USS Algol (AKA-54)

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

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 ALGOL AKA-54 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AKA tables: machinery row (ALGOL AKA54 'G.E. turb. / 6,000 / 2 F.W. "D" / 450 / 750'), armament row, designation index ('ALGOL (ex-James Baines, ex-M.C. Hull 1153) AKA 54'), vessel index ('Algol (ex-James Baines, ex-M.C. Hull 1153)'), M.C. hull cross-index ('M.C. Hull 1153 (now Algol) AKA54'); construction row partially garbled

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for ALGOL AKA-54: machinery row '1 | G.E. turb. | 6,000 | 2 F.W. "D" | 450 | 750' (one screw, General Electric turbine, 6,000 shp, two Foster-Wheeler D-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F); armament row '1-5"/38 cal. (D.P.), 4 twin' (40mm); name/designation index 'ALGOL (ex-James Baines, ex-M.C. Hull 1153) AKA 54'; M.C.-hull cross-index 'M.C. Hull 1153 (now Algol) AKA54'; construction-table row partially garbled in OCR. The volume's index entries confirm MC hull 1153, the merchant-hull origin, and the single-hull AKA-54 identity.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms machinery plant, armament fit, and the MC-hull-1153/AKA-54 single-hull identity. PDF text-verified via pdftotext; the scanned table OCR is columnar and partially garbled (merchant-name cell reads 'James Baines' - see correction row; the construction row's date cells do not align cleanly and were not carried). Machinery values cross-verified against NavSource. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-01

2. [2]DANFS, 'Algol' entry (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. I, pp. 181-82), Naval History and Heritage Command - verbatim transcription; live NHHC URL returns 404 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block (hazegray/losthistory.net verbatim transcription of DANFS Vol. I pp. 181-82; live history.navy.mil page 404s - standing NHHC link rot, cf. BATCH-01)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS records: laid down 10 Dec 1942 at Oakland, Calif., by Moore Dry Dock Co. under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1153) as SS James Barnes; launched 17 Feb 1943, sponsored by Mrs. J. A. McKeown; renamed Algol 30 Aug 1943; placed in reduced commission 27 Nov 1943 for the voyage to Willamette Shipyard, Portland, Oreg.; decommissioned there 3 Dec 1943; converted to an attack cargo ship; placed in full commission 21 Jul 1944, Lt. Comdr. Axton T. Jones, USNR. Spec block: 13,910 t (tl); 459'2"; 63'0"; 26'4" (lim); 16.5 k (tl); complement 429; armament 1 5", 8 40mm, 18 20mm; class Andromeda; type C2-S-B1. WWII: Lingayen Gulf landings (arrived 11 Jan 1945, towed the casualty SS President Monroe to San Pedro Bay); Zambales landing; Okinawa (arrived 1 Apr, remained as landing-craft tender in the inner transport area to 10 Apr); postwar China/Japan/Pacific passenger-cargo service. Placed in commission in reserve Jul 1947, ordered back to active service, full commission by late summer 1949; Atlantic amphibious duty incl. 1949-50 Mediterranean deployment. Korea: 1st Marine Division lift to Kobe; Inchon resupply 21-27 Sep 1950 and Oct return; Chinnampo and Inchon evacuations Dec 1950-Jan 1951; Hong Kong lift of the British 28th Brigade to Inchon Apr-May 1951; Pearl Harbor yard period Mar 1952; Todd Shipyard Alameda repair period summer 1953; Operation Passage to Freedom refugee lifts Tourane/Haiphong to Saigon Aug-Sep 1954; Mare Island Naval Shipyard overhaul Aug-Nov 1955; decommissioned 2 Jan 1958 to Bremerton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. Recommissioned 17 Nov 1961 at Northwest Marine Iron Works, Portland, Oreg.; Atlantic Fleet amphibious duty incl. the 1962 Cuban missile-crisis 'quarantine' support and Operation Steel Pike I (1964); redesignated amphibious cargo ship LKA-54 on 1 Jan 1969; decommissioned 23 Jul 1970 and transferred to MARAD's NDRF at James River, Va.; struck from the Navy list 1 Jan 1977; still berthed at James River as of early 1984. Two battle stars WWII, five Korea.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1984

