Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]research packet 710-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-690-lst690-pkt-710-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'LST-690' entry (Naval Historical Center text; live NHHC page 404s - ARCHIVED COPY cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-690 entry, full text (Wayback capture 2014-10-19; last live capture 2025-01-24)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS for this hull: laid down 31 January 1944 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched 14 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Dorothy E. Bryant; commissioned 6 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. Ernest C. Reif, USNR, in command. Assigned to the European theater - invasion of southern France August-September 1944; then Asiatic-Pacific - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto June 1945; occupation duty Far East until late February 1946; decommissioned 23 July 1946; struck from the Navy list 28 August 1946; sold 16 December 1947 to James A. Hughes, New York, N.Y., for scrapping. Earned two battle stars for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Limitations
- Archived DANFS transcription: the canonical live NHHC page returns 404 (both /research/ and /content/history/nhhc/ URL forms) - cited as archived, not live. Establishes identity, construction, theater service, and disposal only; contains no asbestos, materials, or crew-complement information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-690 (10/16/160690) - timeline, campaign table, specifications, CO roster, photo captions [other_primary]
- Locator
- USS LST-690 page: chronology, campaign table, specifications block, commanding officers table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for this hull (verified live): LST-542-class tank landing ship; laid down 31 January 1944 Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN; launched 14 March 1944; commissioned 6 May 1944 LCDR Ernest C. Reif USNR. Unit assignments while Pacific: LST Flotilla 36 (CAPT D. F. J. Shea USN), LST Group 108 (LCDR W. R. Peeler USN), LST Division 216. Campaigns: Invasion of southern France 15 August-25 September 1944; Okinawa Gunto assault and occupation 26-30 June 1945. Occupation service periods: 20 Sep-2 Oct 1945, 18 Oct-30 Nov 1945, 1-21 Jan 1946, 7-28 Feb 1946. Decommissioned 23 July 1946; struck 28 August 1946; sold 16 December 1947 James A. Hughes NY for scrapping; two battle stars. Specifications (1,625 t light / 4,080 t full; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt; 13 officers/104 enlisted; troops 16 officers/147 enlisted; 2 GM 12-567A diesels). CO roster: Reif (to 27 Oct 1944), Grady (to 13 Dec 1945), LTjg W. W. Mills (to 23 Jul 1946). Photograph places her beached at Ie Shima near Okinawa 21 February 1946 with LST-937 and LST-970.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-compiled secondary reference (standard for per-hull amphibious data) - not a government source; page contains an evident copy-paste error embedding a sentence of USS LST-920's history mid-page. The Flotilla 36 / Group 108 assignment is independently corroborated by this ship's own war-diary transmittal letter (NARA NAID 77505200, cc'd COMLSTFLOT36/COMLSTGR108); Division 216 rests on NavSource alone. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-02
-
[4]U.S. National Archives, RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel), file unit 'LST-690, 5/6/44-5/1/46', NAID 126481926 - digitized muster rolls, 285 images [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 126481926; reel-start slate frame 00000; quarterly cover sheet frame 00002; Commissioning Report of Changes frame 00006
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA RG 24 digitized file unit for this hull: 'LST-690, 5/6/44-5/1/46' (NAID 126481926, series Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 1939-1949; 285 images scanned via the Ancestry partnership). The 30 June 1944 quarterly muster-roll cover sheet (NAVPERS 605) was certified by Executive Officer S. J. Grady, Lt.(jg), approved by Commanding Officer Ernest C. Reif, Lt. Comdr., forwarded 15 July 1944 FROM BIZERTE, TUNISIA - a ship-documented Mediterranean staging point three weeks before the southern France invasion. Interior pages carry the 'Commissioning Report of Changes' listing the crew received 6 May 1944 from ATB, Camp Bradford, Norfolk, Va., and the full wartime roster by name, service number, and rating.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-05-06 to 1946-05-01
- Population
- Ship's company (design complement 13 officers / 104 enlisted) plus embarked troops - full wartime roster enumerable from this file unit
- Limitations
- Primary personnel records for this hull - establishes crew population (names, ratings, receipts/transfers) and the Bizerte staging location; contains NO asbestos, materials, or exposure information. 285 images were not exhaustively reviewed; frames 0-6 inspected directly. Does not establish or defeat any individual exposure claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-03
-
[5]U.S. National Archives, RG 38 (Office of the Chief of Naval Operations), WWII War Diaries: NAIDs 77505200 (Aug 1945 diary incl. transmittal letter), 77553726, 101736067, 83565390 (Jun-Sep 1945), 78534338 (AA action report), 139735670 (southern France ops report) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 77505200 image 0435 (transmittal letter, cc COMLSTFLOT36/COMLSTGR108); NAID 139735670 (11 images); NAID 78534338; NAIDs 101736067, 83565390, 77553726
