Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 715-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (identity only)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-718-lst718-pkt-715-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-718 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, occupation/China service, decommissioning, sale, striking (live NHHC page, full text verified via firecrawl) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-718 entry, full entry text (3 sentences)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS, verbatim): 'LST-718 was laid down on 28 June 1944 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched on 3 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Helen N. DeGraw; and commissioned on 28 August 1944, Lt. R. A. Fisher, USNR, in command. Following World War II, LST-718 performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until early April 1946. She was decommissioned on 25 June 1946. On 18 June 1948, the ship was sold to Consolidated Builders, Inc., of Seattle, Wash., and subsequently scrapped. She was struck from the Navy list on 31 July 1948.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS's coverage of this hull ends at 1948 disposal - the entire record fits in a short entry. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-02 (curl user-agent probes return 404 bot-block; the page renders normally for browsers).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-718 - designation block, theater assignment, award set, specifications, commanding-officer table, photo captions (live page verified via firecrawl) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160718.htm - header block, awards table, specifications block, CO table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource record for this hull: LST-542 class tank landing ship; call sign NFTH; commissioned USS LST-718 28 August 1944, LT. Richard A. Fisher, USNR, in command; WWII assignment Asiatic-Pacific Theater with NO campaign or battle-star entries listed; award set China Service Medal (extended), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp); Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 2 Sep-19 Nov 1945 and 20 Nov 1945-9 Apr 1946, China Service Medal (extended) 20 Nov 1945-9 Apr 1946; decommissioned 25 Jun 1946; struck 31 Jul 1948; sold for scrapping 18 Jun 1948 to Consolidated Builders, Inc., Seattle, WA. Specifications: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft o.a.; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; endurance 24,000 mi @ 9 kt; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; armament 2 twin 40 mm w/Mk 51 directors, 4 single 40 mm, 12 single 20 mm; fuel 4,300 bbls diesel; propulsion 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. Commanding officers (5): LT Richard A. Fisher (28 Aug 1944-31 Mar 1945); LTjg Edward J. Cronin (31 Mar-6 Dec 1945); LTjg Alfred F. Chalk Jr. (6 Dec 1945-8 Feb 1946); LTjg Matthew J. Wrocklage (8 Feb-Apr 1946); LTjg Charles M. Karpas (Apr-25 Jun 1946). Photo captions document the hull offloading vehicles in the Philippines (circa 1944), at Shanghai during occupation/China service, and repatriating Chinese civilians / transporting Chinese soldiers in 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944); crew 13 officers + 104 enlisted, plus embarked troops up to 16 officers/147 enlisted (1944-46); shipbreakers, Consolidated Builders (1948)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; its milestones here agree with DANFS verbatim. Contains no asbestos content. Complement figure (104 enlisted) differs from the BuShips design accommodations figure (106) - see gaps. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-02 (curl returns 406 bot-block; renders for browsers).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-02
-
[4]NHHC photograph record 80-G-365977, 'USS LST-862 and USS LAT-718' [sic - NHHC title typo for LST-718], caption: 'Loading supplies for the Chinese first army, at Kowloon docks, Hong Kong, for transportation to North China, 13 March 1946.' Copyright owner: National Archives [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC 80-G-365977 catalog record (title, caption, original date 13 Mar 1946, copyright owner National Archives)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC photo-catalog record places this hull at the Kowloon docks, Hong Kong BCC, on 13 March 1946, alongside USS LST-862, loading supplies for the Chinese First Army for transport to North China - ship-specific documentary anchoring of her China-service period. The underlying print is a U.S. Navy photo in the National Archives (catalog #80-G-365977).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1946-03-13
- Population
- Crew and dock labor, Kowloon docks Hong Kong (13 Mar 1946); Chinese First Army logistics population
- Limitations
- A photograph establishes presence, not work performed or material aboard - no asbestos content. NHHC's own page title misprints the hull as 'LAT-718'; the caption and NavSource's identification confirm LST-718. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-02.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-03
-
[5]ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton), JeffBoat self-propelled-vessel construction table, Jeffersonville IN - yard history and per-hull row for LST-718 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/jeffboat.htm - vessel table row for LST 718; yard-history header
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder documentation: the JeffBoat yard table lists 'LST 718, US Navy, Landing Ship, 1,625d, 328, 28-Aug-44, Scrapped 1948' - matching DANFS dates. Yard history: organized in 1938 by American Barge Line; in 1942 the Navy condemned the neighboring yard (Howard); major LST builder among the inland 'cornfield' yards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944; 1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944)