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history, designation changes, custody chain, and disposal to NDRF. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page unavailable (404); the transcription mirror is verbatim DANFS text - no Wayback capture of the official page exists (checked 2026-09-21).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Algol (LKA-54) ex-AKA-54, file 10/02/02054 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 02054.htm - construction/timeline block, Asiatic-Pacific and Korean campaign tables, occupation/China service table, spec block, commanding-officer table, final-disposition entry, photo captions (Eagle Island Marine prep; ready-for-sinking shots dated 22 Nov 1991)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline corroborates and adds detail: laid down 10 Dec 1942 as SS James Barnes, MC type C2-S-B1, MC hull 1153, Moore Drydock Co., Oakland; launched 17 Feb 1943; renamed Algol 30 Aug 1943; reduced commission 27 Nov 1943 for transit to Willamette Shipyard; full commission 21 Jul 1944. Pacific assignment: TransRon Thirteen (COMO M. O. Carlson USN) / TransDiv Thirty-Nine (CAPT G. E. Maynard). Campaign credit - Luzon operation (Lingayen Gulf 11-15 Jan 1945); Okinawa Gunto assault and occupation (1-10 Apr 1945). Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia) 8 Sep-20 Nov 1945 and 23 Mar-5 Apr 1947, (Europe) 16 Sep 1949-18 Jan 1950; China Service Medal (extended) 8 Sep-20 Nov 1945, 23 Mar-5 Apr 1947, 28 Apr-5 May 1951. Korean campaigns: North Korean Aggression (20 Sep-1 Nov 1950); Communist China Aggression (15 Nov 1950-19 Jan 1951); First UN Counteroffensive (23 Feb-27 Mar 1951); Communist China Spring Offensive (9-14 May 1951); Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 (9-13 May, 9-13 Aug 1952). Decommissioned 2 Jan 1958, laid up Pacific Reserve Fleet Bremerton; recommissioned 17 Nov 1961 at Northwest Marine Iron Works, Portland; redesignated LKA-54 1 Jan 1969; struck 1 Jan 1977; two battle stars WWII + five Korea. Final disposition: removed from MARAD James River Reserve Fleet, towed to Eagle Island Marine, Wilmington, N.C., prepared for the New Jersey Shark River Artificial Reef, sunk 22 Nov 1991 (photo captions dated 22 Nov 1991 show her ready for sinking). Spec block: 6,556 t lt / 14,225 t fl; 459'2" x 63' x 26'5" lim; 16 kts; complement 66 officers + 363 enlisted; boom 30 t; cargo 4,444 cu ft non-refrigerated; NSFO 19,900 bbl; propulsion 1 G.E. steam turbine, 2 Foster & Wheeler D-type boilers 450 psi 750 deg F, double G.E. main reduction gears, 3 turbo-drive 300 kW 120/240V D.C. generators, single propeller 6,000 shp; boats incl. 15 LCVPs.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1991

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with DANFS/MARAD/ShipScribe on identity and custody. Two defects logged in the correction row and gaps: (a) 'Decommissioned, 27 October 1969, at NAB Little Creek, VA' conflicts with DANFS 23 Jul 1970 - probably conflates inactivation with formal decommissioning; (b) minor spec-block variances (16 kts vs DANFS 16.5; 4,444 cu ft cargo appears truncated against the class's ~400k cu ft figure). Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ALGOL (AKA-54/LKA-54), Ship History Detail 148, incl. scanned vessel status card (ALGOL.pdf, text-extracted) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 148 registry block, milestone table, Status Cards and Documents tabs; ALGOL.pdf custody rows (11-18-60 Olympia; 5-11-61; 6-27-61; 8-5-61) - https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/a11aa9cc-1461-4809-b2a8-4767225db6e6.pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory registry record for this hull: ALGOL (AKA-54/LKA-54), Year Built 1943, Specific Type 'AKA Attack Cargo Ship', MARAD Type C2-S-B1, length 459.00 ft, beam 63.00 ft, displacement 14,225 t summer / 6,556 t light; fate 'Sunk as a Reef'. Milestones: Entry and Acquisition 11/18/1960 ('Entered Reserve Fleet'); Artificial Reef and Withdrawal 6/11/1991 ('Transferred to New Jersey as a Fish Reef'). The scanned vessel status card (ALGOL.pdf, downloaded and text-extracted) carries custody-transfer entries: 11-18-60 Navy to Reserve Fleet (port of delivery Olympia, Wash.; Navy/MA custody); ~5-11-61 Reserve Fleet to Navy Dept.; 6-27-61 Navy Dept. to Reserve Fleet; 8-5-61 Reserve Fleet to Navy Dept. - matching ShipScribe's ship note ('In NDRF (MA custody) 18 Nov 60 to 11 May 61 and 27 Jun 61 to 5 Aug 61') and confirming two short NDRF-custody interludes at the Olympia site inside the Navy reserve period.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1991

