944; Leyte landings - November 1944; Zambales-Subic Bay - January 1945; Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto - April 1945. Following the war, LST-660 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946. The ship was decommissioned on 26 April 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 5 June that same year. On 17 May 1948, she was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Co., of Bethlehem, Pa., and subsequently scrapped. LST-660 earned four battle stars for World War II service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1944); wartime crew and embarked troops; occupation-duty crew (1945-46)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific service history only; no asbestos or material content. The DANFS campaign list does not include the ship's documented Lingayen Gulf reinforcement run of 11-15 January 1945 (her own war diary and referenced Lingayen Action Report - see ev-06 and gaps); DANFS short-form numbered-LST entries routinely omit post-D-day reinforcement lifts. The vanity canonical URL (/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lst-660.html) returns 404; the /content/history/nhhc/ backend URL renders the full entry to browser/firecrawl fetch but also returns 404 to curl - standing NHHC erratic-serve defect noted since BATCH-01.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-660 (10/16/160660.htm, live, verified this session) - designation timeline, specifications, commanding-officer list, awards board, occupation-service table, photo captions [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 160660.htm header block, campaign/awards/occupation tables, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo-caption groups (incl. NARA photo 80-G-271205/80-G-271207 of the ship in the Gulf of Mexico, 19 May 1944)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull: LST-542-class tank landing ship laid down 6 January 1944 at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA; launched 24 March 1944; commissioned 26 April 1944, LT. John M. Harrigan, USNR, in command; Asiatic-Pacific campaigns - Western Caroline Islands operation (southern Palau Islands, 6 September - 14 October 1944), Leyte operation (Leyte landings, 5-18 November 1944), Manila Bay-Bicol operations (Zambales-Subic Bay, 29-30 January 1945), Okinawa Gunto operation (assault and occupation, 1-29 April 1945). For Okinawa Gunto the page lists her under LST Flotilla Fourteen (CAPT. E. A. Seay), LST Group Forty (CDR. G. Reith), LST Division Seventy-Nine. Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp) qualifying periods: 6-23 September 1945 and 19 December 1945 - 4 January 1946. Decommissioned 26 April 1946; struck from the Naval Register 5 June 1946; four battle stars; sold for scrapping 17 May 1948 to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA. Awards board: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4), World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Liberation Medal (2). Specifications: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; endurance 24,000 mi at 9 kt; complement 9 officers / 120 enlisted, troops 14 officers / 131 enlisted; 6 LCVP; two GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, three diesel-drive 100-kW 230-V DC ship's service generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; 2 twin 40-mm w/Mk 51 directors, 4 single 40-mm, 12 single 20-mm; diesel fuel 4,300 Bbls. Commanding officers: LT Harrigan 26 April 1944 - November 1945; LTjg Willard J. Schlice November 1945 - February 1946; LTjg John P. O'Ferrall February - 26 April 1946. Photo captions include USS LST-747, USS LST-627 and USS LST-660 beached together at Okinawa circa 1945-46, and USS LST-660 with USS LST-609 beached in the Philippines.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   Ambridge construction trades (1944); crew and embarked troops (1944-46); occupation-duty crew (1945-46)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones track DANFS here with no conflicts located. Its Okinawa organization listing (Flotilla Fourteen/Group Forty/Division Seventy-Nine) is partially corroborated by the ship's own war diary (Group 40 assignment effective 15 February 1945) but its Division number conflicts with the diaries' Division 84 - see ev-09. Its complement block for this hull (9 officers/120 enlisted; troops 14/131) and 6-LCVP boat fit differ from sister LST-627's block (13/104; troops 16/147; 2 LCVP) - carried as printed for this hull. Contains no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-02

4. [4]NARA, USS LST-660 - Report of operations in the invasion of Angaur Is., 9/17-26/44; ship's action report LST660/A16-3 serial 077, 3 October 1944, signed John M. Harrigan, Lt., USNR, with six-endorsement chain to Commander THIRD Fleet (NAID 633403067, RG 38 WWII operational records, 8 images, read in full) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 633403067, images 0885-0892: report serial 077 pp. 1-3 + endorsements 1-6

