Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]research packet 630-packet.md (2 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-strafford-county-lst1142-pkt-630-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Strafford County (LST-1142) - construction, service narrative, inactivation, naming, striking, disposal (ARCHIVED COPY: live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-10-02; Wayback capture 2024-05-26) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative, Strafford County (LST-1142) entry (published 2015-09-24 per page footer)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: laid down 25 January 1945 by Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, Ill.; launched 23 April 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Emily S. Ekdahl; commissioned 12 May 1945. Moved down the Mississippi to Gulfport, Miss. for fitting out and a brief shakedown, with a yard period 6-11 June; sailed for the Pacific, routed Pearl Harbor to Guam via Eniwetok, arriving Apra Harbor 12 August 1945; spent six months shuttling between Okinawa; Sasebo, Japan; and Shanghai, China. Departed Pearl Harbor 6 March 1946 for the west coast; arrived Seattle 17 March; moved to Astoria, Oreg.; joined the 19th Fleet 24 March and was placed in inactive status. Placed in reserve, in commission, 10 June 1946 and assigned to the Columbia River Group; decommissioned 15 November 1946. Named Strafford County 1 July 1955; struck from the Navy list 1 November 1958; sold in 1963 to Foss Launch & Tug Co., Seattle, Wash., reduced to a barge and operated as Foss 202.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1963
- Population
- Construction trades (Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca, 1945); ship's company 1945-46; embarked troops on occupation/China shuttle runs
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; contains no asbestos or material content. Live NHHC page 404s (confirmed 2026-10-02 on both canonical URL forms) - the Wayback capture is cited as an archived copy per citation policy. Decommission date conflicts with NavSource (1 Dec 1946) - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-01
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[3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Strafford County (LST-1142) ex-USS LST-1142 - milestone timeline, specifications block, awards/occupation-service periods, commanding-officer table, photo record [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/16/161142.htm header block, awards table, specifications block, CO table, photo caption (last updated 2017-03-10)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 25 January 1945 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 23 April 1945; commissioned USS LST-1142, 12 May 1945, LT Edward A. Toivonen USNR in command; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; postwar Occupation and China service 23 September 1945 - 8 February 1946 (Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp; China Service Medal extended); decommissioned 1 December 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; named Strafford County (LST-1142) 1 July 1955; struck from the Naval Register 1 November 1958; sold 1963 to Foss Launch & Tug Co., Seattle, WA, converted to a barge and renamed Foss 202; final disposition 'fate unknown.' A contributed photograph shows LST-1142 with LCT-1387 beached at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, after Typhoon Louise passed in October 1945. Specifications block: 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 GM 12-567A 900-hp diesels, single Falk main reduction gear, three 100-kW 230-V DC diesel-drive ship's-service generators, twin screws, 1,700 shp. Commanding officers: LT Toivonen (12 May 1945 - 8 Nov 1945); LTjg Giertz (8 Nov 1945 - Jun 1946); LTjg Collins (Jun 1946 - 1 Dec 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1963
- Population
- Ship's company (1945-46); Pacific Reserve Fleet caretaker crews (1946-58); Foss Launch & Tug conversion workers (1963)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its dates generally track DANFS/NVR but the decommission date (1 Dec 1946) conflicts with DANFS and NavalCoverMuseum (15 Nov 1946) and coincides exactly with the last CO's command end - a probable conflation, carried in gaps. No asbestos content. The Buckner Bay photo is privately contributed (Donn Cuson), not NARA-captioned.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-02
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (NAVSHIPS 250-011, April 1945), Landing Ship, Tank (LST) design table and vessel roster (shipscribe.com scan, text layer extracted) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB-1945 Vol. II p.~169 design table (LST542-931 row); p.~191 roster (LST1142 line under Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, Il. block)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Primary-source confirmation: the official BuShips roster lists LST1142 in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, Il. builder block with keel laid 25 Jan 45, launched 23 Apr 45, commissioned 12 May 45 - matching DANFS exactly. The design table assigns this hull's group (LST542-931) a 328-ft oa / 316-ft wl hull, 50-ft beam, 2,366-t beaching / 4,080-t full-load displacement, 11.6-kt trial speed, 2 x G.M. 12-567A diesels at 1,700 shp, and accommodations for 13 officers / 106 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- Chicago Bridge & Iron construction trades (1945)
- Limitations
- Official BuShips data - the authoritative design/roster source; the roster line confirms build dates and builder for this hull specifically, while the machinery/accommodation figures are design-group (LST542-931) data, not hull-measured. URL note: the prior shipscribe path (/styles/usnaux/sdb/SDB1945v2.pdf, cited by the class profile 2026-09-16) returned 404 on 2026-10-02; the document now resolves at /pubs/SDB1945v2.pdf (HTTP 200, verified).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-03
-
