Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet bi-packet.md (4 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-adonis-arl4-pkt-bi-packet-md
-
[2]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 emergency program under which this hull was built (LST-1-group hull laid down 1943-03-31 at Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, IN, and converted to an ARL at Bethlehem Steel's Key Highway yard, Baltimore, in Aug-Nov 1943).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- 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, the Achelous class, or either yard 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-adonis-arl4-01
-
[3]Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS entry 'Adonis (ARL-4)' (Luann Parsons; updated Robert J. Cressman; published 2024-04-24/25 per page footer) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Canonical NHHC URL returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-26 (standing NHHC link rot first logged in BATCH-01); text verified via Wayback capture 20240526174308
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS 'Adonis (ARL-4)' entry records: stat line (dp. 3,960; l. 328'0"; b. 50'0"; dr. 11'2"; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 250; a. 8 40 millimeter, 8 20 millimeter; cl. Achelous); namesake (Adonis, Greek mythological youth loved by Aphrodite); LST-83 laid down 1943-03-31 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.; launched 1943-06-14, sponsored by Mrs. Frank R. Akhurst; commissioned 1943-08-06 at Algiers, La., for transportation to Baltimore, Md.; decommissioned 1943-08-21 for conversion by Bethlehem Steel Co. as a landing craft repair ship; redesignated ARL-4 and simultaneously named Adonis 1943-08-26; placed in commission 1943-11-12, Lt. Matthew E. Thompson, DE-V(S), USNR, in command. Shakedown Norfolk/Chesapeake Bay and New York, ended at Boston 1943-12-31; departed Boston 1944-01-03 via Halifax to Milford Haven (arrived 01-31), Devonport from 02-05 providing repair services; Portland harbor late May; crossed the Channel 06-07, off Omaha Beach 06-08 repairing damaged amphibious vessels under shellfire-evasion anchorage shifts; returned to England 08-01 for repairs at Falmouth; back off Utah Beach 08-25; Cherbourg stores run 11-01, off Omaha Beach 11-04 for ten days; Devonport 11-15 through 1945-05-05; Norfolk 05-31, overhaul and Chesapeake exercises; pontoons at Davisville, R.I. 07-22, Panama Canal 08-04, San Diego 08-17, Port Hueneme 08-27; Pearl Harbor 09-06 converting LSMs and LCIs into troop carriers; Guam to early Dec; Shanghai 12-12 into early 1946; Taku, Chinwangtao, Hulutao, Tsingtao to 1946-04-25; Astoria, Ore., 05-18 and inactivation; decommissioned 1946-10-11 and assigned to the Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, Portland; name stricken from the Navy List 1960-01-01; sold 1960-10-14 to Mr. Virgil Gene Thomas of California. One battle star for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1960
- Population
- Ship's company ~250 (DANFS cpl. figure)
- Limitations
- Official Navy history of this hull; contains no asbestos or materials information. DANFS 'decommissioned on 11 October 1946' conflicts with NavSource/shipscribe '10 October 1946' - see correction row ev-10.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-02
-
[4]shipscribe.com (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USS Achelous (ARL-1) Class' - US Navy auxiliary ship data compiled from BuShips/NavSea records (usnaux.shipscribe.com/ARL/ARL01.html) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row ARL-4 ADONIS; disposition table row (10 Oct 46 / 1 Jan 60 / 20 Oct 60 / Sold); ship note 'Ex LST-83 ... Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md.'; class notes
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- shipscribe.com Achelous (ARL-1) class page records for ARL-4 ADONIS: reclassified 1943-08-26; builder Jeffersonville Boat & Machine; keel 1943-03-31; launch 1943-06-14; commission (as ARL) 1943-11-12; ship note: 'Ex LST-83 26 Aug 43. Ferry commission as LST-83 31 Jul-21 Aug 43 (from reduced to full commission at New Orleans 6 Aug 43). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-60. Merc. MENDOCINO WOODSMAN (barge) 1963.'; disposition table: decommissioned 1946-10-10, struck 1960-01-01, disposal 1960-10-20, sold. Class notes record the ARL-1-class conversion scope: bow doors welded shut; stern anchor-handling rig with 3,000-lb Danforth anchor moved to the starboard bow for emergency anchoring; Gibbs and Cox was the design agent for all LST conversions; seven of the nine ARL-1-class ships were converted at Bethlehem-Key Highway, Baltimore, and two at San Francisco; FY-1942 units (ARL 1, 4-9) and FY-1943 units (ARL 2-3) all built under LST contracts and reclassified/fitted as ARLs before entering service; original armament 1-3"/50, 2-40mmQ, 8-20mm for ARL 1-4 and 7-9 (1943-44).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1963
- Population
- Ship's company (ferry commission Aug 1943; full commission Nov 1943-Oct 1946); conversion-yard workforce (Bethlehem-Key Highway, Baltimore, Aug-Nov 1943)