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The ship's own CONFIDENTIAL action report for the Angaur (southern Palaus) operation, 15-26 September 1944: underway Guadalcanal to Angaur 15 September in position 3-4 of an LST convoy; on station LST Area Dog off Red Beach 17 September launching 4 Engineer and 3 Infantry DUKWs; moved to Area Jig off Blue Beach launching 3 reconnaissance DUKWs; all 17 DUKWs launched to Blue Beach 18 September; DUKW cargo-ferry operations 19-22 September drawing down cargo 62% to zero; Small Boat No. 6 holed on a coral reef 20 September and 'exhaust from port engine caused slight fire on cargo net' the same day - a documented machinery-related event; refueled LCI 734 with 12,000 gallons fuel oil 21 September; launched port and starboard pontoon causeways at Yellow Beach 24 September unloading Sea Bee supplies/equipment; maneuvered between Angaur and Peleliu 25 September and joined a 20-LST convoy to Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, 26 September. 'During the entire operation the L.S.T. 660 was not fired upon or engaged in any manner by the enemy.' Endorsement chain: first endorsement Commander LST Group Forty-Two (K. A. Thieme), 10 November 1944; second Commander LST Flotilla Fourteen (E. A. Seay) via Amphibious Group ONE, 13 November 1944; third ComPhibGru One/CTG 32.2 (W. H. P. Blandy), 25 November; fourth CTF 32/ComPhibGru Five (Jerauld Wright), 28 November; fifth Commander THIRD Amphibious Force (T. S. Wilkinson), 17 December 1944; sixth Commander THIRD Fleet (R. B. Carney, Chief of Staff), received January 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-09-15 to 1944-09-26 (report); endorsements to Jan 1945

   Population

   Ship's company (9 officers/120 enlisted per spec block); embarked Engineer/Infantry DUKW elements; Sea Bee detachments unloaded

   Limitations

   Primary record of combat logistics service - not a material or asbestos document. It establishes a machinery event (port-engine exhaust igniting a cargo net) and embarked-servicemen populations (DUKW crews, Sea Bees) only - no exposure claim. Endorsement chain corroborates the ship's administrative flotilla (14) and group (42) for September-November 1944 - see ev-09.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-03

