USS Alamance (AKA-75)

Evidence

15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).

1. [1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ships, attack (AKA) section, per-hull rows for ALAMANCE AKA-75 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AKA tables pp. 112-117 (dimensions, limiting/accommodations, machinery, generators/fuel, armament/cargo, construction rows for ALAMANCE AKA-75, line item 2)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for ALAMANCE AKA-75 (ex-M.C. Hull 1405), AKA table line 2: 459'2" overall / 435'0" waterline; beam 63'0"; 16.5 knots trial; 13,910 tons trial displacement / 14,160 tons limiting; 26'4" limiting draft; largest boom 35 tons; accommodations 20 officers + 223 enlisted; machinery 1 General Electric turbine, 6,000 shp, single propeller, with 2 Foster-Wheeler header-type ('F.W. hdr.') boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F; double GE main reduction gears; 3 turbo-drive 300 kW ship's-service generators at 120/240 V DC; fuel 10,425 bbls NSFO + 805 diesel; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm; cargo 380,000 cu ft non-refrigerated / 7,840 total cargo tons / 5,275 DWT; builder North Carolina S.B. Co., Wilmington, N.C.; acquired 22 Dec 1944; year built 1944; first commission 22 Dec 44 (the ferry commission - the full commissioning ceremony followed 9 Jan 1945 at Charleston Navy Yard per the ship's own history).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant (incl. Foster-Wheeler header boilers), manning, builder, and acquisition/ferry-commission date. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, the ship's war diary, NavSource, and MARAD. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-01

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Alamance (AKA-75)', Naval History Division / NHHC - verbatim transcription via HyperWar/ibiblio mirror (live NHHC page returned 404 on 2026-09-22 across URL variants; no Wayback capture located) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   HyperWar DANFS transcription, full entry text; NHHC canonical https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/alamance.html (404)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry 'Alamance (AKA-75)': namesake 'a county in the state of North Carolina'; spec block 'dp. 14,160; l. 459'2"; b. 63'; dr. 26'4"; s. 16.5 k.; cpl. 243; a. 1 5", 8 40mm., 16 20mm., cl. Tolland; T. C2S-AJ3'. Laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1405) 15 Sep 1944 at Wilmington, N.C., by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co.; launched 11 Nov 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Carl T. Durham; 'acquired by the Navy on 22 December 1944; and placed in commission on that same day,' Comdr. Otto John Stein in command. Shakedown Chesapeake Bay; departed for the Pacific 12 Feb 1945, Panama Canal 18 Feb; reported to Transport Division 65 at Pearl Harbor; shuttled cargo and personnel Pearl Harbor to the Philippines, Eniwetok, Saipan, Palau Islands, and Ulithi; last month of the war on amphibious training out of Pearl Harbor; sailed 1 Sep 1945 for the Marianas and joined a convoy transporting occupation forces to Japan, arriving Sasebo 22 Sep to discharge 5th Marine Division personnel and equipment; second lift from Lingayen Gulf; returned to Sasebo 18 Oct; via Buckner Bay, Okinawa, to Portland, Oreg., arriving 14 Nov for repairs; Pearl Harbor 26 Jan 1946; personnel shuttle island bases to Pearl Harbor; west coast Apr 1946; Panama Canal; Norfolk 13 May 1946; decommissioned Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, 25 Jun 1946; returned to the Maritime Commission; name struck from the Navy list 19 Jul 1946.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Limitations

   Authoritative ship-history source; the 'placed in commission on that same day' clause compresses the documented ferry-commission/full-commission sequence (see correction row ev-07). Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, survey, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-02

3. [3]USS Alamance (AKA-75) War Diaries, History and Action Reports, January-December 1945 (83-page scan hosted by NavSource, courtesy Frank Gerhardt; NARA-originated documents bearing CONFIDENTIAL markings and register numbers) [other_primary]

   Locator

   02075a.pdf: Jan 1945 war diary pp. 1-3 (commissioning/fit-out); 'History of U.S.S. ALAMANCE' Enclosure (A) pp. ~75-76; Action Report serial 020 transmittal + chronological account pp. ~77-83

