USS LST(H)-242

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]research packet 607-packet.md (7 sources cited) [museum_official]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS LST-242** (no proper name); hull number **LST-242**; designation

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-pkt-607-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'LST-242' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS LST-242 entry, full narrative (short numbered-LST entry, no spec block)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for LST-242: laid down 8 March 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched 3 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Charles R. Duskey; commissioned 5 August 1943, Lt. (jg.) J. W. Winney, USNR, in command. Assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater; participated in the Gilbert Islands operation (November-December 1943), the Marshall Islands operation (occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, January-February 1944; occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, February 1944), the capture and occupation of Saipan (June 1944), and the Leyte landings (October 1944). Redesignated LSTH-242 on 15 September 1945; performed occupation duty in the Far East until early February 1946, then returned to the United States. Decommissioned 9 February 1946 and transferred the same day to the Shipping Control Authority, Japan; struck from the Navy list 31 October 1947. Earned four battle stars for World War II service as LST-242.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity and Navy timeline. Decommission/transfer date (9 Feb 1946) conflicts with NavSource (4 Mar 1946) - carried in gaps. 'Returned to the United States' and same-day SCAJAP transfer are internally compressed; NavSource's COMNAVFE/SCAJAP assignment detail resolves the sequence. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LST(H)-242 ex USS LST-242 page (last updated 8 October 2021) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Entry timeline, Asiatic-Pacific campaign table, commanding-officer table, specifications block, awards ribbon line, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive entry for USS LST(H)-242, ex USS LST-242 (1943-1945): laid down 8 March 1943 at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN; launched 3 July 1943; commissioned USS LST-242, 5 August 1943, LTjg. J. W. Winney, USNR, in command. Wartime organization: LST Flotilla Three (CDR. A. A. Ageton, USN), LST Group Eight, LST Division Fifteen. Campaign dates: Gilbert Islands 20 November-5 December 1943; Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls 31 January-8 February 1944; Eniwetok Atoll 17-23 February 1944; Saipan 15-24 June 1944; Leyte landings 29 October 1944. Redesignated Landing Ship Tank (Hospital) LST(H)-242, 15 September 1945; occupation service in the Far East 13 October 1945 to 10 February 1946; decommissioned 4 March 1946 and assigned to COMNAVFE Shipping Control Authority for Japan (SCAJAP), redesignated Q051; struck from the Naval Register 31 October 1947; four battle stars; final disposition 'fate unknown.' Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4), WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Liberation Medal (1). Commanding officers: LTjg. J. W. Winney (to 14 Feb 1945); LT. Foy E. O'Neal (to 2 Sep 1945); LTjg. Harold T. Muller-Thym (to 13 Dec 1945); LTjg. Arthur L. Spoeneman (to 4 Mar 1946). LST-1 class spec block: 1,625 t light / 4,080 t full / 2,366 t beaching; 328 ft oa x 50 ft; 11.6 kt trial; complement 13 officers + 104 enlisted; troops 16 officers + 147 enlisted; 2 LCVP; ultimate armament 2 twin 40mm w/ Mk.51 directors, 4 single 40mm, 12 single 20mm; two GM 12-567A diesels 900 hp each, single Falk main reduction gear, three 100 kW 230 V DC diesel generators, two propellers 1,700 shp, twin rudders; radio call sign NGWP.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Commissioning crew 13 officers + 104 enlisted; up to ~163 embarked troops; casualties handled in LST(H) role

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation (volunteer photo archive), used for designation/unit/spec/timeline detail DANFS omits; milestones concur with DANFS and the Colton yard table, and with uboat.net (uncited cross-check). Decommission date (4 Mar 1946) conflicts with DANFS (9 Feb 1946) - the CO roster's end date corroborates NavSource; both dates carried, conflict in gaps. Leyte campaign date '29 October 1944' vs DANFS 'October 1944'; MacArthur-at-Leyte photo caption date of 12 October 1944 could not be independently confirmed (the well-known Leyte walk was 20 October). 'Fate unknown' conflicts with Colton 'Scrapped 1947' - gaps. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-02

4. [4]ShipbuildingHistory.com, 'Missouri Valley Bridge, Evansville IN' yard construction table (compiled by Tim Colton, page updated 7 August 2021) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Missouri Valley yard table, row 'hull 30 / LST 242'; yard-history paragraph

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   ShipbuildingHistory (Tim Colton) construction table for Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville IN: yard hull no. 30, type LST, pennant 242, FY1942, keel laid 3/8/43, launched 7/3/43, delivered 8/5/43 - 117 days on the ways, 33 days in the water, 150 total days; disposition 'Scrapped 1947.' Yard context on the same page: the Evansville yard on the Ohio River was built for the war effort, constructed 171 LSTs plus LCTs and other craft (a Leavenworth KS plant built LCTs, lighters, and seaplane derricks), and the Evansville plant was destroyed by fire in 1946.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron construction trades (1942-1945)

