Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
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[1]DANFS, 'Algorab' (NHHC, published 2015-06-16) - live NHHC URL 404s as of 2026-09-21; text verified via Wayback capture 20251209094751 and the verbatim HyperWar transcription [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS > A > 'Algorab' full entry incl. spec header; HyperWar mirror https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/AKA/aka8.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official entry documents: laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 20) on 10 August 1938 by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pa.; launched 15 June 1939, sponsored by Miss Mary Aldrich; acquired by the Navy 6 June 1941; commissioned at Boston 15 June 1941, Comdr. Thomas B. Inglis in command. Service: shakedown east coast; October-November 1941 convoy escort/cargo to Hvalfjordur, Iceland via Little Placentia Harbor; New York repairs/alterations; Caribbean cargo early 1942; Army troop lift to Nukualofa, Tongatabu (arrived 27 June 1942); 11 September 1942 collision with Harris (AP-8) in convoy - 23 feet of bow sheared off, a bulkhead buckled, one crewman killed; reached Norfolk 13 September, repairs completed 7 October; sailed with TransDiv 5 to Mehdia, French Morocco for the 8 November 1942 North Africa landings, provided landing boats for assault troops; Norfolk 30 November; sailed 17 December for the South Pacific, arrived Noumea 18 January 1943; reclassified attack cargo ship AKA-8 on 1 February 1943; southern Solomons consolidation January-June 1943 (five voyages between New Caledonia, Espiritu Santo, and Guadalcanal or Tulagi); Rendova landings 30 June 1943, gunners assisted in destruction of five enemy planes during the torpedo-bomber attack on the retiring convoy; Sydney engine repairs August-September 1943; amphibious training off Newcastle; Moreton Bay; drydocked Brisbane 22 November 1943 for major overhaul; departed for the west coast 5 September 1944 under tow on reduced power; San Francisco 30 September; major engine repairs and hull alterations at Moore Drydock Co., Oakland through 30 January 1945; Leyte via Eniwetok, arrived 4 March 1945; Okinawa with TransDiv 37, arrived transport area 1 April, boats away 0600, unloaded by 9 April; Pearl Harbor 24 April engine repairs; San Francisco 18 May, repairs at General Engineering & Drydock Co. through October; deactivation begun 14 October; decommissioned 3 December 1945; struck 19 December 1945; returned to the Maritime Commission 30 June 1946. Four battle stars for WWII. Spec header: dp. 14,225; l. 459'1"; b. 63'; dr. 26'5"; s. 16.5 k.; cpl. 397; a. 1 5", 8 40mm., 18 20mm.; cl. Arcturus; T. C2.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1938-1946
- Population
- Ship's complement (397 per DANFS spec header) plus embarked troops and Army personnel carried; yard workers during documented availabilities
- Limitations
- Official Navy history; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information. HyperWar transcription prints the class as 'Arcutur' (typo for Arcturus). Does not name the Brisbane, Sydney, New York, or Pearl Harbor repair facilities. The same DANFS page continues with the second Algorab hull (AK-262) - quarantined in ev-06. Does not establish any exposure condition aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-01
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[2]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - ALGORAB (AK-25/AKA-8), ShipHistory Detail 152, and linked name-history record MORMACWREN, Detail 3494 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 152 (ALGORAB AK-25/AKA-8) and Detail 3494 (MORMACWREN) - vessel particulars, name history, milestones, status cards
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD records: year built 1939; official number 238889; shipyard Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock; general type Naval Auxiliary, specific type AKA Attack Cargo Ship; MARAD type C2; length 438.30 ft, beam 63.20 ft; gross 6,198 tons, net 3,651 tons; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; World War II mission flag. Vessel name history links ALGORAB (AK-25/AKA-8) and MORMACWREN to the same hull. Milestones: Sold 6/24/1947 'Sold to Pillsburt & Martignoni'; Renamed 6/24/1947 'Renamed to Mongala'; Delivered 9/11/1947 'Physically delivered'. Status-card scans exist as image files (152_286AF.jpg, 152_286AB.jpg, and a PNG) plus two uploaded PDF documents (Algorab_152_001.pdf, Algorab_152_002.pdf) without a text layer.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1939-1947
- Limitations
- Milestone/custody and dimensional data only - no materials, insulation, or asbestos fields. Status-card scans and PDF documents are image-only; contents not OCR'd or verified this pass. MARAD prints the buyer as 'Pillsburt & Martignoni' (Pillsbury & Martignoni per NavSource) and records the renaming to Mongala at the 24 June 1947 sale milestone, while Shipscribe records KAMRAN 1947 then MONGALA 1948 (Belgian) - discrepancy logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-02
