Evidence
19 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-19).
-
[1]shipbuildinghistory.com 'US Navy Dry Docks AFDB AFDM AFDL ARDM ARD YFD' table (auxafd.htm) and 'WWII Construction by Other Boatbuilders on the Atlantic Coast' table (Tim Colton compilation); uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC table [other_primary]
- Locator
- auxafd.htm ARDC/AFDL table row 'AFDL 34'; atlanticwar Loftis row 'ARDC-1'; uswarships.jounin.jp/ardc.htm ARDC-1 row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Build/delivery record: the shipbuildinghistory.com U.S. Navy floating-drydock table lists 'AFDL 34 | V. P. Loftis | Wilmington NC | 8,300 | 389 | May-44 | Ex-ARDC 1, to Taiwan 1959 as Han Jih, active'; the compiler's Atlantic-coast boatbuilders table lists the same hull as 'ARDC-1 | V. P. Loftis | Wilmington NC | drydock | 8,300 | 389 | May 1944 | later AFDL-34, to Taiwan 1959 as Han Jih.' The jounin compilation's table likewise gives builder V. P. Loftis, laid down 1943-09-23.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1944
- Population
- Construction trades, Wilmington NC yard, 1943-44
- Limitations
- Secondary compilations, not primary records - the compiler warns the drydock table is incomplete and builder attributions are uncertain. The same page carries a conflicting internal detail (jounin's narrative attributes the launch to Tidewater Construction Co.; NavSource-derived account also names Tidewater). 8,300-ton figure is a displacement-family number; BuDocks rates the class at 2,800 tons lifting capacity. No asbestos information in either source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-01
-
[2]Bureau of Yards and Docks, 'Building the Navy's Bases in World War II,' Chapter IX Floating Drydocks, 'Auxiliary Repair Docks, Concrete' section (official Navy history, HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Chapter IX, 'Auxiliary Repair Docks, Concrete' section (pp. ~217-218): type definition, dimensions, militarized fit, construction split (eight at Wilmington NC, five at San Pedro CA), service paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Type identity: the Bureau of Yards and Docks official history documents that in 1943, 'the indicated requirement for a number of additional drydocks, coupled with the critical shortage of steel plate and the necessity for allocating the available supply to other programs, led the Bureau to undertake the design and construction of thirteen 2,800-ton reinforced-concrete docks, designated as ARDC's' - 'mobile, military concrete trough type, unit dock with faired bow and stern,' monolithic open-trough structures 389 ft long, 84 ft wide, 40 ft deep overall (~3,300 cubic yards of concrete each). Six were militarized with three diesel engines driving 200-kW generators, air compressors, refrigeration, heating/ventilating, and water evaporators, crew of five officers and 84 men; seven required shore power. 'Five of the self-contained docks of this class were towed to advance bases in the Pacific or to Pearl Harbor, where they were utilized with great success in the repair of many combat-damaged vessels.' This hull's documented Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok service places it in that forward-deployed self-contained group.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Limitations
- The class-design description and deployment program are official Navy-history facts; membership of this specific hull in the six-dock militarized subset is inference from its documented forward deployment and crewed status (BuDocks does not identify the six by hull number). Jones/Star-News reporting that the two Loftis-pair docks were each self-contained corroborates at compilation level. No asbestos information in the source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-02
-
[3]Bureau of Yards and Docks, 'Building the Navy's Bases in World War II,' Ch. IX (1946 reclassification paragraph); OPNAV 29-P1000 Glossary of U.S. Naval Abbreviations ('AFDL(C) - Auxiliary Floating Drydock, Little, Concrete'); shipbuildinghistory auxafd.htm (cancelled steel AFDL-34 row); NavSource Service Craft Photo Archive index ('AFD-34 cancelled 1945' / 'ARDC-1 / AFDL-34'); uswarships.jounin.jp (reclassification date 1946-08-01) [other_primary]
- Locator