5. [5]NARA, USS LST-660 - Report of Reinforcement Landing on Leyte Is., Philippines on 11/12/44 (serial 097, 16 November 1944, signed Harrigan; NAID 139788911, 3 images, read in full) AND Report of operations in the assault landing in the San Narcisco Area, Luzon Is., Philippines 1/29-30/45 (serial 8-45, 31 January 1945, signed Harrigan; NAID 139918981, 3 images, read in full); second NAID: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139918981 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 139788911 images 0847-0849 (report + endorsements slip); NAID 139918981 images 0382-0384 (report pp. 1-2 + five-endorsement slip noting M-Serial 117212)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Two ship-generated CONFIDENTIAL action reports for Philippine reinforcement landings. LEYTE (serial 097, covering 8-12 November 1944): convoy position 1-1 of a 72-ship force from Morotai; 12 November General Quarters at 0457 with heavy AA from shore batteries; beached Yellow Beach east of Dulag, Leyte, at 0903, retracted at 0936 because water was too deep at the bow ramp; 'ALL SHIP'S POWER OFF' at 0951 due to a faulty fuel line to the generators - a documented total-power machinery casualty, repairs completed 1127 at anchor 1,000 yards off the beach; while at anchor witnessed two Vals dive on Liberty ships anchored in the bay - the first bombing one amidships before being shot down, the second hitting and crashing into another, both vessels burning; re-beached 1139; supplied LCT 687 with 1,500 gal fuel and 1,000 gal fresh water and LSM 21 with 2,000 gal water, 5,200 gal fuel and provisions; unloading complete 1605 with all Army personnel/equipment off; then fought through the afternoon air attacks of 12 November - opened fire on two Zekes scoring hits (one crashed near the LST group), on a Zeke that crashed near LST 626, and on three more enemy aircraft (one crashed into a cargo ship 'probably destroying it'); ammunition expended 1,232 rds 20-mm HEI, 616 rds 20-mm HET, 584 rds 40-mm HET-SD; joined a 32-LST convoy to Hollandia that evening. Routed via CTG 76.4 (ComLSTFlot 15) to ComSEVENTHPhib. SAN NARCISO (serial 8-45, Zambales-Subic Bay operation, 'MIKE XRAY Attack Group', TU 78.3.4 under Captain E. A. Seay, COMLSTFlot 14, aboard flagship USS LST 693): joined 25 January 1945 in San Pedro Bay with over 80 ships; objective the beaches about 15 miles north of Subic Bay and a half-mile west of the town of San Narciso, west coast of Luzon; 248 troops of elements of the 38th Infantry Division embarked; designated TU 78.3.41 assigned Red Beach on B Day (29 January); first approach at 1142 made at 8 knots stopped on a sand bar about 100 yards offshore 'with the bow 150 feet from the beach,' unable to commence unloading; retracted 1321; second attempt at 1353 several hundred yards south at flank speed also failed 'due to unfavorable hydrographic conditions,' retracted 1424; third approach at 1630 to beach in the slot formerly held by LST 693 - '1844 Successfully beached using flank speed. Our bow ramp after being lowered, was on dry beach, and unloading started almost immediately. By midnight about 75% of the cargo was unloaded'; disembarkation and all unloading completed 0315 on 30 January, clear of the beach 0428; that afternoon TU 78.3.22 formed under Captain Seay aboard LST 693 flagship (28 LSTs plus screening vessels) for return to San Pedro Bay. 'Enroute to our objective, at our objective and returning to Leyte, this ship was not engaged in any manner by the enemy.' cc: COMLSTGroup 42.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-11-08 to 1944-11-12; 1945-01-25 to 1945-01-30

   Population

   Ship's company; 248 embarked troops (38th Infantry Division elements) at San Narciso; Leyte cargo/troop passengers; landing craft alongside

   Limitations

   Primary records of combat-logistics operations - not material or asbestos documents. The Leyte report's total-power casualty (faulty generator fuel line) and subsequent at-anchor repair establish a machinery-disturbance event aboard this hull but no material content is stated. The San Narciso report's endorsement slip notes five endorsements 'filmed as pages 6-11 of M-Serial 117212' - that endorsement set is a separate archival unit not retrieved. Establishes embarked populations and operational detail only - no exposure claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-04

