Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USNS AKL 33 (T-AKL 33, FS Design 342) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, CNO/CINCPACFLT action records, and Miramar Ship Index) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AKL33.html - characteristics block, construction table (T-AKL 33 row), disposition table, class notes (Design 342 description; Aug 1949 Alaska operations; Jul 1952 CNO/CINCPACFLT actions), ship notes (T-AKL 33 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Construction table: T-AKL 33, Martinolich Repair Basin San Francisco, contract 8 May 1943, completed ca Mar 1944, acquired and in service 1 Nov 1950. Disposition table: inactivated Oct 1952, struck 26 Apr 1957, disposal 16 Dec 1957 'Navy sale.' Class notes: Design 342 was a 148' Army FS type built of fir by three West Coast yards (FS 238-252; Martinolich contract 8 May 1943 for FS 238-242); in Aug 1949 the Army operated in Alaska the four vessels that became AKL 33-36; AKL 33 was among Army vessels and service craft in Alaska that MSTS and the Army's Chief of Transportation mutually agreed would transfer 1 Nov 1950, classification/hull numbers approved 31 Oct 1950. On 10 Jul 1952 CNO ordered MSTS to transfer AKL 28 and AKL 33 to PACFLT for ServPac duty; 16 Jul 1952 CINCPACFLT proposed AKL 33 be delivered to NSY Puget Sound for modifications for commissioned service under COMSERVPAC; 25 Jul 1952 CNO substituted the steel AKL 25 for the smaller wooden AKL 33, 'evidently found unsuitable' (AKL 25 and AKL 28 commissioned as BANNER and BRULE). AKL 33 was placed in Army custody (reserve) 31 Oct 1952 at Kennydale, Lake Washington; COMSTS ordered inactivation and transfer to Navy reserve at Bremerton 11 Jun 1953; Bremerton Group 15 Oct 1953; Columbia Group 3 Mar 1955. Ship note: '(ex-FS 238, CPL HARRY R HARR). In Army reserve 1952-53 (Kennydale), in USN reserve 1953-57 (Columbia River). On disposal list by Jan 1957. Sold 16 Dec 1957 to O H "Doc" Freeman of Seattle for use only. Merc. JAMENE 1958, REEFER QUEEN 1961, and BLUE MERIDIAN 1970. Burned off Costa Rica and sank 7 Feb 1977.' Characteristics block: 585 t light / 715 t full; 148' oa x 141' wl x 34' x 14' max nav; diesel (direct) 875 hp, 1 screw, 10 kts; accommodations 7 officers + 13 unlicensed; armament none.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1977
- Population
- Martinolich construction workforce (1943-44); Army crew incl. Alaska service (1944-1950); civilian MSTS crew (1950-1952); reserve-fleet caretakers (1952-1957); merchant crews (1958-1977)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register and Miramar records, not the registers themselves; consistent with NavSource and shipbuildinghistory on identity. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. The 'for use only' sale notation is the compiler's summary of the sale condition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-01
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[2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USNS T-AKL-33 ex USAV FS-238 (1944-1950), file 09/14/1433 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 1433.htm - chronology block, specifications block, ribbon bar, photo caption 09143301, 'no history available' statement
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource corroborates identity and adds specifications: laid down (date unknown) for the US Army as small freighter FS-238, wood hull (design 342), at Martinolich Repair, San Francisco; delivered to the US Army March 1944; transferred from USAT to MSTS '1 July 1950' and designated USNS T-AKL-33; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; final disposition 'fate unknown.' Spec block: 560 t; 143' x 33' x 17'; 12 kts; complement unknown; one 875hp 5-cyl diesel engine, single propeller. Ribbon bar displays American Campaign Medal and WWII Victory Medal. Photo caption: 'EX-USS T-AKL-33 underway in Alaskan waters, date unknown.' Page explicitly states 'There is no history available for T-AKL-33 at NavSource.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1944-1957
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official. Conflicts with Shipscribe on the 1950 transfer date (1 Jul vs 1 Nov), displacement (560 t vs 585 light/715 full), length (143' vs 148' oa), draft (17' vs 14'), and speed (12 vs 10 kts); the 'EX-USS' photo caption uses an erroneous prefix for a never-commissioned vessel, and the caption does not establish whether the Alaskan-waters photo dates from Army, MSTS, or merchant service. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-02
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[3]Shipbuilding History (Tim Colton compilation), Martinolich Shipbuilding yard table; mirrored at navalmarinearchive.com 'US Army Coastal Freighters F/FS' table [other_primary]
- Locator
- martinolich.htm wartime coastal freighters table (FS 238 row; Blue Meridian O.N. 278273 row); navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/smallships/armyfreighters.html (FS 238 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Yard-table row for FS 238: U.S. Army coastal freighter, 540 tons, 148 ft, delivery Mar-44 (the navalmarinearchive freighter table shows build span 3/44-12/44), disposition 'To USN 1950 as AKL 33, struck.' Confirms builder, tonnage, build window, Navy transfer year, and strike independently of NavSource. Unlike the FS-230 row in the same table, the FS-238 row carries no 'USCG-manned' note - consistent with FS-238's absence from the USCG Historian's Office list of Coast Guard-manned Army FS vessels (the list skips FS 235-252). The yard table also records the hull under its later identity 'Blue Meridian' (O.N. 278273, Global Fisheries, fishing vessel, 638 GT, 139 ft, 1944) - official number and converted fishing-vessel dimensions for the same hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1957
- Population
