USS Palmyra (LST-1100)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]DANFS, Palmyra (ARS(T)-3) - construction, redesignation, naming, launch, sponsor, commissioning, ServRon 10 Guam service, Crossroads salvage assignment, contamination-delayed return, decommissioning (verbatim transcription at HyperWar/ibiblio, verified live 2026-10-02; corroborating verbatim transcription at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/arst3.htm, verified live; live NHHC page 404s on candidate URLs - standing NHHC link-rot defect noted since Batch 01) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry 'Palmyra (ARS(T)-3)', full record incl. spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: 'Palmyra was laid down as LST-1100 by the Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co., Jefferson, Ind., 11 December 1944; redesignated ARS(T)-3, 8 December 1944; named Palmyra, 23 December 1944; launched 20 February 1945; sponsored by Miss Virginia L. Davenport; and commissioned 28 July 1945. Following shakedown off the Texas coast, Palmyra transited the Panama Canal and steamed into the Pacific to join Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Assigned to ServRon 10, she served in the mid-Pacific, primarily at Guam, until February 1946 [hazegray; HyperWar transcription prints "1945" - transcription variant in gaps]. Then assigned to TU 1.2.7, the salvage unit for operation "Crossroads," she prepared for the 1946 atomic test series. She arrived at Bikini in May and for the next months prepared the area for the tests, then aided in salvage operations. She was ordered to report to ComLantResFlt in October, but contamination from the blasts prevented her doing so until 6 February 1947. On 20 June 1947, she decommissioned and joined the Reserve Fleet at Orange, Tex., where she remains into 1970.' Transcriber bracketed addition: '[Stricken on 1 June 1973.]' Spec block: dp. 3,800 (f.); l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 269; cl. Laysan Island.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1970 (entry coverage)

   Population

   JeffBoat construction trades (1944-45); commissioning and service crews (1945-47)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific official history; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS prints 'Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co., Jefferson, Ind.' - the company's documented name was Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co. (JeffBoat) and 'Jefferson, Ind.' is a DANFS typographical slip for Jeffersonville (see correction row). DANFS entry ends ca. 1970 - strike (1973) and sale (1974) milestones come from other rows. Guam end-date printed '1945' in the HyperWar transcription vs '1946' in hazegray - 1946 is consistent with the commissioning timeline; variant in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-01

2. [2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Palmyra (ARST-3) ex LST-1100 (page 09/34/3403, verified live 2026-10-02) - designation timeline, specifications block, awards, CO roster, photo captions [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource page 09/34/3403 header block, specifications block, awards line, CO roster, and photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource record for this hull: laid down 11 December 1944 as LST-1100 at Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN; redesignated Salvage Craft Tender ARST-3 on 8 December 1944; named Palmyra 23 December 1944; launched 20 February 1945; commissioned USS Palmyra (ARST-3) 28 July 1945, LT. Franzini, John C., USNR in command; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.7 (Target Vessel Group - Salvage Units) for Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll, July 1946; decommissioned 20 June 1947 at Orange, TX; laid up Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group, Orange, TX; struck from the Naval Register 1 June 1973; final disposition - sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, 1 April 1974. Specs: displacement 4,100 t. (lim); length 328'; beam 50'; draft 11'2"; speed 11.6 kts; complement 41 officers + 248 enlisted; largest boom capacity 25 t.; armament two quad 40mm AA mounts and twelve single 20mm AA mounts; boats two LCVPs; fuel diesel 6,830 bbls / gasoline 17,850 gals; propulsion two General Motors 12-567A diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, four diesel-drive 100kW 120V/240V D.C. generators, twin rudders, twin propellers, 1,800 shp. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal. CO roster: LT Franzini USNR 27 Jul 1945 - 21 Nov 1945; LCDR Willie Lee Jones USN 21 Nov 1945 - 5 Jun 1946; LCDR Richard H. Brazeal USNR 5 Jun 1946 - 10 Apr 1947; LCDR James Thomas Young USN 10 Apr 1947 - 20 Jun 1947. Photo captions: BuShips photo 19-N-89764 (NARA) shows her being ferried down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, arriving 28 July 1945 for commissioning; one underway photo credited to 'Mud, Muscles, and Miracles' (Bartholomew & Milwee).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   JeffBoat construction trades (1944-45); crew 1945-47 (4 documented COs); reserve-fleet caretakers Orange TX (1947-73); 1974 shipbreakers

