Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet 719-packet.md (2 sources cited) [museum_official]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (sourcing note
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-lst-743-lst743-pkt-719-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-743 - construction, sponsor, commissioning, Mindanao/Tarakan campaigns, occupation duty, decommissioning, strike, disposal (live NHHC page, fetched via Firecrawl 2026-10-03) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-743 entry, full text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents for this hull: laid down 20 February 1944 at Pittsburgh, Pa., by the Dravo Corp., Neville Island; launched 19 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Jack M. Page; commissioned 23 May 1944. Asiatic-Pacific service: participated in the Mindanao Island landings in March 1945 and the Tarakan Island landings in April and May 1945; occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946; decommissioned 23 April 1946; struck from the Navy list 19 June 1946; sold 23 October 1947 to the New Orleans Shipwrecking Co., of Chicago, Ill., for scrapping. Two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Construction trades (Neville Island, Pittsburgh, 1944); ship's company and embarked troops (1944-46)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS's campaign summary lists two campaigns (Mindanao, Tarakan) matching the two battle stars; the hull's third documented amphibious landing at Brunei Bay/Labuan (June 1945) appears only in the ship's own action report (ev-05), not in the DANFS summary. Decommissioning location not stated.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-743 (10/16/160743.htm, last updated 24 November 2017) - designation timeline, spec block, commanding-officer list, campaign table, awards, photo documentation [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160743.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, CO table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource documents for this hull: LST-542-class tank landing ship; laid down 20 February 1944 at Dravo Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA; launched 19 April 1944; commissioned USS LST-743 23 May 1944, LT Frank H. Emerick USNR in command. Campaign table: Mindanao Island landings 10-11 March 1945 (Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines); Tarakan Island landings 27 April-5 May 1945 (Borneo operation). Navy Occupation service periods 20 September-11 October 1945 and 23 October 1945-4 January 1946. Decommissioned 23 April 1946; struck from the Naval Register 19 June 1946; sold for scrapping 23 October 1947 to New Orleans Shipwrecking Co., Chicago, ILL. Spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; 2 x GM 12-567A 900 hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, 2 propellers 1,700 shp, 3 x 100 kW 230 V DC diesel-drive generators; complement 13 officers / 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers / 147 enlisted; radio call sign NGEN. CO list: LT Frank Hulst Emerick USNR 23 May 1944-31 December 1945; LTjg Vincent Thomas Forner USNR 31 December 1945-23 April 1946. Photo documentation (captions): under way in the Gulf of Mexico 30 May 1944 (NARA photo 80-G-271292); beached at Trinity Beach, Queensland, Australia 18 October 1944 during 7th Australian Division amphibious exercises (AWM 081715); amphibious exercises north of Trinity Beach 2 November 1944 (AWM 082478, 082500); unloading at Tarakan Island 30 April 1945 with LST-920 offshore (AWM 305122); stranded beached at Tarakan 1-2 May 1945 after landing HQ 26th Infantry Brigade (AWM 090854, 089401); landing Australian troops at Tarakan May 1945 (NHHC 84869); beached at Morotai 1 June 1945 loading 2/4th Pioneer Battalion for 'Operation Oboe 6' (AWM 108411); ex-LST-743 banked alongside ex-LST-458 in a nest of seven LSTs on the Sabine River, Texas side, probably just above the Naval Base at Orange (Jim Swank).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Ship's company (~117) plus embarked troops (1944-46); Australian forces embarked/exercised (Oct 1944-Jun 1945)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestone dates cross-check cleanly against DANFS and its photo captions document the Australian-exercise period and the Morotai Oboe-6 load-out, which corroborate the ship's own action reports. The Sabine River/Orange berthing is the caption's own hedged rendering ('probably just above the Naval Base at Orange'). CO table contains a typographical slip ('323 April 1946'). Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-02
-