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The ship's own records (83-page scan): monthly war diaries January-December 1945 plus 'History of U.S.S. ALAMANCE (AKA-75)' (Enclosure A) and the Sasebo-occupation Action Report (serial 020, 25 Sep 1945, CO O.J. Stein). The ship-written history records: Maritime Commission Hull 1405 / North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. hull no. 150; shelter-deck type C2 hull, raked stem, cruiser stern, single-screw geared turbine propulsion, designed by the Maritime Commission with the Navy Department and Bureau of Ships; keel laid 15 Sep 1944, launched 11 Nov 1944; 'The Maritime Commission delivered the vessel to the Department of the Navy on 22 December 1944 at Wilmington, North Carolina. The ALAMANCE then proceeded to the Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina for fitting out. On 9 January 1945 the commissioning ceremony took place at the Charleston Navy Yard' - Capt. R.N.S. Baker USN ordering full commission, CDR Otto John Stein USNR assuming command. January diary: at Navy Yard Charleston 9-19 Jan 1945 'fitting out and equipping. Navy Yard trials of equipment and machinery'; underway 19 Jan for Hampton Roads; ComPhibTraLant arrival inspection 21 Jan; Chesapeake shakedown (gunnery, landing-craft handling, ship-to-shore ops, fueling at sea, full-power runs, degaussing); Naval Supply Depot Bayonne loading 5-12 Feb; Panama transit 18 Feb; Pearl Harbor 4 Mar; TransDiv 56 loading/operational control 7 Mar then TransDiv 65. Two cargo voyages 15 Mar-31 Jul: Pearl Harbor to Samar and Leyte, Palau to Saipan, Saipan to Pearl Harbor; carried 83rd Construction Battalion and Ninth Army Corps units to the Philippines, Peleliu and Angaur personnel/equipment to Saipan. August: five days amphibious training off Maui with 98th Infantry Division combat team; 19 Aug to Fifth Amphibious Force/PhibGru 4; assigned TransDiv 72 (temp.), TransRon 22 (temp.). Occupation lift: loaded 26th Marines 5th MarDiv at Hilo 22-25 Aug (152 troops; 1,902 short tons incl. ammunition 377,742 lbs, petroleum 524,525 lbs, 115 vehicles) in company with Grafton APA-109 (OTC), Bowie APA-137, Karnes APA-175, Fallon APA-81; arrived Sasebo 22 Sep; discharged at City Docks and Ship Repair Basin, Sasebo, 22-25 Sep. Action report records landing craft as 6 LCM(6), 2 LCM(3), 15 LCVP, 1 LCP(L).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   The ship's own contemporaneous records - the strongest available service source; corrects the DANFS compression on commissioning (see ev-07). Scan is hosted on NavSource (private-custody courtesy scan of NARA-origin documents, not the NARA originals). Pages are typewritten carbon copies, mostly legible. Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials statements anywhere in 83 pages - an absence noted, not a finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-03

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Alamance (AKA-75), file 10/02/02075 (page maintainer Gary P. Priolo; last updated 2020-08-21) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 02075 page - timeline bullets, spec block, awards display, CO list, captioned photo index

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource amphibious photo archive page for USS Alamance (AKA-75): Tolland-class attack cargo ship; call sign NHHB; laid down 1944-09-15 as MC type C2-S-AJ3 (MC hull 1405) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington; launched 11 Nov 1944; commissioned 22 Dec 1944 (CDR Otto J. Stein USNR). Assignments: TransRon Twenty-Two (COMO S.P. Jenkins) / Trans Division Sixty-Five (CAPT E.C. Rogers USN); occupation service 21-25 Oct 1945; decommissioned 25 Jun 1946 Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth; returned to Maritime Commission 26 Jun 1946 for NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall; struck 19 Jul 1946; tow by Moran Towing & Transportation Corp. Lee Hall to Todd Shipyards Corp., Charleston, S.C., 13-17 Jun 1947 for reconversion, Todd custody 17 Jun 1947. Merchant chain: sold 6 Aug 1947 to South Atlantic Steamship Co. (SS Southstar); acquired by United States Lines via acquisition of South Atlantic Steamship Co. 7 Sep 1960 (SS American Supplier); Alcoa Steamship Co. via MARAD exchange 15 Aug 1963 (SS Alcoa Voyager); Colombia Steam Ship Co. 24 Sep 1969 (SS Columbia Fox); Netherlands flag 16 Feb 1971 (SS Antillian Fox); scrapped Taiwan 1971. Spec block: displacement 8,635 t light / 13,910 full / 14,160 limiting; complement listed as 20 officers + 233 enlisted; propulsion one GE geared turbine, two 'Foster and Wheeler header-type' boilers 450 psi / 750 deg, double GE reduction gear, three 300 kW generators, single propeller 6,000 shp; cargo 5,275 DWT / 380,000 cu ft; 14 LCVPs + 8 LCMs; largest boom 35 t; fuel NSFO 10,425 bbls + diesel 805. CO roster: CDR Stein 22 Dec 1944-Nov 1945; LCDR Russell James Brooke USNR Jun-25 Jun 1946. Captioned photos: NH 57773 (underway off Charleston 1944); NARA RG-19-LCM photo 19-N-77195 (Cooper River off Charleston Navy Yard 15 Jan 1945, BuShips photo); U.S. Navy Yard Charleston photo 159-45 (15 Jan 1945); NH 78539 (homeward-bound GIs, late 1945/early 1946); Sasebo moorage with USS Grafton (APA-109), 1945.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - every overlapping milestone (dates, builder, custody chain) agrees with DANFS, the war diary, SDB, and MARAD records; the commissioning line repeats DANFS's compressed 22 Dec date (see ev-07); its '233 enlisted' vs SDB's 223 is a one-digit variance flagged in gaps; landing-craft count (14 LCVP/8 LCM) differs from the ship's own action report (15 LCVP, 6 LCM(6) + 2 LCM(3), 1 LCP(L)) - the action report controls. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-04

