Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
-
[1]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Mark (AKL 12) and USNS AKL 15 (FS Design 427/330) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, Auxiliary Vessels Board records, and Miramar Ship Index) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AKL12.html - characteristics block, construction table (T-AKL 15 row), disposition table, class notes (Design 330 variants; 21 Feb 1950 approval), ship notes (T-AKL 15 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Navy acquisition documented for this hull: names, classification, and hull numbers for AKL 15-17 were approved 21 Feb 1950 for Army ships operating out of continental US ports, acquired into MSTS service 1 Mar 1950. Construction table row: T-AKL 15, Higgins New Orleans, contract 11 Jan 1943 (the Higgins contract covering FS 222-234 Design 330DC), completed ca Mar 1945, in service 1 Mar 1950. Disposition row: inactivated Aug 1953; struck 1 Apr 1959; disposal 8 Mar 1969 'Navy sale.' Ship note: '(ex-FS 230, Design 330DC, compl. 1945). In USN reserve 1953-59. On Navy sale list Mar 1960. Later merc. MEREGHAN II. Deleted 1996.' Class notes document Design 330DC as the Cleveland-diesel 180' steel variant of the Army 330 family and the AKL classification established 31 Mar 1949.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1996
- Population
- Civilian MSTS crew (1950-1953); reserve-fleet caretakers (1953-1959)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register and MARAD/Miramar records, not the registers themselves; consistent with NavSource and shipbuildinghistory on identity. Internal inconsistency: disposition table gives disposal 8 Mar 1969 while the ship note says 'on Navy sale list Mar 1960' - the year conflicts and is unresolved (1960 fits the sale-list timing; neither confirmed). Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-01
-
[2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USNS T-AKL-15 ex USAV FS-230, file 09/14/1415 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 1415.htm - chronology block, specifications block, 'no DANFS' statement
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource corroborates identity and adds specifications: laid down date unknown for the US Army as small freighter FS-230 (design 330D) at Higgins Industries, New Orleans; delivered to the US Army circa 1944-45; transferred from the US Army Transportation Command to MSTS '1 July 1950' and designated USNS T-AKL-15; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; final disposition 'fate unknown.' Spec block: 550 t; 177' x 33' x 10'; 12 kts; complement 42; propulsion two 500hp GM Cleveland Division 6-278A 6-cyl diesel engines, twin screws. Page explicitly states 'There is no DANFS history available for T-AKL-15.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1944-1959
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official. Conflicts with Shipscribe on the 1950 transfer date (1 Jul vs 1 Mar), displacement (550 t vs 460 light/811 full), length (177' vs 180' oa), and complement (42 vs 7-10 officers/12-15 unlicensed); 'design 330D' is the parent designation for the shipscribe-documented 330DC (Cleveland) variant - machinery entries agree. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-02
-
[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), Higgins Industries New Orleans yard table; mirrored at navalmarinearchive.com 'US Army Coastal Freighters' table [other_primary]
- Locator
- higgins.htm wartime coastal freighters table (FS 230 row); navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/armyfreighters.html (FS 230 row, 'USCG-manned' note)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-table row for FS 230: US Army coastal freighter, 575 tons, 180 ft, build span Jan-Mar 1945, disposition 'To USN 1950 as AKL 15, struck 1959.' The navalmarinearchive freighter table adds 'USCG-manned' to the same row (573 t listed there). Confirms builder, tonnage, build window, Navy transfer year, and strike year independently of NavSource.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1945-1959
- Population
- Higgins Industries construction workforce (New Orleans, Jan-Mar 1945)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary - consistent with Shipscribe/NavSource on identity and Navy transfer; tonnage (575/573 t) differs from both Shipscribe (460 light/811 full) and NavSource (550 t) figures - measurement bases differ and no figure is confirmed. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-03
-
[4]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'Historic Ships' page - 'FS VESSELS (U.S. Army Freight Supply ships manned by Coast Guard crews)' section, FS-230 entry (Wayback capture 2019-04-21; live history.uscg.mil page reorganized) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Historic Ships page, FS-vessels alphabetical list (FS-230 entry)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The USCG Historian's Office lists FS-230 in its section of Army Freight Supply ships manned by Coast Guard crews - documenting that this hull's WWII Army service was performed by a Coast Guard crew under the wartime USCG-manning program for Army FS vessels.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1945-1950
