Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet 841-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-telamon-lst976-pkt-841-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Telamon (ARB-8) - construction, naming, conversion, Pacific service, Operation Crossroads, decommissioning, disposal [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS service narrative and spec block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Documented for this hull: 'On 28 April 1944, before her construction began, LST-976 was redesignated ARB-8 and named Telamon. She was laid down on 5 December 1944 at Hingham, Mass., by Bethelehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc.; launched on 10 January 1945; and commissioned on 5 February 1945. After steaming to Baltimore, she was decommissioned, underwent conversion at Maryland Drydock Co., and was recommissioned on 1 June 1945 as ARB-8.' Reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet 14 July 1945; assigned Pearl Harbor as home port and yard 23 July; joined Service Squadron 10 at Guam in September; placed in the Pacific Fleet Reserve 11 September 1945. Spring 1946: as part of Service Group 1.8 took part in preparations for Operation 'Crossroads' at Bikini Atoll; on 21 June 1946, before the nuclear tests took place, departed the atoll and steamed to Kwajalein. Decommissioned 20 May 1947, joined the San Diego Group Reserve Fleet same day; inactive until June 1973 when struck from the Navy list; subsequently scrapped. Spec block: dp. 3,960; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'2" (lim.); s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 286; a. 2 40mm., 8 20mm.; cl. Aristaeus. Namesake: Telamon, Argonaut, King of Salamis, father of Ajax.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades (1944-45); Maryland Drydock conversion trades (Feb-May 1945); crew (1945-47); ServRon 10 Guam population (1945)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific history only; no asbestos or material content. DANFS gives 28 April 1944 for the ARB-8 redesignation; BuShips/OpNav-derived records give 14 August 1944 - likely two distinct events (naming/assignment vs. formal reclassification), both carried (see ev-05, gaps). DANFS's 'placed in the Pacific Fleet Reserve on 11 September 1945' conflicts with NavSource's 'decommissioned 11 September 1945' - see gaps. Page verified live 2026-10-03 (NHHC drops bare-UA requests with 404; content retrieved with browser UA and via Firecrawl).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Telamon (ARB-8) - designation timeline, specifications, awards, occupation service, commanding officers, disposal; plus awards PDF (Roger Tyrrell compilation) and NHHC photo NH 83813 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/26/2608.htm header block, specifications block, awards strip, CO table; 09/26/pdf/2608a.pdf (Tyrrell); NHHC NH 83813 catalog page
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: LST-976 redesignated battle damage repair ship ARB-8 on 28 April 1944 before construction; laid down 5 December 1944 at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA; launched 10 January 1945; commissioned USS Telamon (ARB-8) 5 February 1945; decommissioned (date unknown) for completion as a battle damage repair ship at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore, MD; recommissioned 1 June 1945, Lt. Felton Bonepart Schwenneker USN in command; Asiatic-Pacific Theater service; occupation service in the Far East 23 September - 14 December 1945; assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.8.1 Service Group - Repair and Service Unit, for Operation Crossroads, Bikini Atoll, July 1946; 'decommissioned, 11 September 1945' and 'recommissioned in the spring of 1946' (conflicts with DANFS - see gaps); decommissioned 20 May 1947 at San Diego; laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group; struck from the Naval Register 1 June 1973; sold for scrapping 1 March 1974 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. Specifications: 1,781 t. light / 3,960 t. full; 328' x 50' x 11'2"; 11.6 kts.; complement 15 officers + 271 enlisted; largest boom capacity 50 t.; two quad 40mm AA mounts, eight single 20mm AA mounts; ship's service generators four 100kW 120/240V DC + two 100kW 450V AC; fuel oil 4,480 bbls; 'two General Motors 12-567A diesel engines, single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers, 1800 shp' (engine type superseded by BuShips SDB v3 - see ev-04). Awards (Tyrrell PDF, NavSource): American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (23 Jul 1945 - 2 Sep 1945); WWII Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp (23 Sep 1945 - 14 Dec 1945). NHHC photo NH 83813 'USS TELAMON (ARB-8), photographed circa 1946' (catalog record verified live).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1974