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer-curated archive transcribing official records - used here for detail DANFS omits (spec block, CO roster, awards, JTF-1 task-unit assignment). Contains no asbestos information. Its CO roster starts Franzini's command 27 July 1945 while the page header gives commissioning 28 July 1945 - a one-day internal variance carried in gaps. Complement figure (289) conflicts with DANFS/shipscribe (269) and DNA-6032F (299) - in gaps. Draft figure (11'2") conflicts with DANFS spec block (14') - in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-02

3. [3]shipscribe.com (Stephen S. Roberts), Laysan Island (ARST-1) class data page - construction/disposition tables, class notes with conversion-program directive history, ship notes (verified live 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/ARST/ARST01.html - class data block, Construction table, Disposition table, Class Notes, Ship Notes (ARST-3 row)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Conversion-program documentation specific to this hull's class: 'FY 1944 (Landing craft program). On 14 Aug 44 Commander Service Forces, Pacific Fleet, requested that three LST's be converted along the lines of the AGP conversions to serve as salvage tenders. These would support the salvage vessels and tugs that participated in amphibious operations and would carry large items such as salvage pumps, air compressors, anchors, etc., as well as plates, timbers and other repair materials and firefighting equipment for issue to the smaller ships. They were also to have extra divers and other critical personnel on board, repair facilities to maintain the smaller vessels, and additional boats, lifting gear, etc., that the smaller ships could not accommodate. On 27 Oct 44 CominCh directed the conversion of 11 new construction LST's to tenders, including the three tenders for salvage craft plus four aircraft repair ships and four "mother ships for small craft." The ships, subsequently designated ARST 1-3, ARVE 3-4, ARVA 5-6, and AKS 16-19 (later APB 45-48), were built under their LST contracts and modified to tenders by their builder during construction. They were placed in reduced commission for ferrying down the Mississippi River and commissioned in full at New Orleans.' Construction table: ARST-3 PALMYRA, reclas. 14 Dec 44 (variant vs DANFS 8 Dec - in gaps), builder Jeffersonville Boat & Mach., keel 11 Dec 44, launch 20 Feb 45, commission 28 Jul 45. Disposition table: decomm. 20 Jun 47, strike 1 Jun 73, disposal 22 Apr 74 (variant vs NavSource 1 Apr 74 - in gaps). Ship note: 'Ex LST-1100 14 Dec 44. Ferry commission 18-28 Jul 45. In USN reserve 1946-73.' Class stats: 1,949 t light / 4,100 lim; 328' oa x 50' x 11.2' lim; complement 269; 11.6 kts; 1,800 HP GM diesels, 2 screws; armament ARST-3: 2-40mmQ + 8-20mmS (1945).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   JeffBoat conversion/construction trades (1944-45); ferry-commission and commissioning crews (Jul 1945)

   Limitations

   Stephen Roberts's shipscribe compilations draw on BuShips/NARA records and are the standard scholarly reference for U.S. auxiliary construction data, but remain a secondary compilation - milestone conflicts with DANFS/NavSource (reclass 14 vs 8 Dec 1944; disposal 22 Apr vs 1 Apr 1974; armament 8 vs 12 single 20mm) are carried in gaps rather than resolved. Contains no asbestos information; the conversion-program text documents what was added (workshops, stowage, divers, extra boats) but not the materials used.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-03