- bases-9.html 1946 reclassification paragraph; OPNAV_29-P1000A.html AFDL(C) line; auxafd.htm both 'AFDL 34' rows; navsource.net/archives/14/03idx.htm 'AFD-34 cancelled 1945' and 'ARDC-1 / AFDL-34' index rows
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Designation consolidation and number reuse: the hull number 34 was assigned twice in the AFDL series - a 200-ft/800-ton steel 'AFDL 34' was ordered and cancelled in 1945 (shipbuildinghistory table row 'AFDL 34 | 800 | 200 | Cancelled'; NavSource index carries 'AFD-34 cancelled 1945'), and the number was reused when the 1946 nomenclature revision folded the ARDCs into the AFDL series: BuSandA records that the revision made 'the RDC's [ARDCs] ... AFDL(C)'s' (Auxiliary Floating Drydock, Little (Concrete); OPNAV 29-P1000 glossary confirms the AFDL(C) designation), and the jounin compilation gives the reclassification effective date for ARDC-1 as 1946-08-01. This record consolidates the concrete hull ex-ARDC-1, the only hull that actually carried 'AFDL-34.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-1946
- Limitations
- The 1946 reclassification and the two-hull number collision are verified; the precise effective date 1946-08-01 rests on the jounin compilation (consistent across the ARDC series, e.g. NavSource's ARDC-3 page gives the same date for AFDL-36) rather than a located reclassification instrument for this hull. NARA's deck-log listing corroborates the ARDC-1 predecessor designation for the wartime period. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-03
-
[4]Com Sixth Naval District War Diary entry of 1944-04-20 (transcribed in uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC-1 entry); NARA Special List 44 by Ship Numbers (log-series start); shipbuildinghistory.com (delivery month) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uswarships.jounin.jp/ardc.htm ARDC-1 entry (Com 6 war-diary quotation); sl-44-ship-number.pdf 'ARDC-1 4/20/1944'; auxafd.htm delivery column
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Placing in service: the Com Sixth Naval District war diary of 1944-04-20 reports that the commissioning detail for 'ARDC-#1' - 2 officers and 104 enlisted - completed organization and training at the Section Base, Southport, N.C., and departed the station at 0745 for Wilmington 'to place ARDC-1 in service'; a naming ceremony was held the same day. NARA Special List 44 independently corroborates the date: the deck-log series for ARDC-1 begins 1944-04-20. The shipbuildinghistory table gives delivery May 1944.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-04 to 1944-05
- Population
- Commissioning detail crew (2 officers + 104 enlisted per Com 6 diary)
- Limitations
- The war-diary content is verified only through the jounin compilation's transcription (Shift-JIS source, translated); the underlying Com 6 diary was not pulled. The deck-log start date is verified directly from NARA SL-44 and anchors the in-service timing - log dates are service-era evidence, not a commissioning instrument (non-self-propelled craft were never commissioned). The 104-enlisted figure conflicts with BuDocks' 5-officer/84-man design complement - carried separately, unresolved. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-04
-
[5]USS Daniel (DE-335) and ATA-121 war diaries; Umpqua (ATO-25) movement entries (transcribed in uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC-1 entry) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uswarships.jounin.jp/ardc.htm ARDC-1 entry, Bermuda paragraphs (Daniel DE-335 escort, ATA-121 docking 6/17-27/44, 'Ort Royal Bay')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Bermuda service: the USS Daniel (DE-335) war diary records escorting the War Shipping Administration tug Point Sur (V4-M-A1 type, MC hull 624) - towing ARDC-1 - to Bermuda, arriving 1944-06-11 (the tow departed Wilmington ~3 June; USS Umpqua (ATO-25) had staged Savannah-to-Wilmington in late May to support it). The ATA-121 war diary records docking in ARDC-1 at 'Ort Royal Bay,' Bermuda, 1944-06-17 to 06-27 for stern-tube bearing and main-shaft repairs plus sonar replacement; the jounin entry notes numerous additional reports of ships docking in ARDC-1 at Bermuda.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-06 to 1944-11
- Population
- Dock crew; ATA-121 crew alongside during docking (June 1944); repair parties
- Limitations