6. [6]NARA, USS LST-660 - Report of operations in the invasion of Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands (Action Report, Capture and Occupation of Okinawa Jima south of Ishikawi Isthmus, 1-4 April 1945; serial 29-45, 5 April 1945; NAID 140060819, 5 images, read in full) AND Report of operations in the occupation of the Okinawa Gunto, 4/4-29/45 (Phase II, Ie Shima Attack; serial 71-45, 25 May 1945; NAID 101744073, 9 images, read in full); second NAID: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/101744073 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 140060819 images 0736-0740 (serial 29-45 pp. 1-5); NAID 101744073 images 0398-0406 (serial 71-45 pp. 1-9)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Two ship-generated CONFIDENTIAL action reports covering the Okinawa operation end-to-end. L-DAY PHASE (serial 29-45): formed at Leyte Gulf 25 March 1945 in Task Unit 51.14.1 (later TU 55.3.1), Southern Attack Force, over 50 ships, CTG 51.14 Captain W. H. Brereton (ComLSTFlot 21) aboard LCI 994 flagship; ship assigned to LST Unit Nine (TU 51.14.4) under Commander R. M. MacKinnon, ComLSTGr 61, aboard LST 587 flagship. Embarked at Bito, Leyte, 20 March: 303 enlisted men and officers of the 17th Infantry, 10th U.S. Army, plus 17 LVTs, 11 trucks (2.5-ton), 4 trailers (1-ton), and 400 tons of ammunition/gasoline/water/general cargo. Arrived off southern Okinawa LOVE DAY 1 April 1945; launched all 17 LVTs 0701-0711 at H-minus-100 minutes, 4,500 yards seaward of Purple 2 Beach, with two LCVPs as wave guides; at 1910 under attack by four Judys, one of which dropped a bomb about 100 yards off the port bow (no damage); beached Orange 2 Beach 1915 (six miles south of Zampa Misaki; coral, no dry beaching possible, unloading by amphibious trucks); retracted the night of 2 April to rebeach - 'the stern anchor cable fouled the screws' and the cable was cut off (a documented stern-anchor casualty following the winch-motor burnout of 23 January and its February repair alongside USS DIXIE); 100% unloaded by about 0100 4 April; proceeded to Kerama Kaikyo anchorage and was assigned to TG 51.1. Routed via CTU 55.3.4 (ComLSTGr 61) to CTU 55.3.1 (ComLSTFlot 21) to CTF 55. Ammunition expended in air attack: 204 rds 20-mm HET, 408 rds 20-mm HEI, 178 rds 40-mm HET-SD. PHASE II (serial 71-45, Ie Shima attack and period 4-29 April): loading at Kerama Retto under frequent air attack; witnessed a kamikaze crash-dive into USS LST-447 on 6 April at 1634 (explosion and fire; LST-447 later abandoned as lost) and another into a cargo ship outside the southern nets; 'the smoke generator ceased functioning' night of 11 April - a second machinery casualty; reprimanded by CTF 51 for careless firing during night alerts 15 April; proceeded to Ie Shima on W Day 16 April under TU 51.1.9 (Commander Anderson, USCG, aboard LST 814 flagship, the Ie Shima Attack Group Reserve Tractor Group) disembarking 95 embarked troops of the 77th Infantry; second lift 18-20 April of 361 troops plus 53 vehicles/377 tons and 14 tons ammunition, beached Red Tare Four Beach 20 April under sniper and stray small-arms fire with mortar fire audible from Ikosuko Yama - 1st Lt. Foley of the 77th Infantry wounded by sniper fire while disembarking, the ship's only casualty; LST 662's hawser entangled in this ship's starboard screw 21 April delaying retraction; third lift 24-26 April of 213 troops plus about 45 vehicles/350 tons back to Okinawa; beached Purple Two Beach 27-29 April; unloaded and retracted 0642 29 April joining TU 51.29.25 for Ulithi. Total ammunition expended in the phase: 739 rds 20-mm HET, 1,476 rds 20-mm HEI, 472 rds 40-mm HET-SD. 'No damage was suffered by enemy action during the entire Okinawa stay.' Via-line: CTU 51.1.9 (ComLSTGr 87) - CTU 51.1.6 (ComLSTFlot 16) - CTG 55.3 (ComLSTFlot 21) - CTU 51.1.1 (ComTransRon 17) - CTG 51.21 (ComPhibGr 4) - CTG 51.1 (ComPhibGr 7) - CTF 51 (ComPhibForPac) - Cincpac; cc ComLSTFlot 14.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1945-03-20 to 1945-04-29

   Population

   Ship's company; 303 troops of the 17th Infantry embarked 20 March; 95 + 361 + 213 troops of the 77th Infantry across three April lifts; 1st Lt. Foley (wounded); LCVP/LVT crews

   Limitations

   Primary records of the assault and follow-on phases - not material or asbestos documents. They establish two machinery events (stern-anchor cable fouled in the screws 2 April; smoke-generator casualty 11 April), one embarked-personnel casualty (Lt. Foley, sniper wound), and detailed embarked-population numbers - no exposure claim. Neither report's routing shows LST Group Forty or Division Seventy-Nine (NavSource's listing): the operational chains ran through Groups 61 and 87 and Flotillas 15/16/21 while the administrative cc stayed ComLSTFlot 14 - see ev-09.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-05