4. [4]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History Magazine, 'Historic Fleets' by A. D. Baker III (Feb 1999, Vol. 13 No. 1) - Laysan Island class feature article (live usni.org page returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch on 2026-10-02; archived Wayback capture 2025-05-13 cited and labeled as archived) [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Naval History Magazine Feb 1999 'Historic Fleets' (ARST class article), paragraphs 2-5 + photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Class feature article naming this hull: 'The most radical World War II reconfiguration was performed on LSTs 1098 through 1100. The ships were redesigned as salvage craft tenders ARS(T)-1 through ARS(T)-3 before their keels were laid in December 1944 by Jeffersonville Bridge and Machinery Co., at Jeffersonville, Indiana. They were named, respectively, for three small islands in and near the Hawaiian chain: Laysan Island, Okala, and Palmyra.' Class detail: distinguished by the 25-ton crane amidships and pilothouse relocated forward; 'topsides were cluttered with hundreds of bottled-gas cylinders, some of which were used as additional-if hazardous-protection for 20-mm antiaircraft gun shields on the ARS(T)-3'; five 36-foot LCVP landing craft as work boats (two in Welin davits aft, others handled by the crane); functional bow doors and vehicle ramp so salvage equipment could unload directly onto a beach. Palmyra service: 'arrived at Guam in February 1946 and was assigned to preparation for salvage operations for the target ships at the Bikini atomic bomb tests in May. Radioactive decontamination delayed her return home for decommissioning from October 1946 to the following February, and she was decommissioned at Orange, Texas, on 20 June 1947.' Class stats: 3,960 t full load, crews 41 officers + 248 enlisted, 11.6 kts on 1,800 hp from two GM 12-567A diesels. Palmyra kept single 20mm mounts to end of active career (sisters received six Mk-24 twin mounts).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1973

   Population

   JeffBoat construction trades (1944-45); crew 1945-47 incl. Crossroads salvage personnel

   Limitations

   Professional naval-history journalism by a recognized authority (Baker was long-time editor of Combat Fleets of the World) - reputable-press tier, consistent with and extending DANFS. Contains no asbestos information. Cited via labeled Wayback capture because the live page 403'd to automated fetch. Its Guam arrival 'February 1946' corroborates the hazegray DANFS transcription over the HyperWar '1945' print.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-04

5. [5]Defense Nuclear Agency, 'Operation CROSSROADS-1946' (DNA 6032F, report KT-83-006(R), Kaman Tempo for DNA, 1 May 1984; Nuclear Test Personnel Review series; UNCLASSIFIED, approved for public release) - official history with a dedicated ship-activity profile for USS Palmyra (govinfo.gov official PDF verified live and text-extracted 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DNA 6032F, Appendix A 'USS PALMYRA (ARS[T]-3)' ship profile (pp. ~372-374 of PDF) and Table 31 (p. ~232); ship-list entries in the nontarget-vessel roster and the San Francisco decontamination-center list

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Dedicated ship profile for this hull in the official DNA history of the tests: 'Palmyra, a salvage craft tender, was the flagship of TU 1.2.7 (Salvage Unit). The duties of this unit included selecting beaching areas, facilitating salvage of damaged ships, performing all underwater work involving divers both before and after the tests, buoy placement, firefighting, and general salvage work. As a floating salvage base, Palmyra carried assorted salvage equipment and housed salvage personnel.' Profile block: Crew Size 299; Bikini Atoll Arrival 'By 1 June 1946'; Bikini Atoll Departure 5 September 1946; Shot ABLE Location 28 nmi ENE; Shot BAKER Location 12 nmi SE; Decontamination Location San Francisco; Operational Clearance by 22 November 1946; Final Clearance by 4 January 1947. Logged events include: working parties with cutting outfits to target vessel YO-160 (1 July); LCMs assisting beaching of target submarine USS Skate (SS-305); 'Individual sent to Reclaimer for examination after being exposed to radiological contamination ... returned to the ship and declared normal in all respects' (2 July); freshwater tank and intake tested for radioactivity and found clear (2 Aug); anchor/buoy and berthing work for target submarine Dentuda (SS-335) and target ship Fallon (APA-81) (20-25 Aug); 'LCM #2 returned; crew was contaminated by radioactivity and ordered to change and wash clothes and shoes and to take showers' (25 Aug); radsafe section representative embarked for temporary duty (25 Aug); target vessel LCI(L)-615 moored alongside (28-30 Aug); Radsafe Radiological Clearance Board commenced examination of ship and personnel at Kwajalein (7 Sep); departed Bikini for Kwajalein 5 Sep. Elsewhere in the report she appears towing a BAKER target vessel (LCT-412) alongside USS Conserver (ARS-39)'s log (2 Aug) and receiving an embarked boarding party from USS Achomawi (17 Jul). Table 31 ('Reconstructed (calculated) dose for support ship crews') lists Palmyra: 299 personnel, Bikini departure 5 Sep 46, reconstructed Bikini dose 0.378 rem gamma, clearance 22 Nov 46, total 0.420 rem gamma. She is also listed among nontarget vessels assigned to the SAN FRANCISCO decontamination/clearance center established by ComServPac/CJTF-1/CNO.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1946-05 to 1947-01