- All Bermuda detail rests on the jounin compilation's war-diary transcriptions - the underlying diaries (NARA) were not pulled. 'Ort Royal Bay' is a garbled anchorage name, likely Port Royal Bay, Bermuda. Documents the dock's repair function on era vessels; no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-05
-
[6]DANFS, USS Gantner (DE-60) entry (verbatim HyperWar transcription); CINCLANT War Diary entry of 1944-11-01 (transcribed in uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC-1 entry) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- de60.html service narrative ('departed Boston 3 November 1944 escorting Pinto (ATF-90) and towing ARDC-1 to Cristobal'); jounin ARDC-1 entry, CINCLANT 11/1/44 paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Reassignment to the Pacific: the CINCLANT War Diary of 1944-11-01 records ARDC-1 at Bermuda, bound for 'CZ' to report to CinCPac. DANFS (USS Gantner, DE-60) records the tow: 'Gantner departed Boston 3 November 1944 escorting Pinto (ATF-90) and towing ARDC-1 to Cristobal, Canal Zone' - the fleet tug Pinto towing the dock, Gantner escorting.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-11
- Population
- Dock crew in transit; Pinto (ATF-90) and Gantner (DE-60) crews on the tow
- Limitations
- The DANFS-documented tow is verified (Pinto towing, Gantner escorting - DANFS's compressed phrasing names Gantner as both escort and tow, read in context). Date conflict: jounin's transcription of Gantner's own war diary says the convoy ARRIVED in the Canal Zone 1944-11-02, irreconcilable with DANFS's 3 November Boston departure - one transcription is off (the tow reached Cristobal in early November either way). The CINCLANT entry rests on jounin transcription. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-06
-
[7]ATA-199 and Bayou war diaries (transcribed in uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC-1 entry) [other_primary]
- Locator
- uswarships.jounin.jp/ardc.htm ARDC-1 entry (ATA-199 Gatun Locks 12/4-5/44; Bayou Balboa departure 12/15/44; Pearl Harbor dockings from March 1945)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Panama transit and onward tow: the ATA-199 war diary records towing ARDC-1 through the Gatun Locks on 1944-12-04/05 and mooring her in Gatun Lake; the tug Bayou war diary records departing Balboa 1944-12-15 for San Francisco, thence Pearl Harbor - the transpacific leg (towed object unnamed in the transcription but consistent with the dock's verified Pearl Harbor presence weeks later). Jounin reports numerous records of ships docking in ARDC-1 at Pearl Harbor from March 1945.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-12 to 1945-03
- Population
- Dock crew in transit; ATA-199 and Bayou crews
- Limitations
- War-diary content via jounin transcription only - underlying diaries not pulled; the Bayou leg does not name the towed object, so the Balboa-to-Pearl tow is an inference consistent with the dock's verified Pearl Harbor presence. Pearl Harbor arrival date is unstated in located sources. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-07
-
[8]Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, 'United States Pacific Fleet Organization, 1 May 1945' (official organization document, HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Service Squadron Two section, floating-dock block after the ARD listings: 'ARDC 1 | ..........' row
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Wartime fleet assignment: the United States Pacific Fleet Organization of 1 May 1945 lists 'ARDC 1' under SERVICE SQUADRON TWO (Commander Service Squadron Two, V. Adm. W. W. Smith; flagship AG 31 Argonne) in the floating-dock block, alongside 'ARDC 2' (footnote '(1)') and 'ARDC 3' (Lt. Cdr. H. V. Anderson, USNR). No commanding officer and no station footnote is listed for ARDC 1 (blank entries).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-05-01
- Limitations
- Confirms Pacific Fleet assignment under Service Squadron Two on 1 May 1945 and the wartime 'ARDC' designation; administrative assignment does not alone prove physical location on that date (the operational record places the dock at Pearl Harbor). The left-column numeric station codes (absent for ARDC 1) are footnote codes whose meanings the HyperWar transcription does not preserve. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-08