- Martinolich Repair construction workforce (San Francisco, 1943-44)
- Limitations
- Compiler's yard table, secondary - consistent with Shipscribe/NavSource on identity and Navy transfer; tonnage (540 t GT) differs from Shipscribe (585 light/715 full displacement) and NavSource (560 t) - measurement bases differ and no figure is confirmed. Build-span notation 3/44-12/44 conflicts with the Mar-44 delivery/completion dates in the other columns and sources - unresolved. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-03
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[4]Congressional Medal of Honor Society recipient record: Harry R. Harr, Corporal, U.S. Army, Company D, 124th Infantry Regiment, 31st Infantry Division; MOH action 5 Jun 1945 near Maglamin, Mindanao, Philippine Islands; awarded posthumously (G.O. No. 28, 28 Mar 1946); Shipscribe ship note ties 'CPL HARRY R HARR' to ex-FS 238 [other_primary]
- Locator
- cmohs.org recipient page for Harry R. Harr; shipscribe AKL33.html ship note '(ex-FS 238, CPL HARRY R HARR)'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The hull's Army name CPL HARRY R HARR (Shipscribe ship note) honors Cpl. Harry R. Harr, who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for smothering a grenade at Maglamin, Mindanao, 5 Jun 1945. Because Harr's action postdates the vessel's March 1944 delivery, the name was applied under the Army's postwar practice of renaming FS vessels for honored soldiers; the renaming date is not documented in located sources.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1945-1950
- Limitations
- Establishes the identity of the namesake and that the name was posthumous/postwar; the Army's renaming directive for this specific hull is not documented (date of renaming unknown - see gaps). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-04
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[5]Source-discrepancy resolution - Shipscribe AKL33 class page vs. NavSource file 1433 vs. shipbuildinghistory/navalmarinearchive yard tables [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe AKL33.html tables/class notes/ship note; NavSource 1433.htm chronology/specs/caption; martinolich.htm and armyfreighters.html FS 238 rows
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged, not silently merged: (a) Navy transfer date - Shipscribe records acquisition/MSTS service 1 Nov 1950 tied to mutual Army-MSTS agreement and approval of classification/hull numbers 31 Oct 1950 (class note), while NavSource records transfer '1 July 1950'; Shipscribe's 1 Nov 1950 is carried because it is anchored to a documented approval date and matches the batch brief's stated Navy-service span. (b) Strike date - Shipscribe 26 Apr 1957 (disposal list by Jan 1957); NavSource 'date unknown'; Shipscribe carried. (c) Prefix - the vessel never commissioned; 'USS AKL-33' and NavSource's 'EX-USS T-AKL-33' caption styling are erroneous; USNS T-AKL-33 is correct. (d) Class assignment - NavSource labels her 'Camano class'; Shipscribe groups T-AKL 33 alone under 'FS Design 342' (the commissioned Camano AKLs were Design 381 conversions). (e) Specs - displacement 585 light/715 full (Shipscribe) vs 560 t (NavSource) vs 540 GT (yard tables); length 148' oa (Shipscribe, yard tables) vs 143' (NavSource); draft 14' vs 17'; speed 10 vs 12 kts; complement 7 officers + 13 unlicensed (Shipscribe) vs unknown (NavSource) - all carried separately. (f) Completion - Shipscribe 'ca Mar 1944,' NavSource 'delivered March 1944,' shipbuildinghistory 'Mar-44' vs navalmarinearchive build span '3/44-12/44' - unresolved.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1977
- 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-33-akl33-05
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[6]Reefer Queen Co., Inc. v. Marine Construction & Design Co., 73 Wn.2d 774, 440 P.2d 448 (Wash. 1968) (CourtListener 1411628); companion third-party indemnity opinion same style, 73 Wn.2d 783, 440 P.2d 453 (Wash. 1968) (CourtListener 1411229) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener opinions 1411628 (73 Wn.2d 774) and 1411229 (73 Wn.2d 783); opinion text via Justia mirror of 73 Wn.2d 774 ('army hull' passage)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published merits decision in a products-liability action by the owner of 'its tuna fisher, the Reefer Queen': the plaintiff corporation 'owned an army hull which it desired to convert into a tuna fishing vessel' and contracted with J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation (Tacoma) for the conversion; a Marco purse-seine winch failed twice on the maiden voyage off Colombia because subcontractor Mantel had ground but not case-hardened three shafts; the court sustained a $60,750 lost-fishing award (11 days). Companion opinion resolved Marco's third-party indemnity claim against Mantel. Same-hull identification: Shipscribe's ship note records ex-FS 238 sold 1957 to Seattle owner and renamed REEFER QUEEN 1961; the opinion's 'army hull' converted to a tuna seiner by a Tacoma yard under Seattle-area ownership matches this hull's documented merchant chain, and no other 'Reefer Queen' of the period was an army-hull conversion (the IMO 5277593 Reefer Queen was a 1962-built conventional reefer). Classification: OTHER LITIGATION - commercial products liability, NOT asbestos litigation; the opinion contains no asbestos, insulation, or exposure content.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1961-1968 (events and decisions)
- Population
- J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding conversion workforce (Tacoma, ca. 1958-1961); merchant fishing crew of Reefer Queen
- Limitations