[5]NavalCoverMuseum ship page, LST 1142 - name/designation history (Naval Cover Museum wiki) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavalCoverMuseum wiki page 'LST 1142', Ship Name and Designation History section (page last edited 2011)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Designation history independently carried: USS LST-1142 commissioned 12 May 1945, decommissioned 15 November 1946, laid up in Pacific Reserve Fleet; named STRAFFORD COUNTY 1 July 1955 while in reserve; struck from the Naval Register 1 November 1958; sold 1963 to Foss Launch & Tug Co., Seattle, WA, converted to a barge and renamed FOSS 202; fate unknown. No postal covers or postmarks survive in the museum's collection for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1963
- Limitations
- Collector-curated secondary source; value here is the independent corroboration of the DANFS decommission date (15 Nov 1946) against NavSource's 1 Dec 1946 variant. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-04
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[6]Era inference built on: BuShips SDB-1945 v2 design table (diesel plant, this hull's group); DANFS/NavSource service record (18-month commissioned career, reserve lay-up 1946-58); lst-1-class class-profile consolidated era inference (ev-lst-1-class-03) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB-1945 v2 LST542-931 design row; DANFS service record; class profile ev-lst-1-class-03
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- An LST built January-May 1945 sits inside the documented WWII-era asbestos-use window in U.S. naval construction. For this diesel-powered design (no boilers, no steam plant), era-standard asbestos-relevant applications were: engine-room thermal insulation and diesel-exhaust lagging; machinery gaskets and valve packing; deck coverings and accommodation/bulkhead insulation; and winch/windlass brake linings. The ship was built at an inland mass-production yard (Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca) that produced 157 LSTs in 1942-45 under wartime material schedules.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1963
- Population
- Seneca Prairie Shipyard construction trades (1945); ship's company and embarked troops (1945-46); Foss Launch & Tug barge-conversion workers (1963)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation schedule, material list, survey, or work package located for LST-1142. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no individual exposure, no causation. Yard-scale figures (157 LSTs; ~11,000-27,000 workers) come from local-history sources and are context, not exposure records.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-05
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[7]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 LST-542-group hull was mass-produced, 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; does not name this vessel or class specifically and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-06
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[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 construction era (early 1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979 (report); WWII-era construction window
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Note the asymmetry: this hull commissioned May 1945 and decommissioned November 1946 - the GAO-documented substitution era and the 1975/1979 removal policies postdate her service entirely. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 - standing defect since Batch 01) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-07
-
[9]shipbuildinghistory.com (Colton yard tables), Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca IL - hull-by-hull build list [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com Chicago Bridge & Iron yard table, LST-1142 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The standard shipbuilding-statistics compilation confirms this hull in the Chicago Bridge & Iron yard table: 'LST 1142 | U.S. Navy | Landing Ship, Tank | 1/25/45 | 4/23/45 | 5/12/45 ... Strafford County 1955, sold 1958 as Foss 202' and carries official number 290486. The yard table corroborates the DANFS milestone dates and is the only located source recording a merchant documentation number for the barge.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1945-1963
- Population
- Foss Launch & Tug conversion crews (1963); barge-era crews (post-1963)
- Limitations
- Secondary statistical compilation, not a primary registry; its 'sold 1958' notation conflicts with DANFS/NavSource/NavalCoverMuseum (struck 1 Nov 1958, sold 1963) - the 1958 figure likely conflates the striking year with the later sale; DANFS carried, variant in gaps. Official number 290486 unverified against USCG documentation. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-08
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[10]Batch-6631 search ledger (this record): DANFS (Wayback capture of NHHC page); NavSource 10/16/161142 (live); BuShips SDB-1945 v2 (live at new path); NavalCoverMuseum; shipbuildinghistory yard table; CourtListener API v4 five queries; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; NARA catalog; secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-01 through -12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming USS LST-1142 / USS Strafford County (LST-1142) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener: hull-number queries returned zero on both the opinion and docket indexes; 'Strafford County' + LST and 'Strafford County' + asbestos returned zero on opinions; a name-based docket sweep returned 1,169 hits, all name collisions with Strafford County, New Hampshire litigation (county jail/courts/sheriff habeas and civil-rights dockets) - none maritime or asbestos. Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm landing-ship listicles that do not name this hull (excluded sources).
- 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 - era-consistent inference still applies. 'Strafford County' is a high-collision name (the NH county is the namesake): hull-number sweeps are the reliable discriminator and are clean. Coverage limit: RECAP/docket text search cannot exclude unindexed state-court or pleading-stage claims. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-strafford-county-lst1142-09