-
[9]uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC-1 entry (war-diary citations); DANFS-derived USS Atakapa (ATF-149) history (NavSource/Wikipedia transcription) corroborating the 20 June - 10 July 1945 Pearl Harbor-Eniwetok tow; LCI Group war diary (LCI(L)-879/-555 docking 8/27/45) [other_primary]
- Locator
- jounin ARDC-1 entry (Atakapa tow 6/20-7/10/45; LCI dockings 8/27/45); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Atakapa operational history (identical tow dates, towed object unnamed)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Eniwetok transfer: ARDC-1 departed Pearl Harbor 1945-06-20 under tow by fleet tug USS Atakapa (ATF-149) and arrived at Eniwetok 1945-07-10. Atakapa's DANFS-derived history independently corroborates the tow dates - 'a long tow from Pearl Harbor to Eniwetok, which began on 20 June. After reaching Eniwetok on 10 July, Atakapa left three days later bound for Johnston Island' - though the DANFS text does not name the towed object; the jounin compilation's war-diary citation identifies it as ARDC-1. At Eniwetok, the LCI Group war diary records LCI(L)-879 and LCI(L)-555 entering ARDC-1's drydock on 1945-08-27.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-06 to 1945-08
- Population
- Dock crew; Atakapa (ATF-149) crew on the tow; LCI(L)-879 and LCI(L)-555 crews alongside (August 1945)
- Limitations
- The tow dates are corroborated across two independent sources (jounin's ARDC-1 entry and Atakapa's DANFS-derived history), but naming ARDC-1 as the towed object rests on the jounin war-diary citation alone - strong but not primary-verified. The LCI dockings likewise rest on the jounin transcription of the LCI Group war diary. NARA deck logs for ARDC-1 end 6/30/1945, mid-transit - the Eniwetok period has no deck-log coverage in SL-44. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-09
-
[10]Crew Change report of 1946-06-25 (transcribed in uswarships.jounin.jp ARDC-1 entry); jounin reclassification entry (1946-08-01); Bureau of Yards and Docks official history (1946 nomenclature revision) [other_primary]
- Locator
- jounin ARDC-1 entry (Guam crew-change report June 1946; '1946/8/1 AFDL-34' line); bases-9.html 1946 reclassification paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Postwar station and reclassification: a crew-change report of 1946-06-25 records the dock at Guam in June 1946; the jounin compilation gives her reclassification to 'small floating dock (non-self-propelled) AFDL-34' effective 1946-08-01 - the 1946 nomenclature revision under which the ARDCs became AFDL(C)s.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1945-08 to 1946-08
- Population
- Dock crew at Guam (1946)
- Limitations
- Guam presence rests on the jounin transcription of a crew-change report (document not pulled); the 1946-08-01 effective date is compilation-level though consistent across the ARDC series. When and how the dock moved from Eniwetok to Guam (between August 1945 and June 1946) is undocumented in located sources. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-10
-
[11]shipbuildinghistory.com auxafd.htm (Tim Colton compilation); navalmarinearchive.com mirror; en.wikipedia.org 'Auxiliary floating drydock' (compilation-derived); uswarships.jounin.jp (citing Naval Marine Archive) [other_primary]
- Locator
- auxafd.htm 'AFDL 34' disposition column 'Ex-ARDC 1, to Taiwan 1959 as Han Jih, active'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Disposal: the shipbuildinghistory table records 'Ex-ARDC 1, to Taiwan 1959 as Han Jih, active'; Wikipedia's auxiliary-floating-drydock compilation echoes 'ARDC 1 - Changed to AFDL-34. Sold to Taiwan in 1959 Han Jih'; jounin attributes the 1959 Taiwan sale and 'Han Jih' naming to the Naval Marine Archive (the same Colton compilation chain). All located statements trace to one compilation chain.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1959
- Limitations
- Disposition rests on a single compilation chain - no transfer instrument (sale vs. Military Assistance Program grant), exact date, stricken instrument, or ROC-side record was located. The 'active' status claim is the table's own assessment (2019 update), not verified against Taiwanese sources. Whether the dock was laid up at Guam or elsewhere 1946-1959 before transfer is undocumented. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-11