- Limitations
- Secondary compiler source (Tim Colton's shipbuilding reference - reputable, but not an official registry); used to corroborate the builder and delivery date, not for exposure claims. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-04
-
[6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II, NAVSHIPS 250-011 (15 Apr 1945), landing-ship design table + machinery table (shipscribe.com Google-scan mirror; PDF fetched and text-extracted this session) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 v2, LST section: design-summary table (LST542-931 row), machinery table (LST542-931 row), accommodations (13/106)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official BuShips design data for this hull's group: the LST design table lists LST542-931 at 328 ft o.a., 50 ft beam, 2,366 t / 4,080 t, 11.6 kt; the machinery table gives LST542-931 '2 do' propulsion units carrying forward 'G. M. Diesel, 12-567A' at 1,700 (shp) - i.e., 2 x GM 12-567A diesels, 1,700 shp; accommodations rows show 13 officers / 106 enlisted for the group. Diesel plant - no boilers, no steam system.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945 (document date)
- Population
- design-level - no individual population
- Limitations
- Design-group documentation (all ~390 hulls in LST542-931), not a hull-delivery record - confirms the as-designed machinery and accommodations for the group this hull belongs to, not installed-as-found materials. OCR layer of the Google scan is staggered; figures read from the LST542-931 rows. URL NOTE: shipscribe moved the file - the previously cited /styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf now 404s (verified 2026-10-02, no Wayback capture); live copy is /pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf (HTTP 200, 16.8 MB).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: BuShips SDB 1945 v2 machinery table (diesel plant, no boilers - ev-05); NavSource specifications (2 x GM 12-567A); LST-class profile asbestos analysis (class-f/lst-1-class.class.json): diesel LSTs concentrate exposure relevance in exhaust lagging, gaskets, engine-room insulation, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, brake linings [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB v2 machinery table; NavSource specifications; class profile ev-lst-1-class-03
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered tank landing ship built June-August 1944 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-insulation era (GAO HRD-80-2). With no steam plant aboard, era-standard asbestos-relevant applications for a vessel of this type were: diesel engine and exhaust lagging; engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation; gaskets and valve packing throughout the machinery spaces; deck coverings and tile; bulkhead and accommodation-space insulation; winch/crane brake linings. The confined machinery-space exposure dynamic of a small (328 ft) welded-steel amphibious hull applies.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46); Consolidated Builders shipbreakers, Seattle (1948)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LST-718. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantities; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. She was scrapped in 1948 - too early for any abatement-era record to exist.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-06
-
[8]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 construction (1944) and entire service life (1944-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- 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 returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed 2026-10-02) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches, 2026-10-02: "USS LST-718" type=o count=0; "LST-718" type=o count=0; "USS LST-718" type=r count=0; "LST-718" type=r count=0 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener API v4, search endpoint, 4 queries run 2026-10-02 via fleet-paced authenticated helper
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation located: four authenticated CourtListener searches (exact name and hull number against both the opinion index and the RECAP docket index) all returned zero results. No case, docket, or pleading naming LST-718 was found. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm listicle content (excluded source class) plus a name collision - '718' asbestos pages concern USS Hamner (DD-718), a different vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Zero-result searches are repository-limited negatives: CourtListener indexes are not exhaustive of all asbestos dockets (state filings, MDL-875 complaint vessel lists, and non-digitized records are outside coverage). A hull sold for scrap in 1948 predates the asbestos-litigation era, so absence of litigation is unsurprising and does not bear on whether asbestos was aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-08
-
[10]Batch-7248 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; NavSource 160718; NHHC photo 80-G-365977; JeffBoat yard table; BuShips SDB 1945 v2 (corrected URL); GAO product page (403 full text); CourtListener x4 (all zero); NVR probe; NARA catalog; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-718-lst718-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LST-718 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was scrapped in 1948, before asbestos abatement documentation existed as a genre; no museum or memorial survives her (no surviving-hull hazmat disclosure track applies).
- 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 - era inference for a 1944-built Navy auxiliary remains reasonable and consistent. Undigitized leads remain: RG 24 deck logs (1944-46) and any builder/scrapping records for Consolidated Builders. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-718-lst718-09