USS Admiral R. E. Coontz (AP-122)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]research packet cj-packet.md (3 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-pkt-cj-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, 'Admiral R. E. Coontz' (NHHC, published 2015) - construction block, wartime operations, 1946 disposal [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, spec block and paragraphs 4-6

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS documents construction and WWII naval service: laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 680) on 15 January 1943 at Alameda, Calif., by Bethlehem Steel Corp.; launched 22 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Edwin Kokko (daughter of the namesake); commissioned 21 November 1944, Capt. Montford R. Tawes, USNR. Spec block: dp. 23,500 (f.); l. 609'; b. 76'; dr. 27' max; s. 22 k.; cpl. 367; trp. 4,680; a. 4 5in, 8 40mm, 28 20mm; cl. Admiral W. S. Benson; T. P2-SE2-R1. Shakedown out of San Pedro; departed San Francisco 3 January 1945 for the western Pacific; Ulithi station ship 23 January-19 March; second San Francisco-Ulithi voyage; then via San Diego, the Panama Canal, and Marseilles (cleared 21 July) carrying troops bound for the Pacific; Pearl Harbor 12 August; Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam; Ulithi 28 August 1945 after Japan's capitulation. Then Okinawa, Bremerton occupation-troop embarkation, Japan troop landings at Nagasaki (6 November) and Nagoya (8 November), two Yokohama-Seattle round trips, and return to New York City via Pearl Harbor (DANFS prints '11 March 1945' - internally inconsistent, context fixes 1946; see gaps). Entered Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn, 17 March 1946; decommissioned there 25 March; stricken April 1946 and turned over to the War Department; repaired and altered and renamed General Alexander M. Patch.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   1943-1946

   Population

   Crew (DANFS cpl. 367) and embarked troops (trp. 4,680 capacity), 1944-1946

   Limitations

   Establishes identity, construction, wartime employment, and 1946 turnover; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement. Two internal date errors noted in gaps ('11 March 1945' for New York arrival; troop count conflicts with NavSource).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-01

3. [3]DANFS, 'General Alexander M. Patch' (NHHC, published 2015) - MSTS/Mediterranean/Vietnam service [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry, paragraphs 2-4

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS documents the ship's second career under its second name: reacquired by the Navy from the Army Transport Service as General Alexander M. Patch (this page prints '1 March 1950'; the Coontz DANFS page and NavSource print 3 March 1950 - see gaps) and assigned to MSTS, civilian-crewed; New York to Bremerhaven and Southampton for five years rotating troops, transporting dependents, and carrying European refugees to the United States; October-November 1956 Mediterranean deployment supporting 6th Fleet during the Suez Crisis (the Coontz page adds: embarked over 1,500 refugees at Suda Bay, Crete, for Naples); more than 120 Bremerhaven voyages 1956-1965 plus six further Mediterranean deployments including support during the Jordan and Lebanon crises; late-1961 Berlin-crisis troop lift. Vietnam: departed New York 15 August 1965 (page prints '35 August' - typo, see gaps) via Charleston and Long Beach to Qui Nhon (16 September), returned to San Francisco 2 October; second voyage reaching Vung Tau 9 November, returning to New York 15 December via Penang, Suez, and Bremerhaven. July 1966: embarked the Army's 196th Light Infantry Brigade at Boston with sistership General William O. Darby (T-AP-127), departed 15 July, arrived Vung Tau 13 August - the longest point-to-point troop lift (12,358 nautical miles) in MSTS's 17 years; then ROK troop lifts from Pusan (embarked 26-30 August, arrived Nha Trang 7 September); headed home 31 December, reached New York late January 1967 and placed in ready reserve.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   1950-1967

   Population

   Civilian MSTS crew plus embarked troops, dependents, and refugees, 1950-1967

   Limitations

   Establishes the 1946-1967 Army/MSTS service history; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazmat statement. Civilian MSTS crew population differs from the naval complement - no crewing figures given.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USNS General Alexander M. Patch (T-AP-122) ex-USS Admiral R. E. Coontz (AP-122), page 09/22/22122 - milestone timeline, specifications, awards [other_primary]