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ALAMANCE (AKA-75), Ship History Detail 83, incl. milestone table, name history, status-card scans (83_154AB.jpg, 83_154AF.jpg, two PNGs) and document ALAMANCE.pdf [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   MARAD ShipHistory Detail 83, characteristics panel, milestones table, vessel name history, status-card scans; ALAMANCE.pdf at /documents/e2eeee2a-14b9-4164-a1cc-f128bafc125d.pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for ALAMANCE (AKA-75), Ship History Detail 83: Year Built 1944; U.S. Official Number 253289; Shipyard 'North Carolina Shipbuilding Company'; General Type Naval Auxiliary; Specific Type 'AKA Attack Cargo Ship'; MARAD Type C2-S-AJ3; length 459.00 ft; beam 63.00 ft; displacement 13,910.00 t summer / 8,635.00 t lightweight; fate 'Transferred - Foreign'. Name history: Alamance (AKA-75) 1944-1947; Southstar 1947-1960; American Supplier 1960-1963; Alcoa Voyager 1963-1969; Columbia Fox 1969-1971; Antillian Fox 1971. Milestones: Entry 1946-06-26 'Entered Reserve Fleet'; Sold 1947-08-06 'to South Atlantic Steamship Line Company'; Sold 1955-11-01 'to United States Lines Company'; Renamed 1955-11-01 'to Southstar'; Acquisition 1960-09-07 'MARAD'; Renamed 1961-05-05 'to American Supplier'; Exchanged 1963-08-15 'To Alcoa Steamship Company'; Renamed 1963-08-15 'to Aloca [sic] Voyager'; Sold 1969-09-24 'to Columbia Steamship Company Inc.'; Renamed 1969-09-24 'to Columbia Fox'; Title Transfer 1971-02-16 'Transferred to Netherland Flag'; Renamed 1971-02-16 'to Antillian Fox'. The digitized status-card scan (ALAMANCE.pdf) corroborates the early custody legs in fragmentary OCR: Navy Department -> War Shipping Admin -> Reserve Fleet (Lee Hall, Va., surplus lay-up, 6-26-46) -> Moran Towing & Transp. -> U.S. Maritime Commission -> Todd Shipyard Corp. (Charleston, S.C., custody 6-17-47).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones and principal dimensions. The milestone table's 'Sold 11/1/1955 to United States Lines' + 'Renamed 11/1/1955 to Southstar' rows sit oddly against the 1947-1960 Southstar name-history span - card-era transcription artifacts; the US Lines transition is dated variously 1955/1958/1960 across sources (see correction row and gaps). Status-card scan OCR is fragmentary. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-05