-
[12]National Archives and Records Administration, Special List 44 by Ship Numbers (RG 24, Bureau of Naval Personnel deck logs) [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, ARDC block (p. 8): 'ARDC-1 4/20/1944 6/30/1945' (adjacent entries ARDC-2, -3, -7, -8); AFDL block (p. 1) contains no AFDL-34 entry
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 (List of Logbooks of U.S. Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947), by ship number, lists deck logs for 'ARDC-1' covering 1944-04-20 through 1945-06-30 - the dock's placing-in-service at Wilmington, the Bermuda station, the Panama transit, and the Pearl Harbor period through the June 1945 departure for Eniwetok. The listing under 'ARDC-1' (not 'AFDL-34') corroborates the wartime predecessor designation this record consolidates; no 'AFDL-34' listing exists anywhere in SL-44.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-04-20 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- Dock crew (log keeper and commanding officer)
- Limitations
- The log listing is verified; the logbooks themselves were not retrieved or read - they are the primary unconsulted source for this dock's daily station, dockings, crew, towing movements, and condition entries. Coverage ends 1945-06-30 mid-transit to Eniwetok; no Eniwetok/Guam/postwar span exists under either designation - post-reclassification logs, if kept, are not in this list. No asbestos content is implied by the listing.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-12
-
[13]National Archives and Records Administration, Ship Plan Index (archives.gov/research/cartographic/ship-index) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship Plan Index entry 'AFDL-34 | AFDL-34 | 385 | Microfilm | 63531026'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Cartographic Ship Plan Index holds a plan for 'AFDL-34' on microfilm (list identifier 63531026, format Microfilm, reel/group 385) - a potential structural/materials source. The same microfilm identifier covers plans for multiple AFDL-type docks (the index carries the same 63531026 entry string for AFDL-25, AFDL-32, and other hulls).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1946 records
- Limitations
- Index-level holding only - the microfilm plan was not retrieved or read; whether it is a general-arrangement plan of this specific concrete hull or a class design sheet is unknown, and whether it contains any materials/fit-out callouts is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-13
-
[14]Internet Archive CDX index of nvr.navy.mil SHIPSDETAIL_AFDL_* pages (queried 2026-09-20); NavSource Naval History, Service Craft Photo Archive AFD/ARDC/AFDL index (14/03idx.htm) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wayback CDX urlkey list for SHIPSDETAIL_AFDL_* (AFDL-34 absent); NavSource index rows 'AFD-34 cancelled 1945' and 'ARDC-1 / AFDL-34' (unlinked)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Registry and naming status: no Naval Vessel Register SHIPSDETAIL page exists for AFDL-34 in the 2016-2017 Wayback captures of nvr.navy.mil (consistent with disposal before the database era - the hull transferred to Taiwan in 1959). NavSource Naval History's Service Craft Photo Archive index carries the hull as 'ARDC-1 / AFDL-34' - an unlinked index-only entry with no dedicated page - and separately carries 'AFD-34 cancelled 1945' for the never-built steel hull of the same number. No DANFS entry exists for this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-2026
- Limitations
- Absence of an NVR page is consistent with the 1959 foreign transfer but is not itself proof of the transfer mechanism or date; NavSource's index-only status is consistent with an unnamed, unphotographed service craft. The dock never received a name in U.S. service (unlike AFDL-1 Endeavor, AFDL-6 Dynamic, AFDL-7 Ability, AFDL-23 Adept). No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-14
-
[15]Bureau of Yards and Docks, 'Building the Navy's Bases in World War II,' Ch. IX (ARDC design description); 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