   Population

   Ship's company (299 per Table 31) + embarked salvage personnel and radsafe staff at Bikini (May-Sep 1946); boarding parties and divers operating from her boats

   Limitations

   Official U.S. government history (DNA as DoD executive agency; Kaman Tempo contract DNA 001-79-C-0472) built from ship deck logs and JTF-1 records - the strongest primary documentation in this record. It documents RADIOLOGICAL exposure pathways only: dose figures are reconstructed mean crew gamma doses (rem), not asbestos data, and the report contains no asbestos or insulation-material information. Inclusion documents where the ship was and what work her boats/crew did at Bikini; it establishes no asbestos fact. OCR text extraction of Table 31 interleaves adjacent rows - the Palmyra row values were read against the printed column structure; if in doubt the row pair (299 personnel; 5 Sep 46; 0.378; 22 Nov 46; 0.420) is consistent with her appendix profile block.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-05

6. [6]NARA catalog, NAID 124086300 - 'USS Palmyra (ARST-3)' file unit, series 'Precommissioning Training Files' (NAID 1807673, 1944-1946), creator Naval Training Station, Coasters Harbor Island, Newport, RI (First Naval District), RG 181 Records of Navy Installations Command... and Shore Establishments (catalog record verified via NARA API 2026-10-02) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NARA catalog NAID 124086300 (fileUnit; parent series NAID 1807673, RG 181)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   A precommissioning training file exists for this hull at NARA: paper records (loose sheets), unrestricted, held by the National Archives at Boston (Waltham, MA), created by the Naval Training Station at Coasters Harbor Island, Newport, Rhode Island - documenting that her commissioning crew conducted precommissioning training through the First Naval District training establishment in 1945.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1946 (series coverage)

   Population

   Palmyra precommissioning crew (1945)

   Limitations

   Archival lead only: the file unit's existence and custody are verified via the catalog API, but its contents were not read (paper record at NARA Boston, not digitized). A precommissioning training file documents personnel/crew pipeline, not hull materials - no asbestos content is expected or asserted. Where her crew actually trained aboard-ship vs. at Newport is not established by the catalog record alone.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-06

7. [7]Composite era/design analysis: NavSource machinery documentation (2x GM 12-567A diesels, no boilers) + BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v2 LST-542 design grouping (via class profile) + shipscribe ARST conversion-program notes + GAO HRD-80-2 policy context [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource spec block; shipscribe ARST class notes; class-profile design data (BuShips SDB 1945 v2); GAO HRD-80-2 program context