6. [6]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Tolland (AKA-64) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AKA-64 class page: characteristics block, class notes (JCS/MC program history, Charleston vs. New York/Baltimore completion split, landing-craft allowance), construction table (AKA-75 row), disposition table (AKA-75 row), ship notes (AKA-75 row)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the class tables and ship notes: ALAMANCE AKA-75 (MC hull 1405) acquired 22 Dec 44, North Carolina SB, keel 15 Sep 44, launched 11 Nov 44, commissioned 9 Jan 45; disposition row - decommissioned 25 Jun 46, strike 19 Jul 46, disposal 26 Jun 46 'MC/D' (Maritime Commission disposal), MA Sale 6 Aug 47; ship note 'Ferry comm. 22-24 Dec 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. SOUTHSTAR 1947. In NDRF 1962-63 as AMERICAN SUPPLIER. Scrapped 1971 as ANTILLIAN FOX.' Class-level context: the 24 C2-S-AJ3 AKAs (AKA 64-87) were ordered under the 9 Nov 43 JCS request for 30 standard AKAs, plus eight more (AKA 101-108) under the 6 Jun 44 JCS program modification; all C2-S-AJ3s were built with military features under the MC Military Program; AKA 64-75 and 101-104 were acquired substantially complete and ferried under their own power to the Charleston Navy Yard for conversion, while AKA 76-87 and 105-108 were acquired incomplete and towed to New York/Baltimore repair yards; class landing-craft allowance as fitted 8 LCMs, 15 LCVPs, 1 LCL launch; class data 6,318 t light / 14,160 t lim, 459.2' oa x 63.0' x 26.4' lim, 16.5 kts, 6,000 HP GE turbine 1 screw.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records - its commissioning date (9 Jan 45) agrees with the ship's own war diary history against DANFS's compressed 22 Dec date, and its 'ferry comm. 22-24 Dec 44' note resolves the two dates as separate events. Its class-level light displacement (6,318 t) differs from NavSource's 8,635 t light - different measure/basis, flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-06

7. [7]Source-discrepancy resolution: DANFS (HyperWar mirror) + BuShips SDB 1945 v3 vs ship's own war diary/history (NavSource-hosted scan 02075a.pdf) vs shipscribe AKA-64 class compilation; MARAD milestone table vs NavSource merchant chronology vs theshipslist.com South Atlantic SS Co. fleet history [other_primary]

   Locator

   War diary 'History of U.S.S. ALAMANCE' Enclosure (A) paragraph 1-2; SDB1945v3 construction table; shipscribe construction/ship-notes tables; MARAD Detail 83 milestones; http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/southatlantic.shtml

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Cross-source reconciliation of three compression points for this hull: (a) Commissioning - DANFS 'acquired by the Navy on 22 December 1944; and placed in commission on that same day' and SDB 'date of first commission 22 Dec 44' record the delivery + ferry commission at Wilmington (shipscribe ship note: 'Ferry comm. 22-24 Dec 44'); the ship's own history documents 'the commissioning ceremony took place at the Charleston Navy Yard' on 9 January 1945, which the shipscribe construction table also carries as 'Commiss. 9 Jan 45'. Both dates are correct for different events - the 22 Dec date is the acquisition/ferry commission, 9 Jan 45 is the full commission after Charleston Navy Yard conversion; the class pattern (AKA 64-75 and 101-104 ferried to Charleston NY for conversion) corroborates. (b) Complement - DANFS 'cpl. 243' matches SDB accommodations 20 officers + 223 enlisted; NavSource lists 233 enlisted (one-digit variance); HyperWar class block lists 395. (c) Merchant chain - all sources agree on the name sequence Southstar -> American Supplier -> Alcoa Voyager -> Columbia Fox -> Antillian Fox and the 1971 scrapping; the United States Lines transition date is stated as 1 Nov 1955 (MARAD milestone 'Sold'), 7 Sep 1960 (NavSource, 'acquired via acquisition of South Atlantic Steamship Co.'), and 1958 (theshipslist.com fleet history); the American Supplier rename is 5 May 1961 (MARAD) vs 7 Sep 1960 (NavSource). MARAD custody rows are carried as authoritative for government-custody events with the commercial-transfer variance logged unresolved.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level compressions by aligning each date with the event its source actually records; the ferry-commission interval (22-24 Dec 44) rests on the shipscribe ship note (secondary compilation from Navy registers) - consistent with, though not separately restated in, the ship's own history. Merchant-date variances do not affect identity or the name chain. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-07

8. [8]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + ship's own war diary (construction/fit-out/ops events) + MARAD status-card custody legs + shipscribe class notes [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table, AKA section (ALAMANCE row); war diary fit-out/repair entries; MARAD Detail 83 milestones + ALAMANCE.pdf; shipscribe AKA-64 class page

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The documented machinery plant of this hull - one GE geared steam turbine (6,000 shp, single screw) on two Foster-Wheeler header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F, with three turbo-drive 300 kW ship's-service generators - is of the type whose boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine and turbo-generator lagging, gaskets, packing, and accommodation insulation were commonly asbestos-containing in WWII naval and Maritime Commission construction. Documented disturbance windows aboard this hull: 1944 construction at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington (a yard whose asbestos environment is litigation-documented - see ev-11, ev-12); ferry transit and Charleston Navy Yard AKA conversion with fitting-out and Navy Yard machinery trials (22 Dec 1944 - 19 Jan 1945); November 1945 Portland, Oreg. repair period; Norfolk Naval Shipyard decommissioning (Jun 1946); NDRF lay-up at Lee Hall, James River (Jun 1946 - Jun 1947); Todd Shipyards Corp. Charleston merchant reconversion (Jun-Aug 1947); ~24 years merchant service under five owners and two flags (1947-1971); scrapping in Taiwan (1971).