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD registry + scanned status card - confirms MARAD-type, custody entries at the Olympia NDRF site in 1960-61, and the 11 Jun 1991 withdrawal/transfer to New Jersey for reef use. Two defects: (a) the registry 'Shipyard' field reads 'Consolidated Steel Corporation' - inconsistent with DANFS/NavSource/ShipScribe/SDB (Moore Dry Dock, Oakland); logged in the correction row as a registry-field error or contract-attribution artifact; (b) the status-card scan is partially OCR-garbled (one 1961 date illegible, rendered '~5-11-61' against ShipScribe's 11 May 61). Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-04

5. [5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Andromeda (AKA-15) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AKA-15 class page: construction table (AKA-54 row), disposition table (AKA-54 row incl. '1 Sep 73 MA/T'), ship notes (AKA-54 row), class notes (MC Military Program exception; Moore-ship dimensional notes)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull: construction row - ALGOL, AKA-54, Moore DD Oakland, laid 10 Dec 42, ferry commission 27 Nov 43; disposition row - decommissioned 23 Jul 70, struck 1 Jan 77, '1 Sep 73 MA/T' (MARAD title transfer). Ship note for AKA-54: 'Ex merc. JAMES BAINES. Ferry comm. 27 Nov-3 Dec 43. Converted by Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, Ore. In USN reserve 1947-48 and 1957-61. In NDRF (MA custody) 18 Nov 60 to 11 May 61 and 27 Jun 61 to 5 Aug 61. To LKA-54 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 23 Jul 70, delivered by MA to New Jersey for use as a fish reef 11 Jun 91.' Class notes: all class ships built to the MC C2-S-B1 design; 'the Moore ships were listed as 1 inch shorter (459.2 ft) and appear to have had slightly larger smokestacks'; 'all but AKA 54, 56-57, and 109-111 were completed under the Maritime Commission Military Program' - i.e., this hull is one of the class's merchant-program completions, consistent with her ex-merchant-hull origin.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1991

   Population

   Moore Dry Dock Oakland construction workforce (1942-43); Willamette Iron & Steel Portland conversion workforce (1943-44); Northwest Marine Iron Works Portland reactivation workforce (1961); wartime and Korea-era crews and embarked troops; Eagle Island Marine reef-prep workforce (1991)

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; used where consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD. '1 Sep 73 MA/T' read as the MARAD title-transfer date (custody ran 1970). Merchant-name spelled 'JAMES BAINES' - the MC-side variant flagged in the correction row. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-05

6. [6]New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Artificial Reef Program - 'Guide to Fishing and Diving New Jersey's Reefs' (3rd ed., 2009), Shark River Reef DGPS chart + reef program information sheet [other_primary]

   Locator

   reef_guide.pdf - Shark River Reef coordinates list, entry '4-91, USS Algol, 460' Attack Cargo Transport'; site block (14.8 n.m., 0.72 sq mi, 119-134 ft); https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/reefs/info.pdf - 'New Jersey's largest artificial reef, the Algol ... sunk on the Shark River Reef site in 1991' with side-scan sonar image