- Population
- Construction and conversion trades; crew (1945-47); DRMS scrapping-chain workers (1974)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - its milestones generally track DANFS but its propulsion spec (GM 12-567A) is contradicted by the ship-specific BuShips machinery table (ev-04), and its 11 Sep 1945 decommissioning line conflicts with DANFS's 'Pacific Fleet Reserve' wording and with its own occupation-service dates (23 Sep - 14 Dec 1945). Generator/fuel figures verified against BuShips SDB 1945 v3. No asbestos content. NavSource .org domain is dead; cited URL is the live .net archive.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-02
-
[4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (1945), ARB sections - roster, characteristics, machinery, generators/fuel, armament, and building-date tables (shipscribe.com scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 auxiliaries section: ARB roster; ex-LST characteristics table; ARB machinery table (TELAMON row); generators/fuel table (ARB8 row); armament table; building-date table
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Official BuShips 1945 data book entries for this hull: roster lists 'ARB8 TELAMON' among the twelve Battle Damage Repair Ships; vessel index 'Telamon - ARB8 - Auxiliary-Repair Ship, Battle Damage'; characteristics table 'TELAMON (ex-LST 976) - ARB8 - 328'0" oa, 316'0", 50'0", 11.6 knots, 3,960 t trial'; machinery table gives TELAMON ARB8 two screws powered by 'G.M. Diesel 12-278A' at 1,800 shp - explicitly breaking the 'do.' (ditto) pattern that assigns GM 12-567A to her sisters; generators/fuel table gives four 100kW 120/240V DC plus two 100kW 450V AC ship's service generators and 4,480-bbl fuel capacity; armament table '2 quad' 40mm; building-date table carries her 10 Jan 45 launch and 5 Feb 45 commissioning entries.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945
- Population
- BuShips design data population; crew complement context
- Limitations
- Official period design/roster data, not an exposure record - no asbestos or material-content fields exist in Ships' Data. The staggered OCR text layer occasionally misaligns columns, but the TELAMON machinery row's explicit '12-278A' entry (breaking the ditto pattern) is unambiguous. Does not establish insulation content, quantity, or individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-03
-
[5]Designation cross-check: BuShips SDB 1945 v2 LST roster ('LST956 - Now ARB7'; 'LST976 - Now ARB8'); shipscribe ARB ship notes ('SARPEDON - Ex LST-956 14 Aug 44'; 'TELAMON - Ex LST-976 14 Aug 44'); BuShips SDB v3 TELAMON machinery row (12-278A) vs NavSource/Wikipedia spec blocks (12-567A) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST roster annotations; SDB1945v3 ARB machinery table (TELAMON row); shipscribe ARB01 ship notes; Wikipedia USS Telamon (ARB-8) article body
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION, two secondary-source errors: (1) The Wikipedia article body states Telamon was 'originally designated LST-956' - wrong. The official BuShips roster maps LST956 to ARB7 (Sarpedon) and LST976 to ARB8 (Telamon); Wikipedia's own infobox and every authoritative source (DANFS, NavSource, SDB, shipscribe) agree on LST-976. (2) Propulsion: NavSource and Wikipedia carry 'two General Motors/EMD 12-567A diesel engines' for this hull, but the ship-specific BuShips Ships' Data 1945 v3 machinery table lists TELAMON ARB8 with GM Diesel 12-278A at 1,800 shp - the official record wins; the 12-567A entry is the generic LST-542 boilerplate spec (consistent with the LST932-979 build block carrying the 12-278A variant).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1945 (design window)
- Limitations
- Corrects circulating secondary-source errors, not a material claim. The 12-278A attribution rests on a single primary table row; no second official machinery document was retrieved this session. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-04
-
[6]Stephen S. Roberts, 'U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships: Aristaeus (ARB-1) class' (shipscribe.com, compiled 2007 from BuShips and OpNav records) - class construction/disposition tables, ship notes, and conversion description [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe ARB class page: construction table row 8, disposition table row 8, ship note ARB-8, class notes paragraphs 4-6