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Population

   North Carolina Shipbuilding construction trades (1944); Charleston Navy Yard conversion/fit-out workforce (Dec 1944-Jan 1945); USS ship's company (243 authorized complement per SDB/DANFS); Norfolk NSY decommissioning workforce (1946); NDRF Lee Hall caretakers (1946-47); Todd Charleston reconversion workforce (1947); merchant crews under five flags (1947-1971); Taiwan shipbreakers (1971)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and documented conversion/repair/layup/reconversion/disposal events - NOT a hull record: no source located states that asbestos was installed, remained, or was disturbed aboard this specific hull. Does not establish quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-alamance-aka75-08

9. [9]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 emergency construction program under which this C2-S-AJ3 attack cargo ship was built at North Carolina Shipbuilding in 1944 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type and naval hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-22

   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-alamance-aka75-09

10. [10]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., '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

    PubMed record, J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U.S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction of exactly this hull's era and type.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1944-1945 survey period; published Jan 1946

    Population

    Pipe-covering workers at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards (survey population)

    Limitations

    Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether North Carolina Shipbuilding or Charleston/Norfolk Navy Yards were among the surveyed sites is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamance-aka75-10

11. [11]Burnette v. Nicolet, Inc., 818 F.2d 1098 (4th Cir. 1986), CourtListener opinion 8950212 (cluster 8959104) [court_record]

    Locator

    Opinion text - recital of Burnette's deposition employment/exposure history and the appellate disposition

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Burnette v. Nicolet, Inc., 818 F.2d 1098 (4th Cir. 1986): insulator James Burnette alleged asbestosis from products of 26 manufacturers. Per the opinion's recitation of his summary-judgment-stage deposition, Burnette 'was first exposed to asbestos in his job as an insulator at the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. in October 1943' - the Wilmington yard that built this hull September-December 1944; his work there was on 'incompleted hulls sitting powerless on the water or in land-based construction shops.' Disposition: district court granted defendants summary judgment (diversity claims barred by N.C. statute of repose; admiralty claims dismissed); Fourth Circuit REVERSED and remanded on the diversity claims (statute of repose inapplicable to disease per Hyer and Silver) and AFFIRMED dismissal of the admiralty claims - a procedural disposition, not an exposure adjudication.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1943-1986

    Population

    North Carolina Shipbuilding insulators and construction trades (1943-era documented)

    Limitations

    Builder-yard-level documentation only - does not name this hull or any vessel; Burnette's deposition recital was made at the summary-judgment stage and was never adjudicated on the merits (classified at the least-final stage per batch discipline: pleading/deposition allegation, not a trial finding). The exposure window (from Oct 1943) overlaps this hull's construction window (Sep-Dec 1944) at the same yard but establishes nothing about this hull's materials or any individual exposure.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamance-aka75-11

12. [12]Hatcher v. Daniel International Corp., Full Commission Opinion and Award (N.C. Industrial Comm'n 2001), CourtListener opinion 3640965 (cluster 3895093); affirmed, 153 N.C. App. 776, 571 S.E.2d 20 (2002) [court_record]

    Locator

    Full Commission opinion - findings on North Carolina Shipbuilding employment and exposure conditions

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Hatcher v. Daniel International Corp. (N.C. Industrial Commission, Full Commission Opinion and Award, 2001; affirmed, 153 N.C. App. 776, 571 S.E.2d 20, 2002): the Commission found that decedent Norman Hatcher, a welder, 'was exposed to asbestos on a number of occasions, beginning with his work at the Wilmington shipyard in the 1940s as an employee of North Carolina Shipbuilding Company' - including being 'required to cover himself with an asbestos cloth as protection against sparks and fire' and working 'around or near products made of asbestos such as insulation, particularly insulation for pipes.' The Commission concluded he contracted asbestosis and lung cancer from occupational asbestos exposure but DENIED benefits against the named defendant-employer because his last injurious exposure was not with that employer - an administrative finding of exposure at the yard, resolved against the claimant on a last-exposure rule.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1940s-2002