   Locator

   Page timeline block, specifications block, awards ribbon tables

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource service-ship archive documents the milestone timeline and specifications: laid down 15 January 1943 as Maritime Commission type P2-SE2-R1 (MC hull 680) at Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard Inc.; launched 22 April 1944; commissioned 21 November 1944; Navy Occupation Service Medal qualifying periods 15-28 September, 5-17 November, 11-16 December 1945 and 1-10 February 1946; decommissioned 24 March 1946 at Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn (DANFS prints 25 March - see gaps); struck from the Naval Register 12 April 1946; transferred to the Army Transportation Service and renamed USAT General Alexander M. Patch; reacquired 3 March 1950 as USNS T-AP-122; Vietnam campaign credit Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase II, 13 August 1966 (one campaign star); out of service summer 1967 on the Hudson River; returned to the Maritime Administration 26 May 1970 for lay up in the James River NDRF, Fort Eustis, VA; struck from the Naval Register 20 August 1990; final disposition sold for scrapping 4 June 2001 to ESCO Marine Inc., Brownsville, TX. Specs: 9,676 t (lt) / 20,120 t (fl); 608'11" x 75'6" x 26'11"; 19 kts; officers 38 / enlisted 361; troops 280 officers / 4,431 enlisted; cargo 100,000 cu ft; four single 5in/38 DP, four twin 40mm, fourteen twin 20mm; propulsion four Combustion Engineering D-type boilers 600 psi 840 deg F, two General Electric turbo-electric engines, two propellers, 18,000 shp. Awards: American Campaign Medal; Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; WWII Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia and Europe clasps); National Defense Service Medal (2); Vietnam Service Medal (1).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   1943-2001

   Population

   Crew and embarked troops, all service eras

   Limitations

   Unofficial archive transcribing official records - consistent with DANFS and the MARAD status card on all core milestones; conflicts with DANFS on decommission date (24 vs 25 March 1946) and spec figures (speed, complement, troop capacity), logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - ADMIRAL R. E. COONTZ (AP-122), Ship History Detail 6542 (incl. digitized vessel status card, hull card 5I_01); name-history records Detail 1802 and 12622 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MARAD detail page, Milestones table and Status Cards section (card image 5I_01)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD Vessel History Database record for ADMIRAL R. E. COONTZ (AP-122): year built 1944; shipyard Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard; type P2-SE2-R1 AP transport; 609 ft x 76 ft; light displacement 9,676 tons; fate 'Scrapped'; missions WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War. Milestones: delivered to Navy Department by USMC under LB contract 21 November 1944; renamed General Alexander M. Patch 30 August 1946; entered the Reserve Fleet 26 May 1970; 'Removed from work under Navy Inactive Retention' 1 March 1990; title transferred to MARAD 5 March 1993. The digitized MARAD vessel status card (scanned) adds primary custody detail: delivered by builders to USMC 21 November 1944 at Alameda; delivered Navy Dept. to War Dept. ('Surplus') 25 March 1946 at Brooklyn NY; name changed to GEN ALEXANDER M. PATCH (transfer entry 8-30-46); title to Navy Dept. 1 March 1950; Reserve Fleet custody James River 26 May 1970; permanent transfer (title) James River 7/1/71; removed from work 3/1/90 Navy Inactive Retention; title transferred to MARAD 03/05/93.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   1944-2001

   Population

   MARAD/NDRF custody personnel, 1970-2001

   Limitations

   Official custody/title record - establishes delivery, rename, reserve-fleet entry, Navy inactive-retention removal (1 Mar 1990 vs NavSource's 20 Aug 1990 strike date), MARAD title transfer (1993), and scrapped fate. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or hazmat statement; the card predates modern hazmat reporting.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-04

6. [6]U.S. Maritime Administration, 'INFORMATION: Reserve Fleet Inventory' memorandum with NDRF inventory as of June 30, 2002 (MAR 612, E. J. Magee, July 5, 2002) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Memorandum status notes; NDRF (Non-Retention)-Passenger Ship table, p. 9

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The MARAD Reserve Fleet Inventory as of 30 June 2002 (memorandum, Eugene J. Magee, Chief, Division of Reserve Fleet, MAR 612, dated 5 July 2002) lists the ship under 'Ships currently under Scrapping Services Contract: GENERAL ALEXANDER M PATCH (T-AP 122), at ESCO Marine' in Brownsville, TX, and in the NDRF Non-Retention passenger-ship table: 'GEN ALEX M PATCH T-AP122 1943 P2-SE2-R1 Brownsville, TX - Ready for Disposal Non-Ret - Scrapping Svcs Contract w/ ESCO Marine.' The same inventory's status-remarks convention tracks hazmat conditions for other hulls (e.g., sistership GEN WILLIAM O. DARBY IX 510: 'Barracks barge 89; no PCBs, Asbestos'); the Patch row carries no such remark.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   2001-2002

   Population

   ESCO Marine scrapping workers, Brownsville TX, 2001-2002 (contract context only)

   Limitations

   Official MARAD inventory documenting end-of-life scrapping contract and location; it is a status report, not a hazmat survey - the absence of a hazmat remark on this row does not establish absence of asbestos aboard, and the report says nothing about asbestos removal or presence for this hull. PDF blocks direct automated fetch (Akamai 403); text verified via Firecrawl retrieval of the live URL; an archived copy exists (Wayback, 2026-02-16 capture).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-05

7. [7]Charles Denham et al. v. Asbestos Defendants (BP) as reflected on Exhibits et al., Cal. Super. Ct. San Francisco No. CGC-09-275215 - docketed exhibit document 02704784 (DocketAlarm aggregator mirror) [court_record]