- bases-9.html ARDC section; AJIM 11(3):359-373 (WWII shipbuilding asbestos program)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Class/era asbestos inference (not ship-proven): the BuSandA-documented ARDC was a monolithic reinforced-concrete trough dock - ~3,300 cubic yards of concrete requiring no structural hull insulation - whose militarized fit-out carried diesel generator plants, air compressors, refrigeration/HVAC and water-evaporator equipment, traveling cranes, repair shops, and crew accommodations; machinery whose gaskets, packing, electrical insulation, brake linings, millboard, and thermal insulation in 1943-44 Navy construction were era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials (per the WWII-era shipbuilding asbestos program documented in Corn & Starr, AJIM 1987). The occupational pathway is the larger inference: the dock's documented function was lifting era vessels (ATA-121, LCI(L)-879, LCI(L)-555, and numerous others recorded at Bermuda, Pearl Harbor, and Eniwetok) for underwater-hull repair - work performed in sustained contact with vessels whose own insulation suites commonly contained asbestos.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1945 era documented; article 1987
- Population
- Dock crew; repair parties; crews of docked vessels (Bermuda, Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, 1944-1945); postwar operators to 1959
- Limitations
- Design/era-level inference only - no source names this hull in connection with asbestos, and no materials schedule, survey, or abatement record exists in the located sources. A concrete hull carried no structural insulation, so plausible onboard loading is smaller than a steel combatant's - confined to machinery fit-out, shop materials, and crew-space finishes; the occupational pathway (work on and under era vessels) is correspondingly larger. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard, nor quantity, individual exposure, or causation. The hull transferred to Taiwan in 1959 - present-day material status is undocumented and foreign-held.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-15
-
[16]Keller v. Dravo Corp., 441 F.2d 1239 (5th Cir. 1971), cert. denied 404 U.S. 1017 (1972) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion at 441 F.2d 1243-44 (vessel-status holding); reporter citation cross-verified via multiple case-law databases (live CourtListener API unavailable this session - see search_ledger)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Litigation-posture context for the vessel type (not this hull, not asbestos): the Fifth Circuit held that 'as a matter of law, a floating dry dock is not a vessel when it is moored and in use as a dry dock' - Keller v. Dravo Corp., 441 F.2d 1239, 1243-44 (5th Cir. 1971), cert. denied 404 U.S. 1017, 92 S.Ct. 679, 30 L.Ed.2d 665 (1972), following Atkins v. Greenville Shipbuilding (1969) - channeling injury claims by drydock crews toward LHWCA remedies rather than vessel-owner negligence or unseaworthiness theories; the Keller court expressly declined an absolute rule that a floating drydock can never be a vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1969-1972 (doctrine); applies to moored-dock operations
- Population
- Floating-drydock workers generally (type context)
- Limitations
- Doctrinal context for the vessel type only - an LHWCA/admiralty vessel-status ruling, not asbestos litigation, not naming this hull, and not an exposure finding. Relevant to how injury claims by drydock crews were channeled. Citation verified against reporter text reproduced in case-law databases; a direct CourtListener pull remains an open lead (API quota exhausted this session).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-16
-
[17]Batch-591 search ledger (this record): CourtListener API v4 attempt (HTTP 429); web-indexed court-document sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-10 and sl-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Litigation and name-collision sweep: fresh CourtListener API v4 queries for 'AFDL-34'/'ARDC-1' were blocked (HTTP 429, shared 125/day quota, ~55 min reset) and deferred per the backoff rule; web-indexed court-record sweeps (site:courtlistener.com, RECAP storage) returned no opinion or docket naming this dock - returned documents were unrelated collisions ('ARDC' as attorney-registration commission/number in case captions; 'AFD' as federal-defender personnel terms). Name-collision risk is low: 'ARDC-1'/'AFDL-34' are unique designations with no other Navy hull carrying the number (the cancelled steel AFDL-34 was never built), and no named-ship alias exists for this hull.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Sweep partially blocked - the live CourtListener API quota was exhausted before any query ran, so no fresh docket-level search of this hull was possible; the web-indexed sweep is a weaker instrument. Absence of a located pleading is not proof no claim ever existed. No asbestos opinion naming this dock was found by any instrument used. A hull sold to a foreign navy in 1959 is less likely to appear in the U.S. asbestos-litigation corpus than CONUS-surviving hulls.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-17
