Evidence
14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).
-
[1]CourtListener opinion search: 'USS Akutan' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'USS Akutan' returned 0 results (2026-10-07)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- zero-hit search; absence of hits is not proof of no litigation
- Evidence ID
- uss-akutan-ae13-cl-name-opinion
-
[2]CourtListener docket search: 'USS Akutan' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'USS Akutan' returned 3 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-akutan-ae13-cl-name-docket
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[3]CourtListener opinion search: 'AE-13' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion search 'AE-13' returned 4725 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-akutan-ae13-cl-hull-opinion
-
[4]CourtListener docket search: 'AE-13' [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener docket search 'AE-13' returned 204987 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-akutan-ae13-cl-hull-docket
-
[5]Bowles, Oliver, 'Asbestos,' U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 403, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1937 (mirrored scan) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Bulletin 403, heat-insulation history section (pp. ~69-75 of the bulletin scan)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 403 documents that asbestos heat-insulation and gasket products were established marine/industrial materials decades before this hull's 1944-45 construction: asbestos-cement boiler covering was first tried about 1870; canvas-covered sectional magnesia pipe covering appeared in 1885; asbestos paper was used from about 1878 to protect hair-felt insulation from the heat of steam pipes; asbestos packings, gaskets, and millboard were standard products of the era's insulation trade.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1870s-1937 (product history); hull 1944-1978
- Population
- WWII shipyard/construction workers (Tampa Shipbuilding, Tampa FL); engine-room and deck crews (era context)
- Limitations
- Product-history documentation, not a hull record - does not name this vessel and does not describe shipboard installation aboard any specific hull. For this diesel-powered C2-N the inference applies to exhaust, gasket, packing, electrical, and accommodation insulation - not boiler/steam-plant lagging (none fitted). Does not establish presence, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-01
-
[6]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 Maritime Commission construction program under which this C2-N hull was built (1944-45) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- 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-akutan-ae13-02
-
[7]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Akutan (AE-13)' updated entry by Paul J. Marcello, published 2016-07-01 (history.navy.mil; live URL 404s - Wayback capture 2024-05-26 used; older DANFS transcription at HyperWar corroborates) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS Akutan entry, full text + stats block; Wayback capture 2024-05-26
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC DANFS updated entry for Akutan (AE-13; stat block 'class Mauna Loa'; dp 14,225; 459' x 63' x 25'11"; 15.3 kts; cpl 281; armament 1x5in, 4x3in, 4x40mm, 10x20mm): laid down 1944-06-20 at Tampa, Fla., by Tampa Shipbuilding Co. under a Maritime Commission contract; launched 1944-09-17, sponsored by Mrs. Roswell B. Dagett; commissioned 1945-02-15, Cmdr. R. C. Brown. Service: shakedown Chesapeake Bay; availability Norfolk Navy Yard; loaded ammunition at Earle, N.J.; departed for the Pacific 1945-04-09; Panama Canal 1945-04-16; Ulithi 1945-05-11 (ServRon 10); TG 50.8 to Okinawa 1945-05-15, issued ammunition four weeks under up to five air raids per night; Ulithi via typhoon 1945-06-22; San Pedro Bay, Leyte 1945-06-26 (ServRon 8); TG 30.8 replenishment of Third Fleet 1945-08-14; San Pedro Bay 1945-09-10 to 1945-10-28; embarked 44 separation-bound sailors at Eniwetok; Pearl Harbor; Panama Canal; Norfolk December 1945; Earle ammunition discharge; Orange, Tex. January 1946; repairs at New Orleans (Algiers - 3,000 tons of gas shells, crew issued gas masks) and a Houston shipyard (gas shells disposed off the Florida coast); Orange 1946-04-26 (Sixteenth Fleet); decommissioned 1946-10-19; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1960-07-01; transferred to MARAD for layup at Beaumont, Tex. Disposal: SecNav authorized disposal of ex-Akutan 1975-10-31; MARAD auction 1978-02-09 at the Commerce Building, Washington, D.C., for non-transportation use or scrapping; high bidder B.S. & S. Inc., sold for $215,001. Two battle stars.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978
- Limitations
- Official ship-history reference; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, survey, or abatement information. Stat block lists 'class Mauna Loa' - diverges from the 'Lassen class' grouping common in secondary sources (see correction row). The older HyperWar DANFS transcription inserts bracketed detail (gas-shell episode) absent from the NHHC text; NHHC text adopted as controlling.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-03
-
[8]NavSource Online, USS Akutan (AE-13) Service Ship Photo Archive page 09/05/0513 (specifications, campaign list, milestones, CO list, NARA photo numbers) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 0513 page: milestone list, specifications block, campaign table, photo credits