   Limitations

   Independent secondary compilation, not an official register - build dates concur with DANFS/NavSource but the 'Scrapped 1947' disposition reads as struck-year shorthand (many rows carry identical wording) and conflicts with documented SCAJAP service and NavSource 'fate unknown'; not asserted as fact, carried in gaps. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-03

5. [5]National Archives, Special List 44: List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947 - ship-number section, 'LST-242' inventory row [other_primary]

   Locator

   sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 42, row 'LST-242 8/5/1943 6/30/1945'

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA Special List 44 (List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947), ship-number section, inventories deck logs for LST-242 covering 8/5/1943 - 6/30/1945 (PDF page 42, entry verified in the live document). Coverage begins the day of commissioning and runs essentially the whole commissioned wartime period through June 1945 - Gilbert Islands, Marshalls, Saipan, and Leyte service all fall inside the logged window. Deck logs are the primary daily record of operations, personnel movements, and location - the highest-value unexamined primary source for this hull.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1943-08-05 to 1945-06-30 (inventory coverage)

   Population

   crew (~117 ship's company) plus embarked troops during the logged window

   Limitations

   SL-44 is an inventory of logbooks held, not the logs themselves: coverage ends 6/30/1945, so the LST(H) redesignation (15 Sep 1945), occupation duty, decommissioning, and SCAJAP transfer periods are NOT in this inventory window; whether logs exist for July 1945-March 1946 is unresolved. Digitization status in the National Archives Catalog could not be confirmed (catalog is JS-rendered to automated query). The inventory carries no content detail - no asbestos-relevant content is asserted or implied.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-04

6. [6]NARA Catalog identifier 78659471, 'LST-242 War Diary Oct. 1944' (per NavSource photo caption citation) [other_primary]

   Locator

   catalog.archives.gov/id/78659471 (resolves HTTP 200; record is JS-rendered); NavSource 10/16/160242.htm photo caption 1016024205

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   A NARA-held war diary for USS LST-242 covering October 1944 (National Archives identifier 78659471) is cited in a NavSource photo caption for the MacArthur-at-Leyte image ('Ref. LST-242 War Diary Oct. 1944, National Archives 78659471'). The identifier resolves at catalog.archives.gov/id/78659471 (HTTP 200). War diaries are commanding-officer monthly narrative reports - a ship-specific primary source contemporaneous with the Leyte operation.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-10

   Population

   crew during the reported period (October 1944, Leyte)

   Limitations

   Archival lead only: the NAID resolves but the catalog record is JS-rendered and could not be independently fetched; title and month are transcribed from the NavSource caption. Whether October 1944 is the only digitized war-diary month for this hull is unresolved - WWII war diaries are filed monthly and other months may exist under separate NAIDs. No asbestos content is asserted or implied.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-05

7. [7]Dick McCann, Sp(X)1c, 'Our Growing Mercy Fleet,' All Hands no. 340 (August 1945) - official Bureau of Naval Personnel magazine (HyperWar/ibiblio mirror) [other_primary]

   Locator

   All Hands Aug 1945, 'Our Growing Mercy Fleet,' LST(H) passage at Iwo Jima

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   All Hands (official U.S. Navy magazine), August 1945, 'Our Growing Mercy Fleet': 'While LSTs were pressed into emergency use for transporting casualties in the European operations, it was at Iwo that LST(H)s made their debut - landing ship, tank, hospital.' A Navy doctor described the type as 'in reality a floating emergency ward': casualties were classified aboard and tagged for priority; serious cases were swung aboard by crane through a hatch to the tank deck and prepared for operating rooms located in the former troop quarters on the port side, with operating teams working three tables; post-operative cases were cared for forward on the tank deck until transport to hospital ships; ambulances could ride directly into the tank deck through the bow doors and stretchers rested on litter brackets secured the full length of the tank-deck bulkheads. LST-242 was redesignated to this type (LST(H)-242) effective 15 September 1945 - after V-J Day - and the article documents what the hospital-LST role entailed as a class.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1945 (article Aug 1945)

   Population

   casualties and medical personnel aboard LST(H)-type ships (class context)

   Limitations

   Type-level description of LST(H) operations at Iwo Jima (Feb 1945); does not name this hull. LST-242's redesignation (15 Sep 1945) postdated the war's end - she performed occupation duty, not assault casualty evacuation, and no source documents that the physical conversion (operating rooms, litter brackets, hospital beds) was actually performed on this hull. Type description only; no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-06

8. [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

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   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 hull was built (Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron, Evansville IN, March-August 1943) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in naval and merchant construction.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   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 or class and does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-07