7. [7]NARA, USS LST-660 war diaries (RG 38 WWII War Diaries): NAID 139770789 (October-November 1944, serials 086/094, 12 images), NAID 139815884 (December 1944, serial 118, 6 images), NAID 139866505 (January 1945, 7 images), NAID 139931749 (February 1945, 4 images), all signed Harrigan; substantially read; additional NAIDs: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139815884 ; https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139866505 ; https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139931749 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 139770789 images 0858-0869; NAID 139815884 images 0189-0194; NAID 139866505 images 0004-0010; NAID 139931749 images 0506-0509 (all microfilm roll series WWII_WarDiaries)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Four months of the ship's own war diaries. Each cover letter states: 'Attached to LST Flotilla 14, Group 42, Division 84, temporarily attached to SEVENTH Amphibious Force of SEVENTH Fleet' (Oct 1944 through the 15 February 1945 reassignment below). OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1944: staging at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea; on 9 October moored alongside LST 22 (alongside ARG 7) 'having reduction gear of starboard engine adjusted' - a documented alongside-repair event; 10 October 'Ship Fitters altering Conn' - hot work aboard; 31 October steering gyro repeater erratic, secured for compensating; 1-3 November as navigation guide ship of Group 11, Echelon L11, Hollandia to Morotai; 12 November Yellow Beach Dulag (ComLSTGr 21's beaching officer advised full forward ballast after the first failed attempt); burial services aboard 13 November for casualties of the 12 November air attacks; water-loading 77,424 gallons at Hollandia 26-27 November. DECEMBER 1944: through Isumrud Strait to Vitiaz Strait; beached near Kwalansam south of Buka Creek 11 December (New Guinea coast); embarked 375 troops at Fortification Point 12 December. JANUARY 1945 (documents a Lingayen Gulf reinforcement run ABSENT from the DANFS campaign list): departed Morotai 1 January in TU 77.9.18 (Lt. Comdr. Louis Drexler Jr., ComLSTGr 47 of LSTFlot 16, aboard LST 917 flagship) with 221 troops of the 43rd Engineer Construction Battalion for Lingayen Gulf; joined TU 77.9.12 (70+ ships) 3 January; detached at the Lingayen Gulf mouth 11 January (S+2), proceeded to Orange Beach under guidance of LST 626; fired on enemy aircraft 12 January when a Judy dropped two bombs about 100 yards off the starboard quarter (no damage) - the diary references a separately-submitted Lingayen Action Report (not located in the catalog); beached Yellow Beach 13-15 January under 'most unsatisfactory beaching conditions,' supplied LSM 14 with 60 cases 20-mm and 215 cases 40-mm ammunition; returned to San Pedro Bay via TU 78.11.7; while beaching at White Beach below the Cataisan Point airstrip 23 January the 'STERN ANCHOR ELECTRIC WINCH MOTOR WAS BURNED OUT' - a documented machinery casualty; joined TU 78.3.4 for the San Narciso operation 25 January. FEBRUARY 1945: fueling and loading at White Beach for Mindoro; on 15 February 'detached from the SEVENTH Amphibious Force and assigned to Group 40 of LST Flotilla 14 of the FIFTH Amphibious Force' (Captain E. A. Seay, COMLSTFLOT 14, aboard LST 693 flagship) - the primary-source corroboration of NavSource's Group Forty listing; 18-22 February detailed to transfer Army ammunition from Palo Beach to Bito Beach, Leyte; 23-25 February at Balusao, Samar, Water Dock alongside USS DIXIE (AD-14); 26-28 February 'our main engines and auxiliary engines were overhauled, technicians came aboard from the DIXIE to check the Master Gyro and Repeaters, the Stern Anchor Winch was repaired and all other necessary repairs' - a documented multi-day engine-space and deck-machinery repair availability aboard this hull, weeks before Okinawa.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-10-01 to 1945-02-28

   Population

   Ship's company; 375 troops embarked 12 Dec 1944; 221 troops of the 43rd Engineer Construction Battalion (Jan 1945); ARG-7 ship-fitters, USS DIXIE technicians alongside

