Evidence
15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).
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[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS AFDL-18' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS AFDL-18' returned 2 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-afdl-18-afdl18-cl-name-opinion
-
[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS AFDL-18' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS AFDL-18' returned 4 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed; name query may match same-named vessels
- Evidence ID
- uss-afdl-18-afdl18-cl-name-docket
-
[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'AFDL-18' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AFDL-18' returned 9 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-afdl-18-afdl18-cl-hull-opinion
-
[4]CourtListener docket search: 'AFDL-18' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AFDL-18' returned 53 result(s) (2026-10-07); individual records not reviewed
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- hit count only — underlying dockets/opinions not individually reviewed
- Evidence ID
- uss-afdl-18-afdl18-cl-hull-docket
-
[5]United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945 (CinCPac/CinCPOA organizational publication; HyperWar verbatim transcription; NHHC-hosted edition returned 404 on access) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Service Force, Pacific Fleet > Service Squadron TWO table; row '10 | AFD 18 | Lt. Cdr. W. E. Keller (USNR)'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- On 1 May 1945 the U.S. Pacific Fleet organization lists 'AFD 18' under Service Squadron TWO, Service Force, Pacific Fleet (flagship AG 31 Argonne), with commanding officer Lt. Cdr. W. E. Keller (USNR). The same listing shows sister docks AFD 9, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 26, 29 and lengthened AFDL 7 and AFDL 32 - establishing AFD-18 as a U.S. Navy crewed floating drydock on active wartime service in the Pacific.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Population
- Dock crew and serviced-vessel crews (wartime)
- Limitations
- Establishes squadron assignment and commanding officer, not the dock's physical location - the document gives no station for the unit. Does not establish asbestos information of any kind.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-01
-
[6]National Archives, Special List #44 (by Ship Numbers) - holdings list of vessel logbooks [other_primary]
- Locator
- Special List #44, ship-number sequence: 'AFD-18 4/2/1944 12/31/1944' and 'AFD-18 2/1/1945 5/31/1945'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA holds deck logs for AFD-18 in two holdings: 4/2/1944-12/31/1944 and 2/1/1945-5/31/1945. The craft was therefore in commissioned service keeping deck logs by April 1944. These logs are the best unretrieved lead for the dock's wartime stations, dockings performed, crew, and the end of her Navy trail.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-04-02 to 1945-05-31
- Population
- AFD-18 deck log entries (crew, stations, events)
- Limitations
- Holdings list only - contents not examined; the logs are not among the digitized deck logs published in the National Archives Catalog (checked 2026-09-20). Coverage gaps (January 1945 and post-May 1945) are unexplained by the list itself. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-02
-
[7]National Archives, Ship Plan Index (cartographic records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship Plan Index row: 'AFDL-18 | AFDL-18 | 385 | Microfilm | 63531026'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The NARA Ship Plan Index lists a plan for AFDL-18 on microfilm roll 385 (identifier 63531026) - a potential primary record of the dock's builder and construction/outfitting specification, including any insulation-material callouts.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Index entry only - the plan itself was not retrieved; whether it names a builder or specifies insulation materials is unverified. Microfilm consultation required.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-03
-
[8]RAdm. Worrall Reed Carter, USN (Ret.), 'Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil: The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II' (Naval History Division/GPO, 1953), Appendix - commanding officers of floating drydocks; glossary of type designations [other_primary]
- Locator
- BBBO Appendix, 'Floating Drydocks' commanding-officer list; glossary entry 'AFD'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Navy logistics history lists 'AFD-18 - Ens R. N. Bates' in its appendix of floating-drydock commanding officers (a different snapshot than Lt. Cdr. Keller in the May 1945 organization - normal officer rotation). Its glossary defines the AFD type: 'Mobile floating drydock. One-piece, steel. Length 200 feet. Nominal lift capacity of 1,000 tons. Suitable for docking YN's (net tenders) and AM's (large minesweepers). Used at logistic support anchorages.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Dock crew (officer-led detachment)
- Limitations
- Documents the type and an officer assignment, not this dock's individual stations or movements; the appendix does not date Bates's tenure. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-04
-
[9]Tim Colton, shipbuildinghistory.com, 'US Navy Dry Docks AFDB AFDM AFDL ARDM ARD YFD' (secondary compilation) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- AFDL table, row: 'AFDL | 18 | | | | 800 | 200 | Jun-44 |'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Secondary build table lists AFDL-18 as an 800-ton-lift, 200-ft dock delivered June 1944. The same table leaves the builder field blank for the entire AFD-12 through AFD-18 group and gives no post-war disposition for AFDL-18 - itself documentation that the group's construction records are incomplete in accessible compilations.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation, not a primary record - the delivery date is carried as unverified against the NARA deck-log start (April 1944), which suggests in-service status before June 1944. The compiler notes the sector's records are incomplete. Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-05