-
[18]Batch-591 search ledger (this record): BuSandA Building the Navy's Bases Ch. IX; CinCPac PacFleet Org 1 May 1945; DANFS Gantner (DE-60) and Atakapa (ATF-149) histories; uswarships.jounin.jp war-diary citations; NARA SL-44 and Ship Plan Index; shipbuildinghistory tables; NavSource 14/03idx.htm; CinCPac Serial 0395 Appendix III (typhoon table - checked, absent); web-indexed litigation sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-01 through sl-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-16
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, materials schedule, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming ARDC-1/AFDL-34 was found in the public sources searched - the BuDocks design history, the CinCPac fleet organization, the DANFS tow entries (Gantner, Atakapa), the war-diary citations transcribed in the jounin compilation, the NARA listings, the shipbuildinghistory tables, the NavSource index, and the Typhoon Louise damage table (checked and absent - the dock was at Eniwetok, not Okinawa) contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement, and no DANFS entry exists for this hull.
- 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 - a 1943-44 self-contained Navy dock with diesel-electric machinery, compressors, refrigeration plants, cranes, and repair shops is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials in its fit-out, and its crews worked in sustained contact with era vessels. The hull was sold to Taiwan in 1959; any onboard materials passed into foreign custody without a located disclosure. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-18
-
[19]NARA Special List 44 by Ship Numbers; NARA Ship Plan Index (entry 63531026); uswarships.jounin.jp war-diary citation list; Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 1 (shipscribe.com/pubs/SDB1945v1.pdf, image scan without text layer) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship Plan Index AFDL-34 line; sl-44-ship-number.pdf ARDC-1 line; jounin ARDC-1 entry (diary citation list); shipscribe.com/pubs/index-sdb.html 1945 Vol. 1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no reproduction spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for ARDC-1, 1944-04-20 to 1945-06-30 (Special List 44) - the primary unconsulted source for daily station, dockings, crew, towing movements (Wilmington-Bermuda-Cristobal-Pearl Harbor), and condition entries; (b) NARA cartographic Ship Plan Index microfilm 63531026 (plan for AFDL-34) - potential structural/fit-out source; (c) the underlying war diaries cited in the jounin compilation (CINCLANT War Diary Nov 1943-Feb 1944 and Nov 1944 entries; Com 6 diary 4/20/44; Daniel DE-335, ATA-121, ATA-199, Bayou, LCI Group diaries; the 1946-06-25 crew-change report) - primary verification for the service timeline; (d) BuDocks/BuShips contract records for the Wilmington ARDC construction basins (Loftis vs. Tidewater allocation); (e) Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels 1945 Vol. 1 (NAVSHIPS 250-010, shipscribe.com image scan) - official tabulation of this hull's type/station; (f) the Taiwan transfer instrument and stricken entry (1959 NVR/FMD records); (g) ROC Navy records for 'Han Jih' disposition.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1943-1959 records
- Limitations
- Record-holding mapping only - no document-level retrieval performed (no reproduction spend authorized; wartime deck logs of this hull not digitized; the Ships' Data volume is a 187-page image scan without a text layer, unretrievable by text search). Whether any of these holdings contains asbestos-specific information for this dock is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-afdl-34-afdl34-19