   Finding type

   environmental_record

   Finding

   Official New Jersey reef-program record: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife 'Guide to Fishing and Diving New Jersey's Reefs' Shark River Reef chart lists '4-91, USS Algol, 460 ft Attack Cargo Transport' - the ex-hull deployed on the Shark River Reef site in 1991; the site lies 14.8 n.m. offshore (Manasquan area), 0.72 sq mi, depth range 119-134 ft. The guide identifies the Algol as the largest vessel deployed on New Jersey's reefs (a side-scan sonar image of the wreck is published in the program's information sheet).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1991-present

   Population

   New Jersey Artificial Reef Program (deployment oversight); recreational divers (contemporary wreck)

   Limitations

   Authoritative state reef-program registry - confirms the hull, identity, reef site, and year (1991) but gives no day-level sinking date (the 18 vs 22 Nov conflict is flagged in the correction row) and no information on pre-sinking preparation, hazardous-materials removal, or materials condition. Supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-06

7. [7]DANFS entry (decommissioning narrative); ShipScribe disposition row ('23 Jul 70', '1 Sep 73 MA/T'); MARAD Detail 148 (withdrawal 6/11/1991; shipyard field); NJDEP reef guide (year 1991); NavSource 02054 (27 Oct 1969 decomm; 22 Nov 1991 sinking; 'James Barnes'); Wikipedia/globalSecurity (18 Nov 1991); shipbuildinghistory.com + usmm C2 list ('James Baines') [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS body text (23 Jul 1970 decommission + NDRF transfer); ShipScribe disposition table; MARAD milestones/registry fields; NJDEP chart; NavSource timeline/spec block; Wikipedia and globalSecurity fate fields; shipbuildinghistory C2 table row for hull 1153

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Secondary-source discrepancies identified and resolved (or held open) against primary sources: (a) Final-decommissioning date - NavSource gives 'Decommissioned, 27 October 1969, at NAB Little Creek, VA'; DANFS and ShipScribe disposition row give 23 Jul 1970 followed by NDRF transfer; NavalCoverMuseum agrees with 23 Jul 1970. The 1969 date likely conflates inactivation with formal decommissioning; the DANFS/ShipScribe 23 Jul 1970 date is adopted. (b) Sinking day - NavSource, njscuba.net, xray-mag, and NavalCoverMuseum give 22 Nov 1991; Wikipedia and globalSecurity give 18 Nov 1991; NJDEP confirms only the year (1991) and MARAD only the 11 Jun 1991 fleet withdrawal. 'November 1991' is firm; 22 Nov is provisionally carried on the weight of reef-specialist sources; the day-level conflict is flagged, not resolved. (c) Merchant name - Navy-side sources (DANFS, NavSource, Wikipedia, historycentral) say 'James Barnes'; Maritime-Commission-side lists (ShipScribe 'JAMES BAINES', shipbuildinghistory.com, usmm C2 list) and the SDB 1945 index transcription say 'James Baines'. Both variants are carried in aliases; DANFS usage governs the display name. (d) Builder - MARAD ShipHistory 'Shipyard' field reads 'Consolidated Steel Corporation'; every other source including SDB's construction row and the MC-side lists says Moore Dry Dock, Oakland - the MARAD registry field is flagged as erroneous or a contract-attribution artifact. (e) NavSource cargo figure '4,444 cu ft' appears truncated against the class's ~393,000-444,000 cu ft non-refrigerated figure - not carried.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1991

   Limitations

   Resolves or holds open publication-level discrepancies in secondary and registry sources; does not affect identity or the custody timeline materially. The MARAD 'Consolidated Steel' shipyard field is a registry-level inconsistency that could mislead downstream consumers - flagged here explicitly. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-07

8. [8]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + ShipScribe AKA-15 class data + DANFS documented yard-period events + MARAD/NJDEP disposal chain [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table, AKA section (ALGOL row); https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/AKA/AKA15.html class data and ship note; DANFS body (Willamette conversion; Mar 1952 Pearl Harbor yard period; summer 1953 Todd Alameda repairs; Aug-Nov 1955 Mare Island overhaul; Nov 1961 reactivation); MARAD/NJDEP disposal chain