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for a diesel-powered amphibious auxiliary built December 1944 - July 1945 at an inland wartime yard: this hull sits inside the Navy's documented peak asbestos-consumption era, but no boilers or steam plant existed aboard - the boiler/steam-lagging pathway does not apply. Plausible asbestos applications on the LST-542 type concentrate in diesel-engine and exhaust-system insulation, gaskets and packing throughout the engineering spaces, electrical insulation/cable, deck coverings (incl. tank-deck surfaces), accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on winches and the stern-anchor windlass. The builder-executed tender conversion (25-ton crane, pilothouse relocation, workshops, salvage-gear stowage, extra berthing for divers and salvage personnel) added interior fitout scope - a plausible additional asbestos-material installation locus, undocumented at the material level.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-02

   Study period

   1944-1974

   Population

   JeffBoat construction/conversion trades (1944-45); crew and embarked salvage personnel (1945-47); reserve-fleet caretakers Orange TX (1947-73); 1974 shipbreakers

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material schedule, or work package located for ARST-3/LST-1100. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull. The conversion-scope statement rests on shipscribe/USNI descriptions of what was added, not a material list.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-07

8. [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 entire construction (1944-45) and commissioned service (1945-47), and most of her reserve-fleet layup (1947-73). Standing Navy policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, meaning original-era insulation typically remained unless a yard period disturbed it.

   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 text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 - same standing defect as Batches 01 and 98) - content via product-page description.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-08

9. [9]Batch-6589 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcriptions (HyperWar + hazegray); NavSource; shipscribe class data; USNI Historic Fleets via Wayback; DNA-6032F full text via govinfo; NARA catalog (NAID 124086300 + deck-log/muster-roll sweeps); NavalCoverMuseum; NVR; MARAD vesselhistory; secondary web asbestos sweep [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-palmyra-lst1100-01 through -13

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS Palmyra / LST-1100 / ARST-3 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Secondary web sweeps surfaced no asbestos claim naming this hull at all - unusually, even the law-firm marketing corpus does not list her; the only yard-level asbestos assertions are marketing content about 'Jeffersonville Boat & Machine' generically (mesowatch.org - banned-source class, excluded). No government occupational-health survey of the JeffBoat yard's WWII asbestos use was located (the CDC/NIOSH Jeffboat reports on CDC Stacks are ~2000-era ergonomics/weld-fume studies of river-barge construction, not asbestos documentation).

   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 - the ship's WWII construction and extensive builder-executed conversion are consistent with era-standard insulation use. CourtListener status as recorded in the ledger. Deck logs (1945-47) and any JeffBoat work-package or DRMS disposal records are undigitized leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-09

10. [10]Name/identity cross-check: DANFS transcription text vs shipscribe/USNI/Wikipedia builder naming; class-profile member table; NARA catalog [other_primary]

    Locator

    DANFS entry text; shipscribe ARST01 construction table; NavSource header; USNI article; NavalCoverMuseum designation history; class-profile member table row for LST-1100

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    CORRECTIONS (identity-level, not material claims): (1) Builder name - DANFS prints 'Jeffersonville Bridge and Machine Co., Jefferson, Ind.'; the firm's documented name was Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co. (JeffBoat), Jeffersonville, Ind. 'Jefferson, Ind.' is a DANFS typographical slip; NavSource and the USNI article also print 'Bridge and Machine' variants, while shipscribe, Wikipedia, and the yard literature carry 'Boat & Machine'. (2) Designation rendering - sources split between 'ARS(T)-3' (DANFS, USNI, NavalCoverMuseum, HyperWar) and 'ARST-3' (NavSource, modern usage); both denote the same salvage-craft-tender designation. (3) Hull consolidation - this record is the single canonical hull: LST-1100 was her contract/laying-down designation only; she was redesignated ARS(T)-3 before keel laying and never served as a numbered LST; no separate LST-1100 service record exists.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-02

    Study period

    1944-1945 (designation window)

    Limitations

    Corrects naming/designation variants that circulate in secondary sources; establishes no material or exposure fact. The exact corporate form (with/without 'Co., Inc.') and the reclassification date itself (8 vs 14 Dec 1944) remain documented variants - the date conflict is carried in gaps, not asserted resolved.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-palmyra-lst1100-10