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation from official records, not itself a primary document. Identifies the specific conversion facility (Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway yard, Baltimore) that DANFS leaves at 'the Bethlehem Steel Co.' - the yard identification is adopted for related_shipyards (corporate slug bethlehem-shipbuilding). Its decommission date (1946-10-10) and disposal date (1960-10-20) conflict with DANFS (1946-10-11; 1960-10-14) - see correction row ev-10. No asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-03
-
[5]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Adonis (ARL-4) page (navsource.org/archives/10/19/1904.htm), maintained by Gary P. Priolo, DANFS-derived plus contributor records; page last updated 2024-01-05 per footer [other_primary]
- Locator
- Full page: chronology block, campaign table (Invasion of Normandy 8-25 Jun 1944), Hans Bakke storm account, specifications block, CO table, photo captions, final-disposition lines
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Adonis (ARL-4) page: chronology block (laid down as LST-83 1943-03-31 Jeffersonville; launched 06-14; commissioned USS LST-83 08-06; decommissioned 08-21 at Baltimore for conversion; reclassified and renamed USS Adonis (ARL-4) 08-26; recommissioned 11-12, LT. Matthew E. Thompson USNR); campaign table (Europe-Africa-Middle East, Invasion of Normandy 8-25 Jun 1944); a contributor-attributed crew account by Hans Bakke describing the ship losing both anchors, both rudders bent, and hull ruptures in the storm that struck Omaha Beach after arrival, with dry-dock repair by sea tug assistance; decommissioned 1946-10-10; Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group; struck 1960-01-01; sold to Virgil G. Thomas of California 1960-10-14 'for conversion to an oil tanker'; registered 1962 by Sause Towing Co., Portland, OR, as lumber barge Mendocino Woodman; final disposition stranded 1963-05-25 on the South Jetty at the entrance to Reedsport Harbor, OR; specifications (displacement 3,900 lt / 4,100 fl; complement 20 officers + 230 enlisted; armament one single 3"/50 DP, two quad 40mm w/Mk.51 directors, six twin 20mm; boom 60 t.; fuel 4,715 bbls diesel; propulsion two GM 12-567A diesels, single Falk main reduction gears, 1,800 shp, two propellers, twin rudders; generators three diesel-drive 100 kW 120/240 V DC + two diesel-drive 100 kW 450 V AC); commanding-officer table through ENS Richard P. Pack to 1946-10-10; photo captions (leaving Norfolk Navy Yard 1945-07-12 in Measure 31; anchored at Shanghai 1946-02-04 with USS Amycus ARL-2 nearby); call sign NJVE.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1963
- Population
- Ship's company 1943-46 (CO table spans ferry command through inactivation)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive derived from DANFS and contributor records - corroborative, not primary. The Bakke storm account is a contributor recollection, not an official document. Its 1946-10-10 decommission date conflicts with DANFS '11 October 1946'; its armament listing (incl. one 3"/50) differs from the DANFS stat line (8x40mm, 8x20mm, no 3" listed) - variances logged in ev-10. Contains no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-04
-
[6]shipbuildinghistory.com (Tim Colton), 'JeffBoat - Self-Propelled Vessels' yard table + yard history, most recent update 2021-01-21 [other_primary]
- Locator
- Yard table row 'LST 83 ... Completed as Adonis (ARL 4), sold 1960 for conversion to tanker'; introductory yard-history paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- shipbuildinghistory.com JeffBoat (Jeffersonville, IN) yard table lists 'LST 83, US Navy, Landing Ship, 1,625d, 328 ft, delivery 6-Aug-43 - Completed as Adonis (ARL 4), sold 1960 for conversion to tanker'; yard description: Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company ('JeffBoat') organized 1938 by American Barge Line on the former M. A. Sweeney site; in 1942 the Navy condemned the neighboring Howard Shipyard & Dock Co. and leased it to JeffBoat for the war; a major LST builder with employment peaking at 13,000; closed permanently 2018.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943 construction; yard history to 2018
- Population
- JeffBoat wartime workforce (peak ~13,000 per yard history)
- Limitations
- Compiled yard-production reference, corroborative not primary; delivery date (6 Aug 43) equals the LST-83 commissioning date in DANFS/NavSource. Identifies the builder yard's wartime scale (peak employment ~13,000) but contains no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-05
-
[7]U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels 1945 vol. 2 (LST design-group machinery/displacement table, as compiled in fleet class profile lst-1-class); shipscribe Achelous (ARL-1) class design notes; NavSource ARL-4 specification block (GM 12-567A plant confirmed for this hull) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe class notes (ARL-1-class conversion scope); NavSource ARL-4 specs; BuShips SD-1945 LST design table per class-f lst-1-class profile ev-01