- Population
- USCG crew aboard FS-230 (WWII Army service)
- Limitations
- List-level official documentation - confirms Coast Guard manning of FS-230 but gives no dates, stations, or itinerary for this hull; the Historian's Office notes it maintains files on listed vessels (archival lead). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-04
-
[5]Source-discrepancy resolution - Shipscribe AKL12/AKL15 class pages vs. NavSource file 1415 vs. shipbuildinghistory/navalmarinearchive yard tables [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe AKL12.html construction/disposition tables + class notes + ship note; shipscribe.com/usnaux2/AKL/AKL15.html class notes (AKL 15-17 1 Mar 1950 group); NavSource 1415.htm; higgins.htm / armyfreighters.html tables
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Navy transfer date - Shipscribe records acquisition/MSTS service 1 Mar 1950 tied to names/classification/hull-number approval of 21 Feb 1950 (class note), while NavSource records transfer to MSTS '1 July 1950'; Shipscribe's 1 Mar 1950 is carried because it is anchored to a documented approval date. (b) Strike date - Shipscribe 1 Apr 1959; NavSource 'date unknown'; shipbuildinghistory 'struck 1959' - Shipscribe carried. (c) Disposal year - Shipscribe disposition table 8 Mar 1969 vs ship note 'on Navy sale list Mar 1960' - internal inconsistency, unresolved; 1960 fits the sale-list timing. (d) Prefix - the vessel never commissioned; 'USS AKL-15' in secondary sources is erroneous, USNS T-AKL-15 is correct. (e) Class assignment - NavSource labels her 'Camano class'; Shipscribe groups AKL-15 with the Higgins Design 330/427 hulls, distinct from the Design 381 Camano conversions (AKL 1-14). (f) Specs - displacement 460/811 t (Shipscribe) vs 550 t (NavSource) vs 575/573 t (yard tables); length 180' oa (Shipscribe, yard tables) vs 177' (NavSource); complement 42 (NavSource) vs 7-10 officers + 12-15 unlicensed (Shipscribe) - all carried separately.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1996
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies between secondary compilations; none affects identity or the service chronology materially, and none is resolved beyond flagging where sources conflict. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-05
-
[6]Consolidated era/design inference - Shipscribe Design 330DC documentation (steel 180' diesel freighter, Cleveland engines, 1943-spec design) + NavSource machinery spec + wartime construction era [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe AKL12.html class notes + characteristics block; NavSource 1415.htm spec block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is a 1945-built steel diesel coastal freighter with a geared Cleveland-diesel twin-screw plant - no boilers, no steam distribution. Its insulation load was materially lighter than a steam auxiliary's, but machinery and construction materials of the 1943-45 wartime era were commonly asbestos-containing: exhaust-system and muffler lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, electrical-cable insulation, accommodation/galley joiner insulation, winch and windlass brake linings, and deck compositions of the period. Exposure-relevant populations: Higgins construction trades (Jan-Mar 1945), the WWII Coast Guard-manned Army crew, the civilian MSTS crew (1950-53), reserve-fleet caretakers (1953-59), and post-sale merchant crews aboard MEREGHAN II.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1945-1996
- Population
- Higgins construction trades; USCG-manned Army crew (WWII); civilian MSTS crew (1950-53); merchant crews (post-sale)
- Limitations
- Inference from documented design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming FS-230/AKL-15 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The diesel plant makes even era-level inference weaker than for steam auxiliaries of the same era.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-06
-
[7]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); and Fleischer, W.E., et al., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373 (article); PubMed PMID 21016030
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- 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 construction program under which this hull was built at Higgins Industries. The USMC-commissioned 1944-45 industrial-hygiene survey of pipe-covering operations at Navy and contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1940s era documented; articles 1946/1987
- Population
- WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Program/era-level documentation of asbestos use in WWII shipbuilding and naval-vessel construction generally; neither source names this vessel, design, or builder yard. Pipe-covering findings are less applicable to a diesel freighter than to steam vessels. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-07
-
