Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet 734-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-844-lst844-pkt-734-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, LST-844 entry - construction, sponsor, commissioning, Okinawa Gunto service, occupation duty, decommissioning, striking, sale to Humble Oil, one battle star (live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS LST-844 narrative (single-page entry)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 18 October 1944 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched 3 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. D. P. Cook; commissioned 30 December 1944, Lt. James F. Trawick in command. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; 'participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in May and June 1945'; performed occupation duty in the Far East until early November 1945; returned to the United States and decommissioned 15 September 1947; struck from the Navy list 29 September 1947; 'On 28 June 1948, the tank landing ship was sold to the Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, Tex., for operation.' Earned one battle star for World War II service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- construction trades (American Bridge, Ambridge, 1944); crew (1944-47)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS does not state the decommissioning location, the commissioning location, or what Humble Oil did with the hull. Its 15 September 1947 decommissioning date conflicts with NavSource's 17 September - see gaps; DANFS date carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST-844 page (542-class data, organization assignment, campaign dates, occupation service dates, commanding officers, specifications, 'fate unknown') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/160844.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, commanding-officer table
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: 542 Class tank landing ship; laid down 18 October 1944 at American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA; launched 3 December 1944; commissioned USS LST-844, 30 December 1944, Lt. James F. Trawick in command. Asiatic-Pacific organization: LST Flotilla Thirty-One (CAPT. H. S. Covington), LST Group Ninety-Two (CDR. J. G. Winn), LST Division One Hundred Eighty-Three; campaign - Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation, 29 May to 29 June 1945; occupation service in the Far East 9 September to 10 November 1945; decommissioned 17 September 1947 (conflicts with DANFS 15 September - see gaps); struck from the Naval Register 29 September 1947; sold for operation 28 June 1948 to Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, TX; 'Final Disposition, fate unknown'; one battle star. Specifications: displacement 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa; 50 ft beam; 11.6 kt trial; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troop accommodations 16 officers + 147 enlisted; propulsion 2 x General Motors 12-567A 900hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, 2 shafts 1,700 shp, 3 x diesel-drive 100kW 230V DC ship's-service generators. Commanding officers: Lt. James F. Trawick (30 Dec 1944 - 31 Oct 1945); Lt. Eugene W. Leake Jr., USNR (Oct 1945 - 19 Jan 1946); Lt. Thomas E. Reynolds, USNR (19 Jan 1946 - 19 Sep 1947).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948
- Population
- crew (1944-47)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates generally track DANFS/NVR but conflict on decommissioning (17 vs 15 September), and its CO table shows Reynolds in command to 19 September 1947, past either decommissioning date. Page verified live this session. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-02
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II, NAVSHIPS 250-011 (April 1945) - LST roster line and design-group machinery table (shipscribe.com scan, verified live) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST roster p. ~184 (LST839-849 block under 'American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa.'); machinery table, LST542-931 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official BuShips roster names this hull: 'LST844' under 'American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa.' with keel laid 18 Oct 44, launched 3 Dec 44, first commissioned 30 Dec 44 - matching DANFS/NavSource. The publication's machinery table assigns design group LST542-931 (which includes this hull) 2 x 'G. M. Diesel, 12-567A' engines at 1,700 shaft horsepower - corroborating NavSource's ship-level propulsion figures.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- n/a
- Limitations
- Official BuShips publication; the roster line is ship-specific, while the machinery line applies to the entire LST542-931 design group. Contains no asbestos or material content. The class-profile's earlier citation path (shipscribe.com/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf) now returns 404; the live copy is at /pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-03
-
[5]NARA, WWII War Diaries (Fold3-digitized microfilm) - USS LST-844 monthly war diaries, December 1944 through December 1945 (8 file units) [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov search "LST-844" (147 file units); June 1945 unit NAID 101736228, Fold3 file 296610378, microfilm pub WWII_WarDiaries A_1742 images 0821-0827
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds and has digitized this hull's monthly war diaries covering the full commissioned wartime period: 12/29/44-5/31/45 (NAID 140070143), 6/45 (NAID 101736228), 7/45 (NAID 83565449), 8/45 (NAID 77508264), 9/45 (NAID 77542582), 10/45 (NAID 77592148), 11/45 (NAID 140081727), 12/45 (NAID 140084323). The June 1945 diary (read this session) records: aground on a soft coral reef in Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa, 1 June; retracted 2 June with fleet tug USS Ute (ATF-76) assisting astern, anchored Berth 107; beached at the LST Landing, Brown Beach, Nakagusuku Bay, 3 June and commenced unloading cargo; 6 June disembarked 7 Marine officers and 111 Marine enlisted plus 2 Navy officers and 4 Navy enlisted; underway 9 June to Hagushi, Okinawa; 10 June underway for Leyte, Philippine Islands, in company with other Pacific Fleet LSTs under CTG 31.29.4 aboard USS LST-1013, escorted by one PC and four SCs.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-12-29 to 1945-12-31
- Population
- crew plus embarked Marines (June 1945); wartime crew (Dec 1944 - Dec 1945)
- Limitations
- Primary ship-generated operational record - establishes operations and embarked-troop movement at Okinawa, not material condition. Diaries sampled, not exhaustively read: the June 1945 unit was read page-by-page; the other seven units were confirmed digitized in the catalog but not transcribed. War diaries record operations, not material condition - no asbestos content expected. Deck logs (RG 24) are a separate, unverified-digitization lead.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-04
-
[6]MARAD Vessel History Database, LST-844 (ShipHistory Detail 9533) - digitized U.S. Maritime Commission vessel status card [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/9533; status card image https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/cards/4B9_01.png