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[3]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), 'USS Arcturus (AKA-1) Class' - compiled U.S. Navy auxiliary ship class data: design notes, construction/disposition tables, armament changes, ship notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe.com/usnaux/AKA/AKA01.html - class notes, construction/disposition tables, ship notes (AKA-8 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Compiled class and hull record: ARCTURUS (AKA-1) class, MC design C2-Cargo (Sun variant); ALGORAB (AKA-8): acquired 7 June 1941; keel 10 August 1938; launched 15 June 1939; commissioned 15 June 1941; decommissioned 3 December 1945; struck 19 December 1945; disposal 30 June 1946 (MC/D); MA sale 24 June 1947. Machinery: Sun-Doxford diesel, one screw, 6,000 HP; complement 321 (1944). Ship note: MC hull 20; ex mercantile MORMACWREN (ID-4996B, completed 18 August 1939); ex AK-25 1 February 1943; converted by NYd Boston; mercantile KAMRAN 1947, MONGALA 1948 (Belgian); scrapped 1973 as ALOHA. Class notes: the Maritime Commission's first cargo-ship contracts (May-June 1938, MC hulls 14-33) split propulsion half steam/half diesel - all Sun-built units diesel; the Navy preferred steam but was allocated Sun diesel ships; SecNav approved acquisition of AK 23-25 on 15 January 1941 and the President directed turnover of 19 ships on 26 May 1941 (AK 23-25 and 28, later AKA 6-8 and 11, turned over immediately); AK 23-25 and 28 received austere conversions (machine guns only, no combat loading), designed armament with 3"/50 guns embarked November-December 1941; progressive combat-loading conversions followed; the Navy experienced frequent machinery breakdowns with the diesel C2s, relinquished all of them after the war, and all five class units were sold to foreign-flag operators.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1938-1973
- Population
- Ship's complement; Boston Navy Yard conversion workers (1941); merchant crew of Mormacwren (1939-41)
- Limitations
- Respected secondary compilation of official records (Roberts's shipbuilding data sheets), not itself an official source; consistent with DANFS and MARAD on all overlapping points except a one-day acquisition-date difference (Shipscribe 7 June 1941 vs DANFS 6 June 1941) and complement (Shipscribe 321 in 1944 vs DANFS 397) - both logged in gaps. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-03
-
[4]USS Algorab (AKA-8), Operational Log and War Diary, 1 February 1943 - 19 October 1945 (ship's own submitted log, incl. a 'History of the U.S.S. Algorab' narrative and TransDiv/TransRon endorsements); scan hosted by NavSource; pages 250-358 OCR'd this pass [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/10/02/pdf/02008b.pdf - 'History of the U.S.S. Algorab' narrative pp. ~337-338 of scan; operational log Feb 1943 - Oct 1945
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The ship's own war diary documents: 'From December 1 to December 7, 1942, the ship was drydocked in the Navy Yard undergoing voyage repairs' (Norfolk, after the Mehdia run); Rendova, 30 June 1943 - about 100 enemy torpedo bombers sighted, roughly 20 Bettys broke through air cover, five came within range of this ship's guns and 'all were shot down by ALGORAB, but since two had been hit prior to being taken under fire by this vessel credit for only three was officially claimed'; 'From November 22, 1943, until September 1, 1944 was spent at Brisbane, undergoing major engine repairs'; departed Brisbane 1 September 1944 with tug S.S. Southwest Pass, 'main engine of ALGORAB operating on three cylinders', arrived San Francisco 30 September; 'From September 30, 1944 to January 30, 1945, major engine repairs and hull alterations were made by Moore's Drydock Co., Oakland, Calif., under the direction of the Assistant Industrial Manager, Navy Yard, Mare Island, Calif.'; Okinawa - 'During the Okinawa landings the U.S.S. ALGORAB, although not directly attacked, observed several suicide attacks by enemy planes and boats, and on April 6, had three suiciders within range and assisted in their destruction. No casualties were suffered by ALGORAB.' Commanding-officer chain: Capt. Joseph R. Lannom detached 21 January 1944; LCDR Herman Jorgensen USNR; Comdr. Paul H. Wiedorn USN from 12 March 1944; Comdr. Thomas C. Green USN from 30 August 1944.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1942-1945 (diary coverage Feb 1943 - Oct 1945 plus a history narrative reaching Nov 1942)
- Population
- Ship's complement and embarked Army personnel; Norfolk Navy Yard drydock workers (Dec 1942); Brisbane dockyard workers (Nov 1943 - Sep 1944); Moore Dry Dock workers (Sep 1944 - Jan 1945); Mare Island Naval Shipyard industrial management
- Limitations
- Primary operational document (the ship's own submitted diary) hosted on a non-official site; scan is image-only - text recovered by local OCR this pass (pages 250-358 of 358), OCR quality rough in places, quotes verified against the scan. No asbestos, insulation, or materials content. The earlier AK-25 diary (2 June 1942 - 31 January 1943, pdf/02008a.pdf) exists on the same host but was not OCR'd this pass.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-04