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Reference-work data for this hull: construction table 'TELAMON - ARB8 - reclas. 14 Aug 44 - Bethlehem-Hingham SYs - keel 5 Dec 44 - launch 10 Jan 45 - commiss. 1 Jun 45'; ship note 'Ex LST-976 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-976 5-19 Feb 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-73.'; disposition table 'decomm. 20 May 47, strike 1 Jun 73, disposal 29 Jan 74, sold.' Class notes document the conversion scope: all ARB-1-class units (except ARB-3) were modified to ARBs by Maryland Drydock, Baltimore; Gibbs and Cox was the design agent; per the crew-written history of ARB-3, the principal differences from an LST were heavier armament, greater cargo-handling deck facilities, a much longer superstructure deck, and 'the tank deck covered with lathes, grinders, drills, metal cutters, welding machines, and other shop equipment,' with a crew larger than an LST's and many specialized ship-repair ratings; bow doors welded shut, two 10-ton derricks and a 50-ton 'A' frame fitted; the last six units (ARB 7-12, including Telamon) omitted the 3"/50 gun and carried the quad 40mm mount on a raised stern platform. Reclassification dates in the tables come 'from BuShips and OpNav records'; the ships transited to conversion yards as LSTs and assumed ARB identity only on decommissioning into the conversion yard.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1974
- Population
- Maryland Drydock conversion trades (Feb-May 1945); specialized repair ratings embarked (1945-47)
- Limitations
- Scholarly reference work compiled from BuShips/OpNav records, not itself a primary document - tabular data (dates, reclassifications) is treated as reliable secondary; the conversion-scope narrative is quoted through a crew-written ARB-3 history (class-level, not Telamon-specific). Provides the 14 Aug 1944 reclassification date that conflicts with DANFS's 28 Apr 1944 (both carried - see gaps) and a 29 Jan 1974 disposal date vs NavSource's 1 Mar 1974. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-05
-
[7]NHHC, 'Composition of Joint Task Force One' (Operation Crossroads online reading room) - TU 1.8.1 Repair and Service Unit roster [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- JTF-1 composition page, TU 1.8.1 (Repair and Service Unit) listing
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NHHC's JTF-1 organization roster lists USS Telamon (ARB-8) in Task Unit 1.8.1 (Repair and Service Unit) alongside Cebu (ARG-6), Chikaskia (AO-54), Chowanoc (ATF-100), Coasters Harbor (AG-74), Creon (ARL-11), Dixie (AD-14, flagship), Munsee (ATF-107), Phaon (ARB-3), Pollux (AKS-4), Quartz (IX-150), Severn (AO-61), Sioux (ATF-75), Sphinx (ARL-24), Tombigbee (AOG-11), and Wenatchee (ATF-118). DANFS (ev-01) documents that she departed Bikini Atoll 21 June 1946 before the nuclear tests took place and steamed to Kwajalein.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1946
- Population
- Crew during Crossroads preparations (spring-June 1946); TU 1.8.1 repair unit population
- Limitations
- Documents unit assignment for Operation Crossroads, not presence at the detonations: DANFS places her departure 21 June 1946, before the Able (1 July) and Baker (25 July) shots - this bounds any radiological-context reading; it is also not an asbestos or material record.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-06
-
[8]NARA catalog, NAID 192584405 'Telamon (ARB-8), 6/1/45-1/13/47' - RG 24, Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities (series NAID 594996), Roll 7492; 201 images digitized via the NARA-Ancestry partnership [other_primary]
- Locator
- catalog.archives.gov/id/192584405 (RG 24 muster rolls, Roll 7492, 201 images)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The ship's muster rolls for this hull are cataloged and digitized: file unit 'Telamon (ARB-8), 6/1/45-1/13/47' (NAID 192584405), Record Group 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel/Bureau of Navigation), muster-roll series NAID 594996, microfilm Roll 7492, 201 scanned images publicly viewable in the NARA catalog (image 1 verified: 'START OF REEL' leader card, reel 6446, filmed 3-3-47). These rolls are the primary crew-membership record for the commissioned period - the lead for reconstructing the embarked repair-specialist population.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1945-1947