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Design- and era-level asbestos relevance for this hull (inference, not hull-proven): (a) Adonis was built on the LST-1-group hull - 2x GM 12-567A diesels (1,800 shp, twin screws, Falk reduction gears), a diesel plant with NO boilers, so the steam-lagging pathway dominant on steam auxiliaries is absent; the asbestos-relevant surface concentrates in diesel exhaust/muffler lagging, engine-room thermal insulation and fireproofing, gaskets, packing, deck coverings, accommodation insulation, electrical insulation, and friction products (winch/windlass and boat-handling brakes). (b) The ARL conversion is the ship-specific work event: the ARL-1-class conversion reworked the hull interior - bow doors welded shut, stern anchor rig relocated, repair shops and parts lockers fitted, A-frame hoists for lifting landing craft - performed on this hull at Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Aug-Nov 1943 (shipscribe; DANFS confirms conversion by Bethlehem Steel Co. at Baltimore); era-typical insulation, paneling, gasket, and packing materials of 1943 commonly contained asbestos.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943 (construction/conversion); service to 1946
- Population
- Conversion-yard trades (Bethlehem-Key Highway, Baltimore, Aug-Nov 1943); engine-room and repair-shop crew (1943-46)
- Limitations
- Class/design-level inference - none of the cited sources names asbestos aboard this hull, itemizes conversion materials, or establishes quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The Bethlehem-Key Highway conversion is documented (yard and dates); the materials scope of that work is not. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-06
-
[8]Burton (Widow of Burton) v. Old JB LLC f/k/a Jeffboat LLC, BRB No. 24-0045 (DOL Benefits Review Board, unpublished, issued 2025-08-14; OALJ 2023-LHC-00423) [other_primary]
- Locator
- BRB decision pp. 1-8 (procedural history, Section 20(a) analysis, affirmance)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Builder-corporate asbestos-litigation context: a U.S. Department of Labor Benefits Review Board decision (BRB No. 24-0045, unpublished, issued 2025-08-14) affirmed a Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act death-benefits award against 'OLD JB LLC f/k/a JEFFBOAT LLC f/k/a JEFFBOAT, INCORPORATED' - the successor entity of this hull's builder - in a claim alleging that decedent Bennie Burton, a pipefitter and supervisor at the yard 1964-1995, was exposed to asbestos, welding fumes, and other toxic substances; the claim succeeded on the Section 20(a) presumption of compensability left unrebutted after the employer failed to participate in discovery, with claimant's medical experts (Drs. Daum and Abraham) opining that reported asbestos exposure contributed to death.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- litigation record 2023-2025; employment period 1964-1995; hull construction 1943
- Population
- JeffBoat yard workers, 1964-1995 era (post-dates hull construction)
- Limitations
- Builder-level context only, and weak on two axes: (1) the worker's employment period (1964-1995) post-dates this hull's 1943 construction by two decades and concerns the post-war barge/towboat yard; (2) the award resolved on an unrebutted Section 20(a) presumption after employer non-participation - a procedural outcome, not an adjudicated finding of asbestos conditions at the yard, and it names no vessel. Carried so the builder's documented asbestos-claim posture is on record; not evidence about this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-07
-
[9]CourtListener API v4 search (authenticated, cl-auth-search.py): q='"USS Adonis"' type=o count=0, type=r count=0; remaining hull-number/alias queries pending on fleet pacing - see search_ledger sl-uss-adonis-arl4-07 through sl-uss-adonis-arl4-10 [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-adonis-arl4-07 through sl-uss-adonis-arl4-10
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Authenticated CourtListener API v4 sweep for this hull (2026-09-26): '"USS Adonis"' returned 0 opinions (type=o) and 0 dockets (type=r, document_count=0). The fleet-wide pacing budget throttled the remaining queries ('ARL-4' type=o/r; 'LST-83' type=o/r; 'Adonis'+asbestos) - the helper's stand-down guidance was obeyed rather than retried in a loop; those queries are logged pending in the search ledger and do not change the record's tier disposition. Classification on completed coverage: no qualifying asbestos litigation located; no hits of any kind on the ship-name query across both opinion and docket indexes.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Sweep is name/hull-number-keyed: an MDL-875 or state-court pleading describing service aboard this hull under a sailor-name caption only (no ship name in indexed text) would not surface. CourtListener coverage excludes undigitized dockets and non-indexed jurisdictions, and the docket-index and hull-number queries were not completed this session (fleet pacing). Zero-hit results do not prove no suit was ever filed - they establish only that no opinion naming this hull is indexed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-08
-
[10]Batch-2632 search ledger (this record): DANFS via Wayback; NavSource (navsource.net mirror); shipscribe Achelous (ARL-1) class page; shipbuildinghistory JeffBoat yard page; NavalCoverMuseum designation history; NVR hull check; MARAD ShipHistory (endpoint error); CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweep (partial - fleet pacing); web-wide litigation/name search; DOL Benefits Review Board builder check; HyperWar repair-ships index; fleet class profile (lst-1-class) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-adonis-arl4-01 through sl-uss-adonis-arl4-14