-
[10]AFD-type class characteristics as documented in Carter, BBBO glossary (one-piece steel, 200-ft, ~1,000-ton lift, crewed mobile dock operating at forward anchorages) and the May 1945 Pacific Fleet organization (commissioned officers assigned) [other_primary]
- Locator
- BBBO glossary 'AFD'; Pacific Fleet org Service Squadron TWO (officer-led crew)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A crewed steel craft of 1944 with machinery spaces (power generation and ballast-pumping plant integral to its docking function), repair/workshop spaces, and accommodation spaces was built during the peak years of wartime asbestos use in U.S. shipbuilding. Era-standard applications aboard such craft included machinery and exhaust insulation, pipe and valve gaskets and packing, electrical insulation, deck tile and insulating board in quarters and mess spaces, and brake linings on winches and cranes.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1945
- Population
- Construction trades (1944); dock crew (1944-45); serviced-vessel repair parties
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, plan sheet, or material list located for AFDL-18. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials on this hull; no quantity; does not establish remaining material aboard or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-06
-
[11]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 1944-service steel craft was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard Navy and merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- 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-afdl-18-afdl18-07
-
[12]Royal Navy Research Archive, 'Admiralty Floating Dock No. 18' (Clark Stanfield design, 2,750-ton lift; compiled from Admiralty War Diaries and HMA ship Reports of Proceedings via Fold3) [other_primary]
- Locator
- RNRA AFD18 page, 'Allocated to the British Pacific Fleet' and 'Post War' sections
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Disambiguation: the Royal Navy's Admiralty Floating Dock No. 18 - a different craft, 380 ft, 2,750-ton lift, built at Portsmouth Dockyard 1941-42 - was under tow between Cochin and Darwin on 1 May 1945 and did not arrive at Manus until 19 August 1945. The 'AFD 18' in the 1 May 1945 U.S. Pacific Fleet organization carries a USNR commanding officer and is therefore unambiguously the U.S. Navy dock. The RN dock went to Hong Kong (1945-55) and Singapore, scrapped 1978.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- A name-collision guard, not a service record for this hull - it prevents the British dock's history (Oran, Hong Kong, Singapore) being merged into the U.S. craft's record. Establishes nothing about asbestos aboard either dock.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-08
-
[13]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 the Navy's asbestos-protection program: the Navy did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s, and standing policy removed asbestos insulation only when damaged or required for repairs - meaning original-era insulation typically remained in place aboard WWII-era craft unless a yard period disturbed it.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; establishes era timing only - nothing specific to this hull, whose post-1945 trail is undocumented. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch); description via product page.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-09
-
[14]Batch-577 search ledger (this record): Pacific Fleet organization; BBBO; NARA Special List 44 and Ship Plan Index; NARA digitized deck-log list; Naval Vessel Register; DANFS/hazegray; NavSource; CourtListener; shipbuildinghistory.com; NavSource service-craft index [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-01 through sl-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming AFDL-18 or AFD-18 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Builder and post-war disposition are likewise undocumented in accessible sources.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the NARA ship plan (microfilm roll 385) and deck logs are unretrieved and could change this finding. Does not establish that asbestos is or is not present; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-10
-
[15]Bernardo v. Bethlehem Steel Company, 314 F.2d 604 (2d Cir. 1963) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion text, 314 F.2d 604 (No. 202, Docket 27619, decided 1963-03-07)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Doctrinal context for the vessel type: the Second Circuit held a shore-based welder injured on a floating drydock was not a 'member of the crew of a vessel' for Jones Act purposes - the jury having found the floating drydock was not a vessel in navigation. Floating drydocks occupy a distinct legal posture in maritime injury doctrine, the frame any personnel claim involving this craft type would meet.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1963
- Population
- Shore-based shipyard worker (case posture)
- Limitations
- Not an asbestos case and not about this hull - class-level doctrinal context only. A Navy crewed craft under military command differs from the shore-based civilian yard dock in the case; does not determine the status of any hypothetical claim involving AFDL-18.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-18-afdl18-11