- Population
- Ship's company and repair ratings, Jun 1945 - Jan 1947
- Limitations
- Archival lead only: the digitized rolls were located and the reel header verified, but the 201 pages were not individually reviewed - they document crew membership and ratings, not materials or exposure. They cover the commissioned window (Jun 1945-Jan 1947) only; no construction or conversion records are in this unit.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-07
-
[9]Era/design inference built on: BuShips SDB 1945 v3 ship-specific machinery row (GM diesel plant - no boilers); shipscribe ARB class conversion description (tank deck rebuilt as machine shops, Maryland Drydock, design agent Gibbs and Cox); LST-1-class class profile (lst-1-class.class.json, era inference for diesel LSTs and ARB/ARL conversion interior rework); GAO HRD-80-2 (ev-09) [other_primary]
- Locator
- ev-03 SDB machinery data; ev-05 shipscribe conversion scope; class profile ev-lst-1-class-03 era inference
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LST-542-series hull built December 1944 - January 1945 and reworked into a battle damage repair ship at Maryland Drydock in early 1945 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era, and the documented conversion scope - a tank deck refitted with machine shops (lathes, grinders, drills, metal cutters, welding machines) under a much-lengthened superstructure, executed in a single compressed February-May 1945 yard period - is exactly the interior-rework pattern that concentrated insulation, lagging, and gasket material in confined shop and accommodation spaces. Era-standard applications for the type: diesel-engine exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, valve packing, and brake linings on the fitted 10-ton derricks and 50-ton 'A' frame. No steam plant - the boiler/turbine lagging pathway does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-03
- Study period
- 1944-1974
- Population
- Bethlehem-Hingham construction trades (1944-45); Maryland Drydock conversion trades (1945); crew and repair-shop ratings (1945-47); reserve-fleet caretakers (1947-73); 1974 shipbreakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, conversion work package, or abatement record located for ARB-8. Names era-standard applications consistent with the documented conversion scope, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity, no manufacturer attribution, no individual exposure. The conversion-shop scope is class-level documentation (crew-written ARB-3 history via shipscribe), not Telamon-specific.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-08
-
[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 - spanning this hull's entire construction (1944-45), conversion (1945), service (1945-47), and reserve-layup era (1947-73). Standing policy (1975) removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs, modified 1979 to selective replacement in high-maintenance areas.
- 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 - ARB-8 is not named and the report postdates her disposal. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, confirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-09
-
[11]Batch-7519 search ledger (this record): DANFS live page; NavSource ARB-8 page and awards PDF; BuShips SDB 1945 v2/v3 full-text pull; shipscribe ARB class page; NHHC JTF-1 composition; NARA catalog (muster rolls); NVR; CourtListener (blocked); secondary web litigation sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-telamon-lst976-01 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 Telamon (ARB-8)/LST-976 was found in the public sources searched. CAVEAT: CourtListener could not be queried this session - the fleet-shared daily API quota was exhausted (server-requested wait ~6.7 h to reset) and per batch discipline the search is logged as blocked in search_ledger, not as a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no qualifying case; the only 'asbestos aboard' material is law-firm marketing content (asbestosnavy.com 'Battle Damage Repair Ship' list naming ARB-8, duboselawfirm.com ARB class list, gorilaw.com LST page) asserting asbestos without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.
- 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 - and the litigation repository search is a genuine open gap (throttled, not run). The Maryland Drydock conversion work package, RG 24 deck logs (undigitized), and the 1974 scrapping-contract record are unexamined leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-telamon-lst976-10