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-turbine steam plant - two Foster-Wheeler D-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F feeding one G.E. turbine (BuShips SDB 1945 machinery row) - built 1942-43 at the peak of WWII asbestos usage at a Maritime Commission contract yard (Moore Dry Dock, Oakland) and converted to attack-cargo configuration at a second wartime yard (Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland) - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine and reduction-gear lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Troop/landing-craft outfitting added interior insulation scope. Documented disturbance-phase events for this hull: the 1943-44 Willamette conversion itself; a March 1952 Pearl Harbor yard period; a summer 1953 Todd Shipyard Alameda repair period; an August-November 1955 Mare Island Naval Shipyard overhaul; the 1961 Northwest Marine Iron Works reactivation in Portland; ~13 years cumulative reserve/NDRF lay-up (Bremerton Group 1958-61 incl. the Olympia NDRF interludes; James River 1970-91); and 1991 reef preparation at Eagle Island Marine, Wilmington, NC - disturbance events whose asbestos scope is inference, not record.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1942-1991

   Population

   Construction trades at Moore Dry Dock Oakland (1942-43); Willamette Iron & Steel conversion workforce (1943-44); Pearl Harbor NSY (Mar 1952), Todd Alameda (summer 1953), Mare Island NSY (Aug-Nov 1955), Northwest Marine Iron Works (1961) workforces; wartime and Korea-era crews and embarked troops; NDRF caretakers Olympia/James River (1960-61, 1970-91); Eagle Island Marine reef-prep workers (1991)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and builder - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, material schedule, or abatement contract naming AKA-54/LKA-54 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. Every listed yard period is a documented event; what was removed, installed, or retained aboard during each is undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-08

9. [9]Western Asbestos Settlement Trust, California Land Site List (April 2018 edition), wastrust.com - entry 'MOORE DRY DOCK--OAKLAND, CA (ADELINE ST)', Exposure Level H; corroborating Atlas shipyards.json record moore-dry-dock-oakland (tier 2, Fleischer-1946 flagship row + Simons Trust Sep 2020 designation) [other_primary]

   Locator

   WAST CA Land Site List p. ~52 (layout-extracted row: 'MOORE DRY DOCK--OAKLAND, CA (ADELINE ST) ... - - 01-Jan-99 H'); shipyard-exposure-map shipyards.json record moore-dry-dock-oakland

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Builder-yard documentation: the Western Asbestos Settlement Trust (W.A. Simons Trust) California Land Site List carries 'MOORE DRY DOCK--OAKLAND, CA (ADELINE ST)' at Exposure Level H (High) - the trust's designation of the builder yard of this hull as a recognized asbestos-exposure site. The Atlas shipyards dataset independently records Moore Dry Dock Oakland at evidence_tier 2 with documented products 'Amosite pipe covering (block and felt), Asbestos boiler block insulation, Asbestos gaskets (Garlock/John Crane), Asbestos millboard (Johns-Manville), Asbestos deck covering' - the yard's material environment during the wartime program under which MC hull 1153 was built.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   2018 list edition; yard operations 1905-1961

   Population

   Moore Dry Dock Oakland shipyard workforce (trust-recognized exposure site; this hull's build period Dec 1942-Nov 1943 within WWII peak ~37,000)

   Limitations

   Builder-yard documentation, not a hull record - a trust site-list designation is an administrative claims-facility determination about the yard, not a finding about this hull's materials; it establishes the yard's asbestos-exposure environment, not that asbestos went aboard AKA-54, nor quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. The Level-H row carries no start/end dates (undated site).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-algol-aka54-09

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 PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section) - citation verified via sibling batch-991 record against NCBI eutils

    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

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    survey ~1944-45; published 1946

    Population

    WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)

    Limitations

    Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, or builder yard (whether Moore Dry Dock was among the surveyed contract yards is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-algol-aka54-10

11. [11]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; bibliographic record verified via sibling batch-991 record (Crossref)

    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-B1 hull was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    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 or class 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-algol-aka54-11