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA RG 38 digitized combat records for this hull (WWII War Diaries series, scanned via the Fold3 partnership): USS LST-690 War Diaries for June, July, August, September 1945 (NAIDs 101736067, 83565390, 77505200, 77553726); USS LST-690 Anti-Aircraft Action Report 12 July 1944, Mediterranean (NAID 78534338); and USS LST-690 Report of Operations covering the invasion of southern France 15-25 August 1944 (NAID 139735670, 11 images). The August-1945 war-diary transmittal letter (6 September 1945, serial 0159, signed by CO Lt. Stephen J. Grady, USNR) is copy-furnished to COMLSTFLOT36 and COMLSTGR108 - primary-source confirmation that this hull reported through LST Flotilla 36 and LST Group 108, corroborating the NavSource unit assignment despite that page's embedded LST-920 copy-paste error. Echelon war diaries for COM LST FLOT 36 and COM LST GR 108 (May-October 1945) are also digitized in the same series.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-07 to 1945-09
- Population
- Ship's company during documented operations
- Limitations
- Primary operational records authored aboard this hull - establishes theater movements, the southern France operation report, and the Flotilla 36/Group 108 chain of command; contains NO asbestos, materials, or exposure information. Digitized war diaries located only for June-September 1945; earlier-month diaries and the ship's deck logs were not located in the digitized series (see archival-lead row).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-04
-
[6]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - LST-690, Ship History Detail 9464, incl. digitized vessel status card (49I_01.png) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 9464; status card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/49I_01.png
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory database record for LST-690 (Detail/9464): stub fields mostly empty (Year Built '9999', shipyard '--'), General Type 'Naval Combatant', Specific Type 'LST Tank Landing Ship', Fate 'Sold - No Further Info'. The attached digitized VESSEL STATUS CARD (cards/49I_01.png) records Name 'LST 690' as 'Surplus of Department of Navy', Operator 'James A. Hughes', Date Allocated 'SP Oct 1947' (surplus property October 1947, handwriting partially legible), Date and Time Delivered '12/…' - consistent with the 16 December 1947 Navy sale to James A. Hughes for scrapping.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1947-1948
- Limitations
- Authoritative for disposal/custody milestone only; status-card handwriting partially legible ('SP Oct 1947' and truncated '12/' delivery read with OCR assist). Database stub fields empty. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-05
-
[7]Shipbuilding History (shipbuildinghistory.com, T. Colton): JeffBoat yard page and 'Landing Ships Tank LST 401 thru LST 796' production table [other_primary]
- Locator
- JeffBoat yard page narrative + vessel table row 'LST 690'; http://shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/lstpart2.htm row for LST 690
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Builder record corroboration: shipbuildinghistory.com (Tim Colton's Shipbuilding History) JeffBoat self-propelled-vessels list carries 'LST 690 | US Navy | Landing Ship | 1,625d | 328 | 6-May-44 | Scrapped 1948' and the LST production list gives 43 days on the ways / 53 days fitting-out / 96 days total. The JeffBoat yard history documents that Jeffersonville Boat & Machine was organized in 1938 by American Barge Line on the former M. A. Sweeney site; that in 1942 the Navy condemned the neighboring Howard Shipyard & Dock Co. and leased it to JeffBoat for the duration of the war; that the yard was a major LST builder with employment peaking near 13,000; and that JeffBoat closed permanently in 2018.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction workforce (~13,000 peak, wartime - yard level, not hull level)
- Limitations
- Respected secondary compiler, not a government or archival source - used for corroboration of dates and the 'Scrapped 1948' completion year (the sale itself is attested by DANFS and the MARAD status card). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-06
-
[8]Consolidated era inference built on: NavSource specifications (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, no boilers); BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 LST542-931 design table (machinery plant); era shipbuilding practice per Corn & Starr 1987 and GAO HRD-80-2 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Derived from evidence rows ev-uss-lst-690-02, -08, -09, -10 on this record
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for this diesel-powered hull: the LST-542-class plant carried two GM 12-567A diesels and no boilers, so the boiler/turbine steam-lagging asbestos pathway does not apply. Era-consistent asbestos-relevant applications aboard a 1944 diesel LST: diesel-exhaust and engine-room thermal/acoustic lagging, machinery gaskets and valve packing, accommodation and bulkhead insulation, deck coverings/tile, and brake linings on winches and windlass. U.S. Navy amphibious construction of 1944 sat inside the period when the federal government reserved asbestos supply for naval shipbuilding and when insulation, gasketing, and packing products of the era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1943-44); ship's engine-room and maintenance ratings (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference, not a hull record - no specification sheet, plan, survey, or inventory naming asbestos aboard LST-690 was located. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The diesel plant narrows the pathway set relative to steam-driven hulls.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-07