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry for USS Akutan (AE-13), 'Lassen Class Ammunition Ship': laid down under a Maritime Commission contract at Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, FL, 1944-06-20; launched 1944-09-17; commissioned 1945-02-15, CDR Robert C. Brown. Campaigns: Okinawa Gunto operation (assault and occupation, 1945-05-21 to 1945-06-18) and 3rd Fleet operations against Japan (1945-07-15 to 1945-08-15); two battle stars. Decommissioned 1946-10-19 at Orange, TX; Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group, Orange; struck 1960-07-01; transferred to MARAD NDRF Beaumont, TX 1960-06-30; sold for scrapping 1978-02-16 to B.S. & S. Inc., Beaumont, TX; physically removed from the Reserve Fleet 1978-03-10. Specification sheet: 6,350 lt / 14,225 fl tons; 459' x 63' x 25'11"; 15.3 kts trial; complement 21 officers + 260 enlisted; largest boom 10 t; cargo 387,000 cu ft / 5,000 DWT; fuel diesel 10,925 bbl; propulsion - one Nordberg Diesel TSM219, single Falk main reduction gears, single propeller, 6,000 shp; ship's-service generators 2x200kW + 1x150kW 120V DC. CO list (Brown, Chern); photos indexed to NARA RG-19-LCM (19-N-81979, 19-N-81981, 19-N-81984, BuShips photos taken by Tampa Bay Shipbuilding).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978
- Population
- Crew (complement 281); Tampa Shipbuilding workforce; NDRF layup crews
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation consistent with NHHC DANFS on every overlapping milestone; propulsion figure (one TSM219 diesel) conflicts with a circulating '2 x 9-cyl' variant - unresolved (see gaps). 'Lassen Class' header conflicts with the DANFS 'class Mauna Loa' stat block (see correction row). Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statements; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-04
-
[9]Shipbuilding History (shipbuildinghistory.com), 'Combat Logistics Resupply Ships AC AE AF AFS AKE AOE AOR' table (T. Colton), AE-13 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- ac.htm AE table, row 'AE | 13 | Akutan | Tampa SB | 112 | C2-N | ... | Scrapped 1978'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipbuilding History combat-logistics construction table entry for AE-13: name Akutan; builder Tampa SB; Maritime Commission hull 112; type C2-N; 6,350 LDT; 459 ft LOA; delivered 15-Feb-45; disposition 'Scrapped 1978.' Confirms the MC contract hull number and design subtype and corroborates the 1978 scrapping disposition documented by DANFS and NavSource.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation consistent with DANFS and NavSource on milestones; 'C2-N' subtype conflicts with HyperWar's 'C2-Cargo' label - C2-N adopted as the MC design subtype (see correction row). No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-05
-
[10]NARA record-group guides (RG 19, RG 24, RG 38, RG 178); NavSource photo index for AE-13 [other_primary]
- Locator
- RG 178 guide entry; https://www.archives.gov/research/military/navy.html (RG 24/38); NavSource 0513 photo credits
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (existence confirmed at collection level, not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG-19-LCM Bureau of Ships photographs of this hull confirmed via the NavSource index - 19-N-81979, 19-N-81981, 19-N-81984, taken by Tampa Bay Shipbuilding (launching view 1944-09-17 and camouflage-measure-32 design-13F underway views near Tampa 1945-02-23); (b) NARA RG 24 deck logs and RG 38 WWII war diaries cover AE-13's commissioned period (1945-02-15 to 1946-10-19; holdings confirmed at record-group level, item-level pull not performed); (c) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) construction records may hold the MC hull 112 / Tampa Shipbuilding contract and outfitting specifications - the likeliest documentary path to any materials itemization; (d) NDRF Beaumont fleet records covering the 1960-1978 layup and the 1978 sale file (PD-X action referenced by the MARAD auction record) are not digitized.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978 records
- Limitations
- Collection-level mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for MC hull 112 / AE-13 is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-06
-
[11]Consolidated era inference - NavSource-documented TSM219 diesel plant for this hull + Bureau of Mines product history and WWII shipbuilding scholarship (see ev-01, ev-02) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Type technical data; NavSource specification sheet for this hull
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for the C2-N motor-ship type: diesel propulsion (one Nordberg TSM219 on a single screw - documented for this hull by the NavSource specification sheet) means no boiler or steam-turbine insulation pathway; the era-typical asbestos applications for a 1944-45 Maritime Commission auxiliary were instead diesel-engine exhaust and muffler insulation, machinery and piping-system gaskets and packing, electrical cable and equipment insulation, accommodation/joiner insulation and fireproofing, galley/laundry equipment insulation, and brake linings on cargo winches and windlass. Insulation products of this period were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and wartime construction occurred while the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding. Layup (1946-60), the 1960 transfer, and the 1978 demolition were machinery/fabric-disturbance events consistent with insulation disturbance, none documented.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978