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[5]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, 'USS Algorab (AKA-8) ex USS Algorab (AK-25)' - campaign/awards table vs. the ship's own war diary (ev-04) [other_primary]
- Locator
- navsource.net/archives/10/02/02008.htm campaign table vs war diary pdf/02008b.pdf ('History of the U.S.S. Algorab' narrative)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource's Asiatic-Pacific campaign table asserts 'Hit by Japanese Kamikaze, 6 April 1945' under the Okinawa Gunto operation. The ship's own war diary states the opposite: 'During the Okinawa landings the U.S.S. ALGORAB, although not directly attacked, observed several suicide attacks by enemy planes and boats, and on April 6, had three suiciders within range and assisted in their destruction. No casualties were suffered by ALGORAB.' DANFS likewise records no kamikaze hit. The 'hit' claim is corrected to: engaged and assisted in destroying suicide aircraft on 6 April 1945, no hit, damage, or casualties.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1945-04-06
- Limitations
- Correction row: NavSource is a secondary compilation and its 'hit by kamikaze' line is not supported by the contemporaneous ship's diary or by DANFS; the diary is the controlling source and was OCR-verified this pass. The basis for NavSource's line was not located - possibly a garbled reading of the same 6 April engagement. Bears on combat-history accuracy only - no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-05
-
[6]DANFS 'Algorab' second paragraph (AK-262 hull) plus NavSource 'Algorab (AK-262)' page 09/13/130262 and shipbuildinghistory N3-type table - hull-quarantine record [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Algorab' entry second hull paragraph (Wayback capture 20251209094751); navsource.net/archives/09/13/130262.htm; shipbuildinghistory.com N-type ships table (MC hull 1624)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Two U.S. Navy hulls carried the name Algorab. THIS hull: AK-25, reclassified AKA-8 (Sun Shipbuilding C2, MC hull 20, ex-Mormacwren), Navy service 1941-1945. The OTHER hull: AK-262 - 'Elisha Whitney, an N3-S-A2 freighter launched on 31 October 1943 at Beaumont, Tex., by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1624), was acquired by the Navy from the Army on 12 June 1951 and renamed Algorab (AK-262). She was loaned to the Republic of Korea that same day and served that nation until her return to the United States Navy early in 1960. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 February 1960; and she was sold to Hong Kong Rolling Mills, Ltd., on 27 June 1960 for scrapping.' (DANFS). The batch instruction 'Consolidate with PRIMARY Algorab AKA-8; AK-262 is another hull' is verified - the two hulls share only the name. No AK-262 construction (1943-44), Army Transport Service, Korean-lease (1951-60), or 1960 scrapping data belongs on this record.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1943-1960 (AK-262 lineage span)
- Limitations
- Correction/quarantine row: records the name collision so downstream readers do not attach AK-262's history (or its different builder, design, era, and disposition) to this hull, or vice versa. Bears on identity only - no asbestos content. AK-262 is tracked separately on the batch hull lists and is not covered by this record beyond this lineage note.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-06
-
[7]Corn, Jacqueline Karnell, and Jennifer Starr, 'Historical perspective on asbestos: Policies and protective measures in World War II shipbuilding,' American Journal of Industrial Medicine 11(3):359-373 (1987) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Journal article DOI landing page
- 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 covering this hull's Navy conversions (Boston Navy Yard 1941 and progressive combat-loading conversions 1941-42) and its documented wartime availabilities (Norfolk Navy Yard 1942; Brisbane overhaul 1943-44; Moore Dry Dock, Oakland, 1944-45; Pearl Harbor and General Engineering & Drydock 1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1940-1945
- Population
- WWII-era shipyard workers and ship crews (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level scholarship; does not name this hull, the Arcturus class, the MC C2 design, or any of the yards named. Establishes era practice only - nothing about materials installed aboard this hull, quantities, locations, or present-day material.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-07
-
[8]Fleischer, W.E., Drinker, P., et al., 'A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels,' Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 28(1):9-16 (1946) (USMC-commissioned survey); W.A. Simons Asbestos Trust, California Site List (September 2020): MOORE DRY DOCK-OAKLAND, CA (ADELINE ST), Exposure Level H [other_primary]
- Locator
- PMID 21016030 full text; shipyards.json yard record ev-moore-dry-dock-oakland-fleischer-1946 and ev-moore-dry-dock-oakland-simons-trust-2020