    Population

    North Carolina Shipbuilding welders and construction trades (1940s documented)

    Limitations

    Builder-yard-level documentation only - does not name this hull or any vessel. An administrative commission finding (not a common-law jury finding) that asbestos exposure occurred at the yard in the 1940s; benefits denied on last-injurious-exposure grounds, which does not disturb the exposure finding but also does not extend it to this hull. Establishes nothing about this hull's materials or any individual exposure aboard.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamance-aka75-12

13. [13]National Park Service, '(H)our History Lesson: N.C. Shipbuilding Co: Impacts on the WWII Home Front in Wilmington, NC' (WWII Heritage City lesson series) [nps]

    Locator

    NPS lesson page - Reading 1 'Background of NC Shipbuilding Co.' and 'By the numbers' block; Reading 2 excerpts from 'Five Years of North Carolina Shipbuilding' (company booklet, 1 May 1946)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    NPS documentation of the builder yard: North Carolina Shipbuilding Company was founded 1941 in Wilmington under Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. as part of the U.S. Government's WWII Emergency Shipbuilding Program; the Cape Fear River yard began construction February 1941, launched its first Liberty ship 6 Dec 1941, became the state's largest employer (employment over 20,000 in 1943; peak roll ~21,000 on 11 Mar 1943), and built 243 vessels 1941-1946 - beginning with Liberty ships and including C2 cargo types, attack cargo ships (AKA), amphibious flagships (AGC), and ammunition ships (AE); the yard was held in reserve postwar and the site is now part of the North Carolina state port.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1941-1946

    Population

    North Carolina Shipbuilding workforce (~20,000-21,000 at 1943 peak)

    Limitations

    Builder-yard background only - corroborates the yard's identity, parentage, scale, and product mix during this hull's construction window. The article contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials statement; supports no asbestos claim. North Carolina Shipbuilding is not an Atlas shipyards.json entry (gap).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamance-aka75-13

14. [14]Batch-1057 search ledger (this record): HyperWar/DANFS mirror; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; NavSource 02075 + hosted war-diary scan 02075a.pdf; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 83 + status-card scans + ALAMANCE.pdf; shipscribe AKA-64 class page; CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps; VA BVA index; NARA record-group guides; NPS builder-yard article [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-alamance-aka75-01 through sl-uss-alamance-aka75-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Alamance / AKA-75 / MC hull 1405 / SS Southstar / SS American Supplier / SS Alcoa Voyager / SS Columbia Fox / SS Antillian Fox / U.S. Official No. 253289 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The ship's own 83-page war diary/action-report scan contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement. CourtListener authenticated sweeps (2026-09-22): '"USS Alamance"' 0 opinions; '"AKA-75"' 0 opinions; '"Alcoa Voyager"' 0; '"Columbia Fox"' + ship 0; '"Southstar"' + asbestos 1 hit (unrelated insurer dispute - name collision); bare 'Alamance' ~1,600 hits all Alamance County, N.C. matters (namesake-county collision - the 'Alamance' + asbestos subset of 9 opinions was read at opinion-text level and none mentions the vessel). VA BVA index check returned no decision naming the ship.

    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 geared-turbine steam auxiliary built at a litigation-documented asbestos yard is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented conversion, repair, lay-up, reconversion, merchant-service, and scrapping phases are undocumented disturbance windows. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamance-aka75-14

15. [15]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 38 (CNO war diaries/action reports), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Maritime Administration); UNCW ArchivesSpace SC-MS-352; ECU Joyner Library North Carolina Shipbuilding collection [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/038.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; MARAD Detail 83 documents section

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Alamance 1944-1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park); the archival originals of the war diaries/action reports (RG 38 - the NavSource-hosted 83-page scan covers Jan-Dec 1945; originals may carry additional months incl. the Dec 1944 fitting-out period and better legibility); BuShips records incl. C2-S-AJ3 contract plans, outfitting specifications, and the Charleston Navy Yard conversion work package (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 1405 at North Carolina Shipbuilding (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1946-47 Lee Hall lay-up and the Jun-Aug 1947 Todd Shipyards Charleston reconversion work package (RG 357) - the reconversion scope is the likeliest materials-relevant lead since merchant reconversions typically disturbed machinery insulation; NC Shipbuilding Co. records at UNC Wilmington (SC-MS-352) and ECU Joyner Library (builder-yard archive).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-22

    Study period

    1944-1971 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-alamance-aka75-15