- Merits-level opinion, but non-asbestos - it documents a shipyard conversion event on this hull (army hull to tuna fisher, Martinac, Tacoma, circa 1958-61) and nothing about materials. Same-hull identity rests on the documented merchant-name chain plus the opinion's 'army hull' description - strong circumstantial match, but the opinion does not recite 'ex-FS-238' or the Navy designation. Establishes no asbestos content, exposure, or eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-06
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[7]Consolidated era/design inference - Shipscribe Design 342 documentation (148' fir-hull diesel freighter, direct-drive single screw, 1943-spec design) + NavSource machinery spec + wartime construction era [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe AKL33.html class notes + characteristics block; NavSource 1433.htm spec block
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull is a 1944-built wood-hull (fir) diesel coastal freighter with a single direct-drive 875-hp diesel - no boilers, no steam distribution. Its insulation load was materially lighter than a steam auxiliary's and lighter than a steel diesel hull's (no steel hull plating to insulate), but machinery and construction materials of the 1943-44 wartime era were commonly asbestos-containing: exhaust-system and muffler lagging, machinery gaskets and packing, electrical-cable insulation, accommodation/galley joiner materials, winch and windlass brake linings, and deck compositions of the period. Exposure-relevant populations: Martinolich construction trades (1943-44), the WWII-era Army crew (incl. Alaska operations), the civilian MSTS crew (1950-52), reserve-fleet caretakers (1952-57), the J.M. Martinac conversion workforce (ca. 1958-61), and merchant crews aboard JAMENE/REEFER QUEEN/BLUE MERIDIAN.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1977
- Population
- Martinolich construction trades; Army crew (WWII/Alaska); civilian MSTS crew (1950-52); Martinac conversion workforce; merchant crews (1958-77)
- Limitations
- Inference from documented design, machinery type, and construction era - NOT a hull materials record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming FS-238/AKL-33 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The wood hull and diesel plant make even era-level inference weaker than for steel steam auxiliaries of the same era.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-07
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[8]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 Martinolich Repair. 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 small wood-hull diesel freighter than to steel steam vessels. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-08
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[9]Batch-1099 search ledger (this record): NavSource 1433; Shipscribe AKL33 class page; shipbuildinghistory Martinolich + navalmarinearchive freighter tables; USCG Historian's Office Historic Ships list (Wayback); CMOHS recipient record; 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-33-akl33-01 through sl-uss-akl-33-akl33-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located for USNS T-AKL-33 / FS-238 / CPL HARRY R HARR / JAMENE / REEFER QUEEN / BLUE MERIDIAN: 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 - guessed entry URL 404s; NavSource confirms none exists). NVR carries no record (hull disposed 1957, pre-digital-NVR coverage; detail URL resolves to generic index). MARAD ShipHistory returned no record on site-restricted index search (consistent with disposal by Navy sale, not MARAD custody). CourtListener authenticated sweeps: zero opinion hits for '"AKL-33"', '"T-AKL-33"', '"AKL 33" asbestos', '"FS-238"', '"FS 238" Army vessel', '"Harry R. Harr" ship', '"T-AKL"', '"Blue Meridian" vessel'; RECAP '"AKL-33"' returned 1 docket hit - a habeas corpus matter ((HC) Clarke v. SCSO, E.D. Cal. 2022), a name collision. The only vessel-related litigation located is the Reefer Queen products-liability pair (ev-06) - non-asbestos.
- 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 1944-built vessel is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials even accounting for its lighter diesel/wood-hull 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-33-akl33-09
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[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 Army 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-33-akl33-10
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[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 336 (Records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation - Army FS-vessel files), RG 24/Navy records (MSTS-era), NHHC ship history/source files; J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding yard records (conversion contract/specifications); Miramar Ship Index (merchant chain JAMENE/REEFER QUEEN/BLUE MERIDIAN) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov RG 336 group guide; Shipscribe 'special sources' Miramar citation; Reefer Queen opinion (Martinac conversion contract)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 336 (Office of the Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army) holds Army Transportation Corps vessel records covering FS-238's Army service and the 1950 transfer agreement; (b) Navy MSTS/MSC records and NHHC ship history/source files for the 1950-52 T-AKL-33 period and the 1957 strike; (c) J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding records (Tacoma) for the ca. 1958-61 tuna-seiner conversion contract and specifications - the most direct material-schedule lead for what was removed or installed; (d) Miramar Ship Index entry underlying the Shipscribe merchant-fate note (subscription source); (e) Costa Rican/U.S. casualty records for the 7 Feb 1977 fire and sinking of BLUE MERIDIAN.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1943-1977 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for FS-238/AKL-33 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akl-33-akl33-11