9. [9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (published Oct 18, 1979; publicly released Oct 22, 1979) [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page HRD-80-2, Highlights section (verified live via fetch proxy; PDF assets/hrd-80-2.pdf returns HTTP 403 to direct fetch - standing defect)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO reviewed the Navy's efforts to protect workers from asbestos exposure at the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - specifically the use of asbestos in Navy ships, the cost of removing asbestos from Navy ships, and compensation programs for asbestos-related disabilities - documenting that the Navy's 1975 policy was to remove and replace only insulation that was damaged or had to be removed for repairs, modified in 1979 to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas. The review postdates but documents the asbestos-use era spanning this hull's construction (1943) and Navy custody (1943-1947).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   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 26-page report PDF not retrieved (gao.gov assets return HTTP 403 to direct automated fetch) - content via product-page Highlights.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-08

10. [10]Era inference built on: NavSource LST-1 class spec block (diesel propulsion, no steam plant); BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 LST design table (class machinery spec, via class profile); Corn & Starr AJIM 1987 (WWII shipbuilding asbestos); GAO HRD-80-2 (Navy asbestos insulation era); All Hands Aug 1945 (LST(H) conversion scope) [other_primary]

    Locator

    Synthesis of ev-02 (propulsion), ev-06 (LST(H) conversion scope), ev-07 (era), ev-08 (Navy program era); BuShips SDB1945 v2 LST table at https://www.shipscribe.com/pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf (live)

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    Era inference for this hull: a welded-steel diesel-propelled amphibious ship completed August 1943 at an inland emergency yard, during the federal asbestos-reserved shipbuilding period. The class has no boilers or steam plant (two GM 12-567A diesels, Falk reduction gear, twin screws), so the asbestos-relevant systems aboard would not be boiler/turbine lagging but the era-standard applications - engine and diesel-exhaust insulation/lagging, machinery gaskets and valve packing, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, and electrical insulation typical of 1943 naval auxiliaries. The LST(H) hospital conversion role involved rework of troop quarters (operating rooms) and tank-deck spaces (litter brackets, casualty handling) - a disturbance pathway for any era materials present, though whether conversion work was performed on this hull is undocumented.

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1943-1947+

    Population

    Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron construction trades (1943); commissioning crew ~117 plus embarked troops; casualties/medical staff in the LST(H) role; occupation-duty complement (1945-1946); Japanese SCAJAP crews (1946 onward)

    Limitations

    Inference from class spec and era documentation - no ship-specific material list exists for this hull. Diesel propulsion removes the boiler-lagging pathway but does not remove era-standard asbestos in gaskets, packing, insulation, or finishes. LST(H) conversion extent on this hull is undocumented; the inference names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; no quantity; no manufacturer attribution. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-09

11. [11]Batch-6461 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; shipbuildinghistory; NARA SL-44 + catalog NAID; NVR; MARAD; CourtListener queries sl-09 through sl-13; web asbestos searches [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-01 through -17

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, environmental filing, or docketed case naming LST-242 / LST(H)-242 / LSTH-242 / Q051 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). DANFS, NavSource, and the Colton yard table contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement. CourtListener opinion searches for 'LST-242', 'LST(H)-242'/'LSTH-242', 'LST 242', and 'LST-242 asbestos' all returned zero results; a RECAP docket search for 'LST-242' returned three hits, all coincidental string matches inside scanned filings in unrelated cases (classified non-qualifying name collisions). Web search surfaced only law-firm marketing listicles asserting asbestos aboard WWII-era Navy ships generally - excluded by source policy.

    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 1943 wartime hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and this hull's deck logs (1943-45) and war diary are unexamined. 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-h-242-lsth242-10

12. [12]NARA guidance: '1941-1959 Deck Logs' page and Special List 44; RG 19/RG 24 record-group scope; SCAJAP records follow RG 313 (Naval Forces Far East) / RG 331 (Allied occupation) groupings [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA deck-log series description; SL-44 ship-number PDF p.42; NAID 78659471

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - no reproduction orders authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for LST-242 covering 8/5/1943-6/30/1945 (per SL-44; post-June-1945 logs unresolved); the October 1944 war diary (NAID 78659471) and any additional monthly war-diary NAIDs; BuShips RG 19 construction/specification files for the Missouri Valley contract hulls (LST-237/247 blocks) and the LST(H) conversion work package, if issued; COMNAVFE/SCAJAP transfer and Q051 service records (the hull was operated by Japanese crews under U.S. custody until striking); Navy disposal/strike file 1947; Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron yard records (yard destroyed by fire 1946 - survival of records unknown).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1943-1947+ records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. SCAJAP-period records (Q051) may be split across U.S. Navy and occupation-force record groups. The catalog.archives.gov API is JS-gated to automated query, so digitized-holdings status was not confirmed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-lst-h-242-lsth242-11