[8]Batch-1084 search ledger (this record): NavSource 1415; Shipscribe AKL12/AKL15 class pages; shipbuildinghistory Higgins + navalmarinearchive freighter tables; USCG Historian's Office Historic Ships list (Wayback); NHHC/DANFS check; NVR check; MARAD ShipHistory check; CourtListener API v4 opinion + RECAP sweeps (authenticated); hazegray (unreachable); NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-akl-15-akl15-01 through sl-uss-akl-15-akl15-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USNS T-AKL-15 / FS-230 / MEREGHAN II: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched. No DANFS entry exists (NHHC site check; NavSource confirms none exists). NVR carries no record (hull disposed before digital NVR coverage; detail URL resolves to generic index). MARAD ShipHistory has no record (site-restricted search returned nothing for AKL-15/FS-230/MEREGHAN - consistent with disposal by Navy sale rather than MARAD custody). CourtListener authenticated sweeps: zero opinion hits for '"AKL-15"', '"T-AKL-15"', '"AKL 15" cargo', '"AKL-15" asbestos', '"T-AKL" asbestos', '"FS-230" Higgins', '"Higgins" "FS-230"'; RECAP returned 6 docket hits for '"AKL-15"', all name collisions (party surnames/abbreviations: AKL v. Delaware County, US v. Akl, patent and bankruptcy matters) - none qualifying.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1945-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter diesel-plant insulation load. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-08
-
[9]United States v. Saiz Monroy, 618 F.2d 1068 (5th Cir. 1980) (CourtListener 373934); United States v. Petrulla (S.D.N.Y. 1978) (CourtListener 2347572) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinion 373934 plain text ('Mereghan II' mention); opinion 2347572 (returned on name search, no relevant mention in retrievable text)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- The only CourtListener hits for 'MEREGHAN' are two criminal drug-interdiction opinions; Saiz Monroy (5th Cir. 1980) mentions a vessel whose name 'had been changed first to Mereghan II and thereafter to Heidi.' Shipscribe records this hull's post-sale merchant name as MEREGHAN II - the same-hull identity is plausible but unconfirmed from the opinion text alone. Classification: other litigation (criminal), NOT asbestos litigation; the vessel reference is incidental to a smuggling prosecution.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1978-1980 decisions
- Limitations
- Name-match only - the opinion does not identify the vessel's prior history, and nothing ties the MEREGHAN II of that case to ex-AKL-15 beyond the name. Even if the same hull, a criminal drug case establishes nothing about asbestos aboard. Classified non-qualifying at the lowest stage.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-09
-
[10]Robinson v. United States, In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation, 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) (CourtListener 533004) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinion 533004
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No case located names this hull (see negative_finding row and search_ledger). Doctrinal context for the vessel's service pattern: this never-commissioned government-owned vessel ran with Coast Guard and civilian MSTS crews - asbestos claims arising from service aboard government-owned merchant-type vessels historically faced the discretionary-function bar applied in Robinson v. United States, 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) (WSA-era government merchant fleet), while product-liability claims against equipment/material manufacturers would follow maritime doctrine. No such claim was located for this vessel in any posture.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1989 decision
- Limitations
- Doctrinal context only - the cited case does not name or involve this hull, and Robinson addresses WWII WSA-vessel claims; its application to a 1950s MSTS hull would depend on facts not in evidence. Classification note: a complaint's vessel list would be a pleading allegation, not a finding; no pleading naming this hull was located. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-10
-
[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 336 (Records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation - Army FS-vessel files), RG 26 (USCG records - USCG-manned FS vessels), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), Navy MSTS/MSC records; USCG Historian's Office vessel files; Miramar Ship Index (MEREGHAN II) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 336/26/19 group guides; USCG Historian's Office Historic Ships page (file-maintenance statement); Miramar Ship Index via Shipscribe citation
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) USCG Historian's Office maintains a file on FS-230 as a listed USCG-manned Army vessel - the most direct WWII-era lead; (b) NARA RG 336 (Office of the Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army) holds Army Transportation Corps vessel records covering FS-230's Army service; (c) NARA RG 26 (USCG) for the Coast Guard manning period; (d) Navy MSTS records and NHHC ship history/source files for the 1950-53 T-AKL-15 period and the 1959 strike; (e) Miramar Ship Index entry for MEREGHAN II - subscription source underlying the Shipscribe merchant-fate note.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1996 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for FS-230/AKL-15 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-15-akl15-11