12. [12]EPA/MARAD, 'National Guidance: Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels Intended to Create Artificial Reefs' (post-2004 issuance); prep description via secondary reef sources (njscuba.net; xray-mag) [other_primary]

    Locator

    EPA artificialreefguidance.pdf (BMP scope incl. asbestos and PCB management); NavSource 02054 photo captions (Eagle Island Marine, Nov 1991); njscuba.net/xray-mag Algol wreck pages (prep description - secondary, not carried as authoritative)

    Finding type

    regulatory

    Finding

    Artificial-reef preparation context: EPA and MARAD's joint 'National Guidance: Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels Intended to Create Artificial Reefs' (issued under FY2004 NDAA section 3516) establishes the national prep regime - removal of asbestos, PCBs, fuels/oils, and floatables before sinking - but postdates this hull's 1991 sinking by ~15 years; no equivalent national standard existed when ex-Algol was prepared. Secondary reef/diving accounts describe her 1991 preparation at Eagle Island Marine, Wilmington, NC, as including removal of masts/towers and funnel, 'all pollutants and floatable materials,' machinery, portholes, valuable metals, windows, doors, and cargo-hold hatches - no official prep or hazmat record for this hull was located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1991 sinking; guidance issued post-2004

    Population

    Eagle Island Marine reef-prep workforce (1991)

    Limitations

    Regulatory context only - the national BMPs did not exist in 1991 and say nothing about what was actually removed from or retained aboard this hull. The prep-detail description rests on secondary diving/reef accounts and cannot be cited as authoritative. Whether asbestos was removed before sinking - and what regime governed the work - is undocumented in the sources searched.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-algol-aka54-12

13. [13]Batch-1034 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via hazegray mirror; NavSource 02054; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 148 + status card; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; ShipScribe AKA-15 class page; NJDEP reef registry; WAST CA site list; CourtListener API v4 (blocked); indexed-web litigation checks; VA BVA index; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-algol-aka54-01 through sl-uss-algol-aka54-12

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Algol, AKA-54, LKA-54, MC hull 1153, or the James Barnes/James Baines merchant hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener API v4 was rate-limit blocked this session (HTTP 429, 'Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day', retry-after ~3,437 s - shared daily quota exhausted by prior batch work on this machine); residual litigation surface was assessed via indexed-web checking, which surfaced no case naming the hull - only law-firm marketing ship lists (simmonsfirm.com and levylaw.com Navy-ship pages listing 'Algol (AKA-54)') that assert era-typical asbestos content without primary support, an excluded source class logged in the batch report. The VA BVA index surfaced no decision naming the ship (hits were other-hull decisions).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    2026-09-21

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1942-43 steam auxiliary built at a trust-designated high-exposure shipyard is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her conversion, four documented yard periods, 1961 reactivation, two reserve lay-ups, and 1991 reef prep are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. Litigation negative coverage is weaker than a clean API sweep: the CourtListener API was quota-blocked and only indexed-web checking was run - dockets indexed only in RECAP and unindexed opinions could have been missed.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-algol-aka54-13

14. [14]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration); NJDEP Artificial Reef Program deployment records; USACE artificial-reef permit files [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/artificial-reef-program/ ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/148

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) Navy deck logs for USS Algol 1944-1970 (RG 24, NARA College Park); (b) BuShips records incl. C2-S-B1 contract plans, the Booklet of General Plans for this design, and conversion/overhaul work packages for the 1943-44 Willamette conversion, 1955 Mare Island overhaul, and 1961 reactivation (RG 19); (c) USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 1153 at Moore Dry Dock (RG 178) - would also settle the James Barnes/James Baines merchant-name split; (d) MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1960-61 Olympia interludes, the 1970-91 James River lay-up, and the 1991 withdrawal/transfer file to New Jersey (RG 357) - the reef-transfer file is the most promising disposal-era hazmat lead; (e) NJDEP Artificial Reef Program deployment file for reef ID '4-91' and any USACE reef-permit record for the 1991 sinking; (f) the MARAD status-card scan (ALGOL.pdf) is partially OCR-garbled - the original card may carry additional custody entries.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1942-1991 records

    Limitations

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

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-algol-aka54-14