-
[9]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, 15 Apr 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 v2, LST design-group rows LST542-931 (pp. 168-191 LST section of the scan)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Bureau of Ships official design data for the class group containing this hull: Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (15 April 1945, NAVSHIPS 250-011), LST section - design rows LST1-490, LST491-541, LST542-931, LST932-979, LST980-1059, LST1060-1080, LST1081-1152 (LST-690 falls inside LST542-931): 328 ft oa, 50 ft beam, 2,366 t light / 4,080 t full, 11.6 kt trial, 2 x G.M. Diesel 12-567A, 1,700 shp. Confirms the diesel machinery plant and principal characteristics cited at class level.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945 (design reference for 1944 construction)
- Limitations
- Official BuShips class-design data, not a hull record - covers design groups, not individual hulls; contains no materials/asbestos statement. Note: the class-profile citation URL (shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf) now returns 404; the live URL is shipscribe.com/pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf - verified this session.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-08
-
[10]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 (direct fetch returns 403 to automation; page text retrieved via rendering)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos protection program: GAO reviewed use of asbestos in Navy ships at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; the Navy's 1975 policy removed and replaced with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs, modified in 1979 to include selective replacement in high-maintenance areas - i.e., original-era asbestos insulation typically remained in place for decades unless disturbed. GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternatives until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's 1944 construction.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- report 1979; era covered includes 1940s-1970s
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation, not class- or hull-specific; GAO's fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards, not JeffBoat. Establishes Navy-wide asbestos-insulation policy and era prevalence only - this hull was scrapped in 1948, before the policies documented in the report. Supports no claim about materials aboard LST-690.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-09
-
[11]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DOI resolves to Wiley Online Library, AJIM 11(3):359-373 - citation verified live
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this 1944 LST-542-class hull was mass-produced - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of WWII shipbuilding asbestos use generally; does not name this vessel or class and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-10
-
[12]Batch-7217 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC; NavSource; NARA catalog (RG 24 muster rolls, RG 38 war diaries/action reports); MARAD ShipHistory; shipbuildinghistory.com; BuShips SDB-1945 v2; GAO HRD-80-2; Corn & Starr 1987; CourtListener API v4 (4 authenticated queries + unquoted sweep); NIOSH JeffBoat reports (ergonomics only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-690-01 through sl-uss-lst-690-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming LST-690 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener API v4 verified negatives: 'LST-690' and 'LST 690' each returned 0 hits in both the opinion index and the RECAP docket index; an unquoted LST-690 opinion sweep returned 118 loose-term hits, none mentioning the hull (name-collision noise). The hull was scrapped in 1948 - before the asbestos-abatement era and before the documentation regimes that generate ship-specific asbestos records.
- 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 naval hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials in the applications listed on this record. The absence of litigation is unsurprising: the hull was scrapped in 1948, ~30 years before mass asbestos litigation. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-11
-
[13]NARA catalog record-group mapping: RG 24 deck-log series; RG 38 WWII War Diaries (partially digitized); RG 19 Bureau of Ships records [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA catalog search 'LST-690' (157 file-unit hits: ship + echelon records); RG 24/RG 38/RG 19 record-group scope notes
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved): (a) the ship's deck logs - WWII-era Navy deck logs are held in RG 24 at NARA College Park; LST-690 deck logs were not located in the digitized series this session and may exist as paper/microfilm holdings; (b) war diaries for months before June 1945 - the ship's 1944 diaries (commissioning, southern France) were not among the digitized file units and may exist on microfilm; (c) BuShips contract/construction correspondence for the JeffBoat LST program in RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), which could hold outfitting/material specifications for the hull block; (d) Jeffersonville Boat & Machine corporate records, which survive in regional repositories (Indiana) and may include contract specifications.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-690-12