- Population
- Tampa Shipbuilding construction trades (1944-45); Navy crew (1945-46); Atlantic Reserve Fleet/NDRF layup and maintenance crews (1946-78); B.S. & S. Inc. demolition workers (1978)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no ship-specific material schedule, survey, or abatement record located. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era-consistent inference, not ship-proven. Establishes no quantities and no exposure for any individual; the layup, transfer, and demolition events disturb but do not document asbestos.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-07
-
[12]Batch-480 search ledger (this record): NHHC canonical URL (404) + Wayback capture + HyperWar mirror; NavSource; shipbuildinghistory; MARAD ShipHistory (site error); NVR (302 redirect); CourtListener API/UI (blocked); web-indexed court records; LOC pictures (0); NARA record groups [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-akutan-ae13-01 through sl-uss-akutan-ae13-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, specification itemization, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Akutan (AE-13) or MC hull 112 was found in the public sources searched; the hull was scrapped in 1978 so no present-day hull survey can exist. CourtListener access was rate-limited during this pass (API 125/day throttle, HTTP 429; web UI script-gated/403) - the dedicated name/hull litigation search is incomplete; web-indexed opinion searches returned only name collisions (Native Village of Akutan / Tribal Village of Akutan tribal-entity litigation in Alaska) and law-firm marketing ship lists naming the hull, excluded as non-authoritative.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 2026-09-19
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944-45 motor ship outfitted to era practice is era-consistent with asbestos-containing exhaust, gasket, electrical, and accommodation insulation materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Litigation search incomplete pending a dedicated CourtListener pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-08
-
[13]NHHC DANFS Akutan entry (Wayback capture 2024-05-26); HyperWar DANFS transcription + ships-AE data page; NavSource 09/05/0513; shipbuildinghistory ac.htm; Wikipedia infobox (discrepancy source only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS stats block vs NavSource header/spec sheet; shipbuildinghistory AE-13 row; NavSource specification block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies noted and resolved: (a) Class designation - the DANFS stat block lists 'class Mauna Loa' (and the project hull list follows it) while NavSource, HyperWar, and most secondary sources group the ship under 'Lassen class'; no controlling source reconciles the groupings - both carried, 'Mauna Loa' adopted per DANFS + project list. (b) Stricken date - DANFS and NavSource give 1960-07-01; the '1 May 1960' figure circulating via Wikipedia is an error. (c) Propulsion - NavSource spec sheet lists one Nordberg TSM219 diesel; a '2 x 9-cyl Nordberg, 3,155 bhp each' variant circulates in secondary sources (Wikipedia infobox) - unresolved; NavSource adopted. (d) MC design type - HyperWar's ship-data page says 'C2-Cargo'; shipbuildinghistory's construction table records C2-N (MC hull 112) - C2-N adopted. (e) Sponsor name - NHHC updated entry spells 'Roswell B. Dagett'; the older DANFS transcription spells 'Rosswell B. Daggett' - NHHC adopted, variant noted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-1978
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among sources; does not affect identity or custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-09
-
[14]USCG District 17 public affairs bulletin via govdelivery (scuttling and hazmat removal); Naval Marine Archive shipyard table (FS-374 -> Midas -> Akutan lineage); Maritime Executive/Anchorage Daily News/KTOO coverage (2017-2018) [other_primary]
- Locator
- USCG bulletin (166-ft fishing vessel, scuttle site, hazmat quantities); navalmarinearchive.com Bay/Leathem D. Smith yard table, hull 183 / FS 374 row; maritime-executive.com Jan 2018 scuttle article
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Name collision resolved: the fishing vessel Akutan (IMO 5007510), a 166-180 ft floating fish processor abandoned at Captains Bay/Dutch Harbor in August 2017 and scuttled outside U.S. territorial seas in January 2018 (USCG Cutter Alex Haley tow; Alaska DNR + Coast Guard emergency declarations; oil-water mixture, diesel, ammonia and hazardous materials removed before sinking), was the ex-U.S. Army Transportation Corps coastal freighter FS-374 (U.S. Official No. 288598, ~176 ft, built October 1944) - sold postwar as fishing vessel Midas, later Akutan. She is a different hull from the 459-ft USS Akutan (AE-13), which was sold for scrapping at Beaumont, TX in 1978; the shared name and shared 1944 build year have produced secondary-source conflation of the two vessels.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-19
- Study period
- 1944-2018
- Limitations
- Documents a different vessel - included only to prevent attribution of the F/V Akutan's 2018 scuttling and hazmat record to this hull. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding for AE-13.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-akutan-ae13-10