[4]NARA NAID 101728745, 'USS LST-743 - Rep of opers in the invasion of Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao Island, Philippines, 3/10-11/45' (serial 023, dated 13 March 1945, signed F. H. Emerick; RG 38, WWII War Diaries/Other Operational Records; 2 images; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 101728745, images 1-2 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The commanding officer's own action report (both images downloaded and OCR-read this session) documents the hull's Zamboanga operation verbatim: LST-743 was part of T.U. 78.1.1, the transport unit of T.G. 78.1, during the Victor 4 operation under Commander Amphibious Group SIX attack order A602-45; departed San Jose, Mindoro 8 March 1945 with T.G. 78.1 carrying 350 personnel, 68 vehicles, and 200 tons of bulk cargo from the 41st Division; arrived off Zamboanga ~0630 10 March; beached Red Beach 2 at 1419 at standard speed (260 RPM) with seven bow tanks filled; vehicles unloaded by 1544 and bulk cargo by 75 men of the 186th Infantry Rotation Pool under Capt. D. D. Jarrett; failed to retract at 0500 11 March on dead low water, an assist attempt by LST-626 failing when the shackle let go; Blue Beach under mortar and light artillery fire during the morning, closest round ~150 yards off the port quarter; finally retracted 1329 11 March and anchored in Area Hasy, departing for Mindoro 1637. No enemy aircraft sighted; no rounds fired; no personnel or material casualties.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-03-08 to 1945-03-13
- Population
- Ship's company; embarked 41st Division troops (350 personnel); 186th Infantry Rotation Pool unloading detail (75 men)
- Limitations
- Primary ship-produced record - the CO's own account filed per U.S. Navy Regulations Article 874(6). Documents operations, load weights, and enemy-fire proximity verbatim; contains no asbestos or material content. OCR extraction clean; minor transcription artifacts ('Area Hasy', 'ITM' for ITM time) rendered as printed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-03
-
[5]NARA NAID 140060768, 'USS LST-743 - Report of operations in the invasion of Tarakan Island, Borneo, 5/1-2/45' (serial 043, dated 7 May 1945, signed F. H. Emerick; RG 38; 3 images; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 140060768, images 1-3 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The commanding officer's action report (all 3 images downloaded and OCR-read this session) documents the Tarakan operation verbatim: ordered to Manus Island, Admiralty Islands 27 March 1945 'to be outfitted to carry pontoon causeways' - two ninety-foot causeways placed aboard; departed Manus via Hollandia and Biak, arriving Morotai 19 April, beached Pitau beach slot 5; combat load embarked 20-21 April (~144 tons bulk cargo, 63 vehicles, 325 troops); convoy position 1-32 from 27 April; general quarters 0511, 1 May; causeways launched 0700; beached Yellow Beach slot 5 at 0931, 1 May, crashing through underwater iron-rail obstacles with no apparent hull damage; too far up the beach for causeway use - troops disembarked via LCI(L)-700 moored alongside at 1112; vehicles unloaded over a mesh roadway laid by the 2/3 pioneers; ship 100% unloaded by 2300; night of 2 May a 77mm artillery shell exploded astern - one casualty, HYLAND, Michael J. (rating garbled in the carbon copy, rendered 'Sif2c' - plausibly SM2c Signalman, matching the report's 'Signalman on watch in the conn'), skin abrasion on right arm from shrapnel. No ordnance expended by the ship; no battle damage sustained; report notes the beach's gradual gradient and cautions LSTs against high-speed beaching on this beach type.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-03-27 to 1945-05-07
- Population
- Ship's company; embarked troops (325); 2/3 pioneers (beach roadway); LCI(L)-700 crew alongside; casualty: HYLAND, Michael J. (rating garbled - 'Sif2c')
- Limitations
- Primary ship-produced record - the CO's own account. Documents the causeway outfitting at Manus (a ship modification event - adding two 90-ft pontoon causeways to the deck) and the Tarakan beaching/unloading verbatim; contains no asbestos or material content and does not itemize who performed the Manus outfitting or its material scope. OCR extraction clean.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-04
-
[6]NARA NAID 77507969, 'USS LST-743 - Report of operations in the assault landings in the Brunei Bay Area, Borneo, 6/11-13/45' (serial 058, dated 19 June 1945, signed F. H. Emerick; RG 38; 3 images; digitized via Fold3) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 77507969, images 1-3 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The commanding officer's action report (all 3 images downloaded and OCR-read this session) documents the Oboe Six / Brunei Bay operation - a third amphibious landing not reflected in the DANFS campaign summary: after a resupply echelon run to Tarakan the vessel arrived Morotai 27 May 1945 and was assigned to T.U. 78.1.19, the reinforcement echelon of the Brunei task force, scheduled to arrive Brunei Bay at 0700 on Z+1 day; beached Blue Beach, Morotai 0653, 31 May and loaded 9th Division AIF equipment, stores and vehicles; loading complete 1300, 1 June with 233 