   Locator

   DocketAlarm document entry 02704784, indexed full text ('HUNTERS POINT NAVAL SHIPYARD--SAN FRANCISCO, CA, SHIPS PRESENT' list)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   This hull is named in filed material in San Francisco asbestos litigation: Charles Denham et al. v. Asbestos Defendants (BP), San Francisco County Superior Court case CGC-09-275215 (filed 2009; personal-injury/wrongful-death action - Janette Denham appears as wrongful-death heir in later filings). A docketed document (DocketAlarm entry 02704784) indexed in that case contains a worksite list headed 'HUNTERS POINT NAVAL SHIPYARD--SAN FRANCISCO, CA, SHIPS PRESENT:' that includes the line 'ADMIRAL R.E, COONTZ AP-122' alongside 'ADMIRAL WL, CAPPS' and other naval vessels. The case record on the aggregator shows plaintiff depositions (Charles Denham, 2009), product-identification witnesses, and defense motions for summary adjudication; the plaintiff's exposure theory centered on Bay Area jobsites including Hunters Point.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   2009- (case); alleged exposure period not verified from the filing

   Population

   Litigation parties; Hunters Point Naval Shipyard workforce (plaintiff's exposure context)

   Limitations

   Pleading/discovery-stage material only: the vessel appears in a 'ships present' jobsite list inside a filed exhibit - it is not even an allegation that the plaintiff was exposed aboard this hull, much less an adjudicated finding; no exposure, product, or causation element is established as to this vessel. Verification is partial: the case and document text are verified through the aggregator's search index, but DocketAlarm rate-limited all direct document fetches this session (HTTP 429) so the filing party and full document context were not read firsthand. Aggregator mirror of a state-court filing, not an official court site.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-06

8. [8]U.S. Maritime Commission / Bethlehem Steel Co., P2-SE2-R1 'CAPACITY PLAN' BAS 9502 (Sept 8, 1943), hosted in the MARAD Vessel History Database documents for AP-122 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Plan sheet title block ('U.S.S. ADM. W.L. CAPPS', BAS 9502, Plan No. 9502-11-20), vessel table row '9503 R.E. COONTZ', DATA block

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The U.S. Maritime Commission P2-SE2-R1 design (this class) is documented by the class capacity plan (Bethlehem Steel Co., Shipbuilding Division, Fore River design dept., 'CAPACITY PLAN,' BAS 9502, approved Sept 8, 1943): the vessel table on the plan lists hulls 9501-9510 including '9503 R.E. COONTZ' with official number and radio call NJWA, and the data block specifies Combustion Engineering boilers and General Electric main turbo-generators (18,000 shp total) with turbo-electric drive. For plants of this type and era - four oil-fired watertube boilers, high-pressure steam piping, turbo-generators and auxiliary machinery - period Navy and Maritime Commission practice insulated boilers, steam lines, and machinery with asbestos-containing materials, and used asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and insulation felts. Hull-specific installation aboard AP-122 is era/design inference, not a documented fact.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   Study period

   1943-1944

   Population

   Construction trades (Bethlehem-Alameda, 1943-44); engine-room crew

   Limitations

   Class design drawing, not a hull record: the plan names this hull in its vessel table but is drawn for sister Adm. W. L. Capps (9502) and contains no insulation or asbestos statement whatsoever - the asbestos application is era/design inference only. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, or any exposure.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-07

9. [9]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 World War II - the era and program under which this Maritime Commission P2-SE2-R1 transport was constructed - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls, including naval auxiliaries and troop transports.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-10-05

   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 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-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-08

10. [10]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure,' HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO product page and report highlights (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403 - product-page description used)

    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 (1943-44), naval, Army, and MSTS service life.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-05

    Study period

    through early 1970s; report 1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers (program context)

    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, confirmed this session) - product-page description used. Does not establish asbestos presence, quantity, condition, or exposure aboard this hull.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-09

11. [11]Batch-2052 search ledger (this record): DANFS; NavSource; MARAD Vessel History Database + status card + June 2002 NDRF inventory; NVR (no page); CourtListener base queries; DocketAlarm Denham exhibit; GAO product page; secondary web sweep [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-01 through -13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located beyond the Denham exhibit list inclusion (ev-06): no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, MARAD/Navy removal report, or adjudicated case naming asbestos conditions aboard this hull was found in the sources searched (see search_ledger). Web-wide asbestos mentions of the vessel are confined to law-firm and marketing listicles asserting exposure without primary sourcing - excluded by source policy.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-05

    Study period

    2026-10-05

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943-44 steam-driven troop transport is consistent with retained era materials throughout a 23-year service life. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage limited to the four batch-specified base queries on the 'Admiral R. E. Coontz' name and AP-122 hull number; the 'General Alexander M. Patch' alias was swept by secondary web search only.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-admiral-r-e-coontz-ap122-10