   Limitations

   Primary operating records - not material or asbestos documents. They establish aboard-ship repair events with external trades alongside (ARG-7 reduction-gear adjustment Oct 1944; ship-fitters altering the conn Oct 1944; USS DIXIE engine overhaul + winch + gyro work Feb 1945), machinery casualties (generator fuel line Nov 1944; stern-anchor winch motor Jan 1945; anchor cable in screws Apr 1945; smoke generator Apr 1945), and embarked populations - maintenance-disturbance context only, no material content stated. December entries describe the troop-lift staging; the 375 troops embarked 12 December are recorded without their destination on the pages read. March-May 1945 and post-June 1945 diaries were not located in the catalog for this hull (see gaps).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-06

8. [8]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block for this hull (2x GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, 2 shafts/1,700 shp, 3x diesel-drive 100-kW 230-V DC generators, diesel fuel 4,300 Bbls - no boilers listed anywhere on the plant); NavSource header 'LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship'; lst-1-class.class.json class profile (background only - BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 design grouping); GAO HRD-80-2 substitution-era framing [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 160660.htm specifications block and class header; class-profile design grouping (the BuShips SDB 1945 v2 scan previously at shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf returned 404 in prior sessions and has no Wayback capture - cited indirectly via the class profile only); GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403 confirmed 2026-10-02)

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   A 1944-built diesel-powered tank landing ship of the LST-542 design group sits inside the documented Navy asbestos era: era-standard asbestos applications for this type concentrate in diesel-engine and exhaust-system insulation (engine-room lagging), gaskets and packing throughout the engineering spaces, electrical insulation and cable, deck coverings including tank-deck surfaces, accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on winches and the stern-anchor windlass. She carried NO boilers or steam plant - the steam-vessel boiler/turbine lagging pathway does not apply. GAO HRD-80-2 documents that the Navy did not begin systematic asbestos substitution until the early 1970s - more than two decades after this hull was scrapped (1948).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   American Bridge Ambridge construction trades (1944); wartime crew and embarked troops; alongside-repair trades (ARG-7, DIXIE); Bethlehem Steel scrapping trades (1948)

   Limitations

   Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation specification, or survey exists in the public record for this ship; names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. The documented repair events (reduction-gear adjustment alongside ARG-7; engine overhaul alongside USS DIXIE; stern-anchor winch burnout and repair; smoke-generator casualty) plausibly disturbed era insulation and gaskets but no work-scope or material detail is stated in the sources. No quantity. Does not establish presence, absence, or quantity of ACM aboard at any point.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-07

9. [9]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 USN service era (1944-46) and extending decades beyond her 1948 scrapping.

   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-660-lst660-08

10. [10]Correction/nuance basis: USS LST-660 war-diary cover letters (NAIDs 139770789/139815884/139866505/139931749): 'Attached to LST Flotilla 14, Group 42, Division 84, temporarily attached to SEVENTH Amphibious Force of SEVENTH Fleet'; 15 February 1945 entry: 'detached from the SEVENTH Amphibious Force and assigned to Group 40 of LST Flotilla 14 of the FIFTH Amphibious Force' (Capt. E. A. Seay, COMLSTFLOT 14, LST 693 flagship); Angaur report first endorsement via Commander LST Group 42 (NAID 633403067); vs NavSource Okinawa block 'LST Flotilla Fourteen / LST Group Forty / LST Division Seventy-Nine' [other_primary]

    Locator

    War-diary cover letters and 15 Feb 1945 entry (NAIDs cited); NAID 633403067 image 0890 (first endorsement); NavSource 160660.htm 'came under the command of' block

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Organizational-affiliation nuance documented by primary records: the ship's administrative chain through mid-February 1945 was LST Flotilla 14 / LST Group 42 / LST Division 84 under the SEVENTH Amphibious Force - corroborated independently by the Angaur report's first endorsement through Commander LST Group 42. On 15 February 1945 she was reassigned to LST Group 40 of Flotilla 14 under the FIFTH Amphibious Force, which is the affiliation NavSource prints for the Okinawa Gunto operation. NavSource's 'Division Seventy-Nine' is not corroborated - the diaries carry Division 84 (through February), and no located source shows the post-reassignment division. The operational (vs administrative) chains in the ship's own reports ran through other organizations: Leyte via CTG 76.4/ComLSTFlot 15; Lingayen via TU 77.9.18/ComLSTGr 47; Okinawa L-Day via TU 51.14.4/ComLSTGr 61 and CTU 55.3.1/ComLSTFlot 21; Okinawa Phase II via TU 51.1.9/ComLSTGr 87 and TU 51.1.6/ComLSTFlot 16 - the reports' cc line stayed ComLSTFlot 14 throughout.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1944-1945