tons bulk (including 43 tons explosives, 56 tons engineers stores, 21 tons timber), 55 vehicles, and 287 troops plus officers; moored at the fuel jetty 3 June taking fuel to 100,000 gallons and water to capacity; underway 1600, 5 June in T.U. 78.1.19 (comprised of 11 LSTs, 8 LCI(L)s, 5 XAKs and one further unit type illegible in the carbon copy; screened by 2 DDs and 2 DEs) via routes Buick, Jewett and Lincoln; anchored Tare anchorages 0800, 11 June; beached slot 1, Brown Beach, Labuan Island, Borneo at 1043, 12 June; unloaded by LCM and over the beach via a coral-and-sand causeway built at low water, unloading complete 0600, 13 June. No enemy action; 'Flash Red' air alerts 11 and 13 June with no planes sighted or heard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-05-27 to 1945-06-19
- Population
- Ship's company; embarked 9th Division AIF troops (287+); convoy screen (2 DD, 2 DE)
- Limitations
- Primary ship-produced record - the CO's own account. Documents a landing credited to no separate campaign star (DANFS and NavSource carry two stars - Mindanao and Tarakan); the record establishes the event and dates, not the reason for its exclusion from the campaign table. Contains no asbestos or material content. OCR extraction clean; minor carbon-copy artifacts rendered conservatively.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-05
-
[7]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan); NavSource LST-743 spec block; lst-1-class class profile (class-f worktree, 2026-09-16) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB 1945 v2 LST design table; NavSource 160743.htm specifications block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era inference for this hull: the LST-542 design group ran a diesel plant (2 x GM 12-567A diesels, 900 hp each, single Falk main reduction gear, 2 propellers 1,700 shp - BuShips design table and this hull's NavSource spec block) with no boilers, so the steam-plant lagging pathway of boiler vessels does not apply. Asbestos-relevant applications aboard a 1944 diesel landing ship of this type were the era-standard set - diesel-exhaust and machinery-space lagging, gaskets and packing, accommodation thermal insulation, and deck coverings - within the period NARA documents for asbestos use in U.S. Navy materiel (1941-1961, ev-07).
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Dravo construction trades (Neville Island, 1944); ship's company/embarked troops (1944-46); 1947 shipbreakers (New Orleans Shipwrecking Co.)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package was located for LST-743. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantities; no manufacturer attribution. SDB 1945 v2 link re-verified live (HTTP 200) 2026-10-03.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-06
-
[8]National Archives and Records Administration, 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' (guided research topic page) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov guided-topics/asbestos page, 'Beginning Research' and RG 19 correspondence sections
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- NARA's official research guide states: 'The use of asbestos in U.S. Navy materiel from 1941-1961 is a frequently requested topic that requires complex research' - an archival-agency confirmation that asbestos was used in U.S. Navy materiel across a window covering this hull's entire existence (laid down February 1944 - sold for scrapping October 1947). The guide directs researchers to RG 19 Bureau of Ships general/confidential/secret correspondence (1940-1961), filed by hull designation (e.g., 'LST 743'), ship class, and shipyard (private yards filed under 'QM' contractor codes), as the record series relevant to ship-specific asbestos documentation.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1941-1961 (guide coverage)
- Population
- Navy crews and shipyard workers 1941-1961 (guide scope); veterans pursuing VA claims (guide audience)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level archival guidance: establishes that asbestos research is a recognized topic for Navy vessels of 1941-1961 and identifies where ship-specific records would live; does not name this hull, does not establish that asbestos was aboard LST-743, and locates no hull-specific record - the referenced RG 19 correspondence files are undigitized archival leads.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO reviewed Navy asbestos use aboard ships and worker protection at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards; its product-page highlights document that asbestos insulation was used in Navy ships and that the Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace with nonasbestos materials only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for necessary repairs - modified in 1979 to include selective replacement in high-maintenance areas. The documented Navy asbestos-insulation era spans this hull's entire 1944-1947 existence.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- 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. Fieldwork yards were Long Beach and Norfolk - neither touched this hull on any located record. Product page fetched via Firecrawl 2026-10-03 (bare curl returns HTTP 403).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-08