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, crew-exposure account, or docketed case naming USS Adonis / ARL-4 / LST-83 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull left naval custody by sale in October 1960 and stranded as a lumber barge in May 1963 - before the Navy's late-1970s asbestos-control programs and NESHAP-era demolition documentation - so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist for this hull. Bulk law-firm marketing lists that enumerate every Navy hull, and a law-firm 'Jeffersonville Boat & Machine' exposure page, were encountered in the web sweep, carry no ship-specific evidence, and were classified non-qualifying (not cited).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 LST-1-group hull with an ARL conversion is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the conversion's materials scope is undocumented. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-09
-
[11]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS (Wayback mirror); NavSource ARL-4 page; shipscribe ARL-1 construction/disposition tables + ship note; NavalCoverMuseum ADONIS ARL-4 designation history; Wikipedia USS Adonis (lead index only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS entry stat line and final paragraph; NavSource chronology/specs/final-disposition blocks + CO table; shipscribe disposition row + ship note + class armament note; navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/ADONIS_ARL_4
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Decommission date - DANFS 'decommissioned on 11 October 1946' (followed by Wikipedia's '11 October 1946') vs NavSource ship-history line 'Decommissioned, 10 October 1946' + CO table (ENS Pack in command to 10 Oct 1946), NavalCoverMuseum 'Decommissioned October 10 1946,' and shipscribe disposition table '10 Oct 46' - DANFS adopted for the field; the 10-Oct cluster (which the CO table internally corroborates) disclosed unresolved. (b) Disposal/sale date - DANFS and NavSource 'sold 14 October 1960' vs shipscribe disposition '20 Oct 60' - DANFS adopted. (c) Complement - DANFS stat line 'cpl. 250' vs NavSource 20 officers + 230 enlisted (=250, internally consistent with DANFS) vs shipscribe class table 253 (1944) vs Wikipedia infobox 255 - DANFS adopted; variants disclosed. (d) Armament - DANFS 'a. 8 40 millimeter, 8 20 millimeter' (no 3" listed) vs NavSource 'one single 3"/50 + two quad 40mm + six twin 20mm' vs shipscribe class armament '1-3"/50, 2-40mmQ, 8-20mm (1943-44: ARL 1-4, 7-9)' - disclosed unresolved. (e) Ferry-commission structure - DANFS 'commissioned on 6 August 1943 at Algiers, La., for transportation to Baltimore' vs shipscribe 'Ferry commission as LST-83 31 Jul-21 Aug 43 (from reduced to full commission at New Orleans 6 Aug 43)' - shipscribe's reduced-to-full commission framing noted, not merged (Algiers is a New Orleans-area naval station; no conflict on the 6 Aug full-commission date). (f) Commercial name spelling - NavSource 'Mendocino Woodman' (registered 1962, Sause Towing Co.) vs shipscribe 'MENDOCINO WOODSMAN (barge) 1963' - disclosed unresolved. (g) Purchaser name - DANFS 'Mr. Virgil Gene Thomas' vs NavSource 'Virgil G. Thomas' - same person, no conflict. (h) 'Conversion to an oil tanker' (NavSource ship line) vs lumber barge registration (NavSource final-disposition line; shipscribe 'barge') - disclosed as stated; the tanker intent and barge outcome are both NavSource lines.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1963 (dates reconciled 2026-09-26)
- Limitations
- Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. Where an official record and a compiled reference disagree, DANFS (official) is adopted for the field and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-10
-
[12]NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); BuShips/ARL conversion record path per shipscribe class-notes sourcing; USCG merchant-vessel documentation and marine-casualty record path [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov/research/military/logbooks (post-1941 Navy deck logs); catalog.archives.gov not confirmed digitized for this hull; USCG Marine Board/casualty records for 1963 Reedsport stranding not located online
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for LST-83/Adonis (Aug 1943-Oct 1946) at Archives II, College Park - day-level record of the Baltimore conversion, shakedown, Normandy service, China service, and inactivation; (b) BuShips ARL conversion plans/specifications for the ARL-1 design group (Gibbs & Cox design agent) and any surviving Bethlehem-Key Highway job file for the Aug-Nov 1943 conversion - the likeliest surviving sources for this hull's materials scope; (c) U.S. Coast Guard merchant documentation for the barge Mendocino Woodman/Woodsman (registered Portland, OR, 1962) and any Coast Guard casualty/wreck file for the 25 May 1963 Reedsport stranding; (d) Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet inactivation/survey records for the 1946-1960 layup period.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1963 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-adonis-arl4-11