    Limitations

    Reconciles a secondary-source listing with the primary endorsement/diary record: NavSource's flotilla and post-February group are correct; its division number (79 vs the diary-documented 84) is unresolved - possibly a different post-reassignment division or an error in either source, left open. No asbestos content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-09

11. [11]HyperWar transcription, 'US Navy Landing Ships/Craft, 1940-1945' (official Navy register-derived ships list, ibiblio.net) - LST-660 roster entry [other_primary]

    Locator

    HyperWar ships-ls.html, LST-660 row (table of landing ships)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    The official-list transcription carries 'LST-660 | 1942-45' with no conversion, loss, or transfer annotation - corroborating the hull's existence on the Navy register through the war-era table window and consistent with the DANFS chronology (sisters carry annotations such as 'Redesignated Pandemus (ARL-18)' for LST-650; LST-660 carries none).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1942-1945 (table window)

    Population

    n/a

    Limitations

    Roster-level corroboration only - a transcription of official Navy tables, not a narrative record; the '1942-45' column is the generic wartime-era band applied to the whole block. Contains no asbestos or material content and no post-1945 disposition.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-10

12. [12]NARA, 'LST-660, 4/18/44-4/1/16' (NAID 126621993) - U.S. Navy Muster Rolls microfilm reel 7300 (filmed 3 March 1947, operator Reed; Ancestry 2019 partner scans; 233 digital images; reel header inspected) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NAID 126621993, frames 32861_248141-00000 (reel header) and -00001 (U.S. NAVY MUSTER ROLS title card)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    The ship's muster rolls survive on microfilm reel 7300 as a single digitized file unit of 233 frames spanning roughly 18 April 1944 to 1 April 1946 (catalog title '4/18/44-4/1/16' - the end-year digit is a cataloging quirk; the hull decommissioned 26 April 1946). This is the authoritative crew-population record for the hull: quarterly muster rolls list every officer and enlisted man aboard by name, rate, and service number.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1944-04-18 to 1946-04-01 (presumed)

    Population

    Ship's company, April 1944 - April 1946 (full muster)

    Limitations

    Reel confirmed by header frames only; the 233 interior frames were not transcribed this session. Muster rolls establish who was aboard, not what materials they worked around - a population record, not an exposure or material record. The apparent '4/1/16' end date is presumed a catalog typo for 4/1/46 but unverified.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-11

13. [13]Batch-7184 search ledger (this record): live DANFS; NavSource 160660; NARA NAIDs 633403067/139788911/139918981/140060819/101744073/139770789/139815884/139866505/139931749 (action reports read in full, war diaries substantially read), 126621993 (muster-roll reel header); NVR (no entry); shipbuildinghistory American Bridge table; HyperWar ships list; GAO product page; CourtListener API v4; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-660-lst660-01 through -11

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation or material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-660 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener coverage this session (authenticated API v4): the opinion index returned zero hits for "LST-660" and zero hits for the "USS LST-660"/"LST 660" variant forms; the docket/RECAP index returned zero hits for "LST-660"; the unhyphenated "LST 660" docket-form query remained fleet-paced at record time (see search ledger and gaps). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content asserting asbestos aboard LSTs generally without primary sourcing (gorilaw.com landing-ships page and similar) - 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 - a 1944 wartime build is era-consistent with installed ACM, and the documented engine-space repair events plausibly disturbed it. The litigation negative is indexed-level (CourtListener opinions + RECAP), not a merits finding - it means no qualifying case naming this hull was indexed, not that none was ever filed. RG 24 deck logs (1944-46) and American Bridge contract/outfitting files are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-660-lst660-12