-
[10]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, fleet-paced helper), opinion index; docket index blocked by daily quota [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-743-lst743-10 through -12
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Partial litigation sweep: exact-phrase "LST-743" in the CourtListener opinion index (type=o) returned 0 hits - no published opinion naming this hull was located. The docket index query (type=r, same phrase) and variant queries ("LST 743" asbestos; "USS LST-743") could NOT be run: the fleet-shared daily API quota was exhausted mid-session (HTTP 429, 'Expected available in ~42577s'), logged as blocked, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case naming LST-743; 'asbestos ship' marketing listicles attach asbestos claims to hull-number collisions DD-743 (USS Southerland) and DE-743 (USS Lamons), not this vessel.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 2026-10-03
- Limitations
- The opinion-index zero is a verified negative for published opinions only; the docket index (RECAP) is genuinely unsearched this session - litigation status is partially open, not negative. CourtListener indexes exclude most state-court filings, unreported settlements, and non-digitized dockets regardless. Re-run the docket and variant queries after the quota reset (~11.8 h from 2026-10-03).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-09
-
[11]Batch-7276 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; NARA catalog + three action-report file units read in full (OCR); NARA asbestos guided-topic page; BuShips SDB 1945 v2; GAO product page; CourtListener opinion index; NVR; NIOSH HHE search; NavalCoverMuseum; secondary web sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-743-lst743-01 through -16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, material schedule, or published opinion naming LST-743 was found in the public sources searched. The strongest ship-specific documentation is operational - three CO-signed action reports covering all three of her amphibious landings (Zamboanga, Tarakan, Brunei Bay) - which record load weights, cargo composition, and a Manus Island causeway-outfitting event but no material content.
- 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 - construction at a wartime inland yard inside NARA's documented Navy asbestos-materiel era (1941-1961) is consistent with era-standard materials. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Docket-index litigation search remains open (see ev-09).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-10
-
[12]NARA NAID 118967604, muster-roll file unit 'USS LSM-144 to USS LST-1005' (2,968 images, digitized); NARA catalog searches for ship-titled LST-743 war-diary units; RG 19 BuShips correspondence filing guidance (NARA asbestos guide, ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NAID 118967604 record page; catalog.archives.gov 'LST-743', 'USS LST-743', 'LST-743 War Diary' result sets; NARA asbestos guide RG 19 section
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Open archival leads for this hull: (1) ship's muster rolls - the digitized 2,968-image reel 'USS LSM-144 to USS LST-1005' (NAID 118967604) spans this hull's number range, so LST-743 muster pages should be present but were not pinpointed or read (crew figures in this record remain the class spec block, not muster-derived); (2) no ship-titled 'USS LST-743 - War Diary' file units exist in the catalog - her digitized operational coverage is the three action reports plus parent-unit diaries (COM LST GR 64 Dec 1944; COM LST FLOT 34 Sep-Oct 1945) that plausibly cover her unit periods; (3) RG 19 BuShips correspondence filed under 'LST 743', 'LST542 Class', and 'QM/Dravo Corp' are the undigitized series where construction/material documentation would live per the NARA asbestos guide; (4) WWII deck logs for this hull are not in the digitized deck-log program checked.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Ship's company (1944-46); researchers
- Limitations
- Archival-lead row: the muster reel was identified by title range, not opened to the LST-743 section; unit-diary attribution is inferential (the ship's own reports route through LST Div 88 / ComLSTFlot 8 / ComLSTGroup 24 in March 1945 and T.U. 78.1.19 in June 1945 - the catalog-surfaced COM LST FLOT 34 / COM LST GR 64 diaries cover overlapping periods but her exact flotilla/group assignment sequence is not established). None of these leads contains confirmed asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-743-lst743-11