Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 716-packet.md (3 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-723-lst723-pkt-716-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-723 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns, decommissioning, striking, sale, two battle stars (live NHHC page, full text verified via firecrawl) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-723 entry, full entry text (4 sentences)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull (DANFS, verbatim): 'LST-723 was laid down on 11 July 1944 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched on 25 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Pearl L. White; and commissioned on 16 September 1944. During World War II, LST-723 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima in February 1945 and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April 1945. She was decommissioned on 20 July 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 10 June 1947. On 12 May 1948, the ship was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Co., of Bethlehem, Pa., and subsequently scrapped. LST-723 earned two battle stars for World War II service.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46), including two amphibious assault campaigns
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS's coverage of this hull is a single short entry ending at the 1948 disposal. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-03 (curl user-agent probes return 404 bot-block; the page renders normally for browsers).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-723 - designation block, flotilla/group/division assignment, campaign table, award set, specifications, commanding-officer table, photo captions (live page verified via firecrawl) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160723.htm - header block, awards table, campaign 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 NFWO; commissioned USS LST-723 16 September 1944, LT. B. H. Wallace, USN, in command; WWII assignment Asiatic-Pacific Theater under LST Flotilla Twenty-One (CAPT. W. H. Brereton), LST Group Sixty-Two (CDR. W. M. Gullett), LST Division One Hundred Twenty-Three. Campaign table: Iwo Jima operation - assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 17 to 28 February 1945; Okinawa Gunto operation - assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 2 April to 9 June 1945. Award set: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - Iwo Jima 19 to 28 February 1945), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2 battle stars), World War II Victory Medal. Decommissioned 20 Jul 1946; struck 10 Jun 1947; sold 12 May 1948 to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, PA, and subsequently scrapped; two battle stars for WWII service. 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 (2): LT B. H. Wallace, USN (16 Sep 1944-1945); LT Glen Willbern Gilbert, USN (1945-20 Jul 1946). Photo captions document the hull at anchor circa September 1944 (NHHC photo NH 84696); in the Iwo Jima assault area 19 February 1945 as seen from USS LST-789 during the bombardment of Mt. Suribachi (alongside LST-716 with LCT-1354, LST-642, and LST-756 with LCT-632; USCG photo 4475, NARA identifier 205585242, local identifier 26-G-4475); and beached at Iwo Jima alongside LCT-1055 circa February-March 1945 (USMC Headquarters photo 111,952, NARA identifier 32607098).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- 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); Bethlehem Steel shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; its milestones here agree with DANFS verbatim and its flotilla/group/division assignment and CO match the official NHHC Pacific Fleet organization document (see ev-03). Contains no asbestos content. Complement figure (104 enlisted) differs from the BuShips design accommodations figure (106) - see gaps. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-03 (curl returns 406 bot-block; renders for browsers).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-02
-
[4]NHHC, U.S. Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 (official wartime organization transcription) - LST-723 listed under LST Flotilla Twenty-One / LST Group 62 / LST Division 123, Lt. B. H. Wallace (16826) commanding [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC Online Reading Room, US Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945 - Amphibious Forces, LST Flotilla 21 > LST Group 62 > LST Division 123 table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official NHHC transcription of the U.S. Pacific Fleet organization as of 1 May 1945 places this hull in LST Flotilla TWENTY-ONE (Capt. W. H. Brereton, 1474), LST GROUP 62 (Comdr. W. M. Gullett, 3111), LST DIVISION 123, listed as 'LST 723 ... Lt. B. H. Wallace (16826)' - exactly matching the NavSource flotilla/group/division assignment and commanding officer. Division 123 mates: LST-598, LST-599, LST-641 (GF), LST-642, LST-724. The 1 May 1945 date sits inside her Okinawa Gunto campaign window (2 April-9 June 1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- Crew under Lt. B. H. Wallace (1 May 1945); Division 123 crews
- Limitations
- An organization listing establishes wartime administrative assignment and commanding officer, not work performed or material aboard - no asbestos content. The '(GF)' flag on LST-641 marks the group flagship. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-03; full page text extracted to verify the Division 123 row in context.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-03
-
[5]NHHC photograph record NH 84696, 'USS LST - 723', caption: 'Photographed circa 1945-46.' Courtesy of D.M. McPherson, 1976 [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC NH 84696 catalog record (title, caption, courtesy line D.M. McPherson 1976)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official NHHC photo-catalog record for this hull: NH 84696, titled 'USS LST - 723', photographed circa 1945-46, donated by D.M. McPherson in 1976 - the NHHC-cataloged image of the ship, also mirrored on the NavSource page (captioned at anchor, circa September 1944). The NavSource caption date (September 1944) conflicts mildly with NHHC's circa 1945-46 catalog dating - carried as a caption-level difference, not a milestone conflict.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Crew (circa 1944-46)
- Limitations
- A photograph establishes presence, not work performed or material aboard - no asbestos content. NHHC catalog date (circa 1945-46) vs NavSource caption (circa September 1944) differ; neither is tied to a logged event. Live page verified via firecrawl 2026-10-03.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-04
-
[6]ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton), JeffBoat self-propelled-vessel construction table, Jeffersonville IN - yard history and per-hull row for LST-723 [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/small/jeffboat.htm - vessel table row for LST 723; yard-history header
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Builder documentation: the JeffBoat yard table lists 'LST 723, US Navy, Landing Ship, 1,625d, 328, 16-Sep-44, Scrapped 1948' - matching the DANFS commissioning date and disposal outcome. Yard history: JeffBoat was organized in 1938 by American Barge Line; the Navy condemned the neighboring Howard yard in 1942; a major LST builder among the inland 'cornfield' yards.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- 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-723-lst723-05
-
[7]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
- 2026-10-03
- 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: the previously cited /styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf now 404s (per batch-7248); live copy is /pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf (HTTP 200 verified 2026-10-03, 16.8 MB, pdftotext extracted this session).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-06
-
[8]Era inference built on: BuShips SDB 1945 v2 machinery table (diesel plant, no boilers - ev-06); 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 July-September 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
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- JeffBoat construction trades (1944); crew (1944-46); Bethlehem Steel shipbreakers (1948)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for LST-723. 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-723-lst723-07
-
[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 construction (1944) and entire service life (1944-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- 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 of both the product page and the PDF asset, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches, 2026-10-03: "USS LST-723" type=o count=0; "LST-723" type=o count=0; "USS LST-723" type=r count=0; "LST-723" type=r count=0 [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener API v4, search endpoint, 4 queries run 2026-10-03 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-723 was found. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm listicle content (excluded source class) plus a name collision - '723' asbestos pages concern USS Walke (DD-723), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, a different vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- 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. The fleet pacing budget paused mid-session; the helper's wait-and-resume guidance was followed until all four queries completed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-09
-
[11]Batch-7254 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; NavSource 160723; NHHC Pacific Fleet Organization 1 May 1945 (Division 123 row); NHHC photo NH 84696; JeffBoat yard table; BuShips SDB 1945 v2 (corrected URL, extracted this session); 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-723-lst723-01 through -12
- 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-723 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
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- 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, including her Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns) and any builder/scrapping records for Bethlehem Steel. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-723-lst723-10