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- A U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey documented amosite pipe covering and boiler-block insulation use in confined engine rooms and boiler spaces at WWII Navy contract yards, including Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland - the yard where this hull spent a documented four-month availability (30 September 1944 - 30 January 1945, 'major engine repairs and hull alterations' per the war diary, under Mare Island Navy Yard industrial management). The W.A. Simons Asbestos Trust's California site list independently rates MOORE DRY DOCK-OAKLAND (Adeline St) Exposure Level H (High).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Study period
- 1942-1946 (survey window); this hull's availability 1944-09-30 to 1945-01-30
- Population
- Insulators, pipefitters, and shipfitters at Moore Dry Dock, Oakland (1944-45 availability); Navy contract-yard insulation trades generally
- Limitations
- Yard-level survey across multiple contract yards - does not name this hull or its work orders, and Moore-specific dust counts were not separately published. This hull is diesel-powered (no boilers); survey relevance is to pipe-covering and insulation trades working around machinery during the availability, not to boiler work aboard. C&EN (July 2026) reported a retraction call for the Fleischer-Drinker paper citing understatement of asbestos hazards - the trust's H designation provides independent corroboration. Establishes yard-level exposure conditions only, not exposure aboard this vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-08
-
[9]Batch-908 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS live check + Wayback capture; HyperWar DANFS mirror; MARAD ShipHistory Details 152/3494 + status-card scans; Shipscribe AKA-1 class page; ship's own war diary (NavSource-hosted scan, OCR'd in part); CourtListener API v4 (authenticated) and web UI; general web litigation-index searches; NARA catalog check; NavSource photo archive (lead only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-algorab-ak25-01 through sl-uss-algorab-ak25-13
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Algorab (AK-25/AKA-8), SS Mormacwren, Kamran, Mongala, or Hellenic Sailor was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener coverage is INCOMPLETE this pass: the authenticated API returned HTTP 429 ('Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day. Expected available in 17292 seconds') on every query ('Algorab', 'AK-25', 'AKA-8', 'Mormacwren', 'Hellenic Sailor', 'Mongala') and the web UI returned HTTP 403 on 2026-09-21; backed off per batch rules rather than retrying into a ban. General web litigation-index searches surfaced only marketing list pages (asbestos-ships.com, mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com, simmonsfirm.com, freeasbestostesting.com) - non-authoritative advertising content, not evidence - and no docketed case naming the hull.
- 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 - 1938-39 construction plus documented wartime yard availabilities are consistent with era-typical materials, but nothing ship-specific was located. CourtListener opinion- and docket-level searches should be re-run when quota resets (hull-number strings 'AK-25'/'AKA-8' are high-collision and need hit-by-hit classification). Presence on commercial asbestos-ship marketing lists is not documentation of conditions aboard. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-09
-
[10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission records), RG 181 (naval districts and shore establishments); plus NavSource-hosted scans and MARAD image files noted below [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov record-group guide pages (024, 178, 181); navsource.net/archives/10/02/pdf/02008a.pdf; vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/152 status cards and documents
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved or not fully read - require research-room, reproduction order, or further OCR; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs for USS Algorab (AK-25/AKA-8), 1941-1945; the AK-25-period war diary scan (navsource.net pdf/02008a.pdf, 2 June 1942 - 31 January 1943) exists but was not OCR'd this pass; MARAD status-card scans (152_286AF.jpg, 152_286AB.jpg, PNG) and two uploaded PDF documents (Algorab_152_001/002.pdf) are image-only pending review; Moore Dry Dock / Mare Island Assistant Industrial Manager work orders for the 30 Sep 1944 - 30 Jan 1945 availability (RG 181 naval-district and yard files); Brisbane dockyard overhaul records, November 1943 - September 1944 (Australian archives); Sun Shipbuilding hull 177 construction and outfitting records - the Hagley Museum Dallin collection holds Sun yard photographs showing this hull on the ways 10 July 1939 (NavSource 09/06/09061116-18); RG 178 USMC records may hold the Fleischer-Drinker survey's underlying data.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-21
- Limitations
- Record-group and collection mapping only - not evidence about this hull. NARA catalog API returned an HTML shell rather than machine-readable results this pass; digitization status of the deck logs and yard files is unverified; no box-level retrieval performed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-ak25-10