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The government custody record for this hull: the status card is headed 'Navy Surplus,' shows the vessel at Suisun Bay, and carries the entry 'Sold to Humble OIL & Refing Co Sp Act 1936' with delivery '6-28-48' - corroborating the DANFS sale record. The database's fate field reads 'Sold - No Further Info'; no historical narrative, milestones, images, or documents are attached to the record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1947-1948
- Limitations
- Confirms the federal-custody disposal consistent with DANFS (sale to Humble Oil & Refining Co., 28 June 1948). 'Suisun Bay' on the card indicates the layup location; DANFS does not state the decommissioning site. The card records nothing about Humble's employment of the hull or any later fate - post-sale history is undocumented. Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-05
-
[7]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications + BuShips SDB-1945 v2 machinery table (diesel plant, no boilers); LST-1/491/542-series class profile (class-f worktree, consolidated era inference); WWII shipbuilding asbestos documentation (Corn & Starr 1987 - ev-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource specifications block; SDB1945v2 machinery table (LST542-931 row); class profile ev-lst-1-class-03
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LST-542-group tank landing ship built October-December 1944 carries no boilers - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply. Era-standard asbestos-relevant applications aboard a hull of this type and period were diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings and tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, valve packing and flange gaskets, and winch/crane brake linings. Wartime hulls were built during the period when asbestos-containing insulation, gasket, and packing products were standard naval material.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1948+
- Population
- construction trades (American Bridge, Ambridge, Oct-Dec 1944); crew (1944-47); Humble Oil conversion/platform crews (1948+, if converted - undocumented)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work record was located for LST-844. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity and no manufacturer attribution for this hull. Post-sale Humble Oil conversion scope (if any) is undocumented - commercial-service material changes unknown.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-06
-
[8]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
- AJIM 11(3):359-373; DOI 10.1002/ajim.4700110311
- 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 mass-production program under which this hull was built in late 1944 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in the shipbuilding industry.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; article 1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level scholarly documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding generally; does not name this vessel, this class, or this yard and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. DOI resolves to the Wiley article page (automated fetch blocked, HTTP 403); abstract-level reliance.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-07
-
[9]Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 'Oil in the Gulf: Past Development, Future Prospects' (OCS report, espis.boem.gov Final Report 3419) + Offshore Magazine, 'Milestones and influences in US offshore history (1947-1997)' [other_primary]
- Locator
- espis.boem.gov Final Reports/3419.pdf (text extracted, 'offshore tenders' passage); offshore-mag.com milestone list; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/LST_309 (Humble Way quotation)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Documented context for the buyer named in this hull's disposal record: BOEM's Gulf offshore-industry history records that after WWII 'Navy LSTs became available as government surplus, and these were quickly purchased by a number of offshore operators and pressed into service as offshore tenders.' Industry history dates it specifically: '1948 - Humble Oil buys 19 Navy LSTs for tender conversion.' A contemporaneous company publication (The Humble Way, July-August 1948, quoted in NavalCoverMuseum's LST-309 entry) describes the conversions: non-self-propelled 'ST' tenders moored at drilling platforms off Grand Isle, Louisiana, serving as floating warehouses and crew quarters, towed to site by tug.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1947-1950s
- Population
- offshore drilling/platform crews, Grand Isle LA area (1948-1950s, program-level)
- Limitations
- Program-level context only - none of these sources names LST-844 among the 19 Humble hulls or assigns it an ST designation. Whether this specific hull entered the offshore-tender program is undocumented; NavSource lists final disposition 'fate unknown.' Does not establish post-sale employment, location, material condition, or any exposure pathway.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-08
-
[10]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 - covering this hull's construction era (1944) and service period (1944-47) within the Navy program.
- 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. The report's worker-protection focus is 1970s Navy shipyards - after this hull left service. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403); content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-09
-
[11]Disposition cross-check: shipbuildinghistory.com LST roster row for LST-844 vs DANFS + MARAD status card [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/lstpart3.htm row 'LST 844' (also mirrored at shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: shipbuildinghistory.com's LST table row for this hull reads 'Scrapped 1947' and lists the builder location as 'Pittsburgh PA.' Both conflict with the documented record: DANFS and NavSource record sale for operation on 28 June 1948 to Humble Oil & Refining Co., confirmed by the USMC/MARAD status card (delivered 6-28-48 at Suisun Bay), and all primary sources place the builder at Ambridge, PA. 'Scrapped 1947' appears to be generic table shorthand keyed to the 1947 disposal-from-Navy year; it is not supported by any located record and is not carried here.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1947-1948
- Limitations
- Corrects a secondary-source defect; shipbuildinghistory.com is a reputable secondary compilation but its fate column is not item-sourced. Post-sale fate remains undocumented either way - the correction does not resolve what happened to the hull after the 1948 sale.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-10
-
[12]Batch-7387 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; NavSource live page; BuShips SDB-1945 v2 full text; NARA war-diary catalog + June 1945 diary read; MARAD ShipHistory + status card; NVR (no entry); NavalCoverMuseum; secondary web litigation sweep; CourtListener (blocked) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-844-lst844-01 through -13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed/verified litigation naming USS LST-844 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the fleet-shared API quota was exhausted (helper reported HTTP 429 with ~9.5 h reset); logged as blocked in the search ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case and no law-firm marketing claim specific to this hull.
- 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 - the litigation-repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). Post-sale Humble Oil records (conversion yard, material scope, crew quarters conversion) are undigitized/unlocated leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lst-844-lst844-11