Evidence
8 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-8).
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[1]DANFS, 'Algorab' (AK-25/AKA-8 entry incl. separate AK-262 paragraph) - live NHHC URL 404s as of 2026-09-22; text verified via Wayback capture 20190919210845 and the HyperWar/ibiblio DANFS transcription [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS > A > 'Algorab' full entry via Wayback 20190919210845; mirror https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/dafs/AKA/aka8.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official entry documents: C2 freighter Mormacwren (M.C. hull 20) laid down 1938-08-10 by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pa.; launched 1939-06-15 (sponsor Miss Mary Aldrich); acquired by the Navy 1941-06-06; commissioned at Boston 1941-06-15 as AK-25, Comdr. Thomas B. Inglis in command. WWII service: Iceland convoy (Hvalfjordur arrival 1941-11-09); New York repairs/alterations; Caribbean cargo circuit early 1942; Army troops to the South Pacific, reaching Nukualofa, Tongatabu, 1942-06-27; collision with USS Harris (AP-8) during convoy maneuver 1942-09-11 - 23 ft of bow sheared, bulkhead buckled, one crewman killed, reached Norfolk 1942-09-13, repairs completed 1942-10-07; Operation Torch landings off Mehdia, French Morocco, 1942-11-08, departed 11-18, Norfolk 11-30; South Pacific via Noumea (arrival 1943-01-18); reclassified attack cargo ship AKA-8 1943-02-01; southern Solomons consolidation (five voyages New Caledonia/Espiritu Santo/Guadalcanal/Tulagi); Rendova Island landings 1943-06-30 - convoy attacked by Japanese torpedo bombers, gunners assisted in destroying five planes; further Guadalcanal/Hollandia/New Caledonia/Espiritu Santo voyages to mid-August; Sydney main-engine repairs from 1943-08-25; amphibious training Newcastle; Brisbane drydock major overhaul from 1943-11-22; departed 1944-09-05 for the U.S. west coast under tow at reduced power, San Francisco 1944-09-30, major engine repairs and hull alterations at Moore Drydock Co., Oakland, out of drydock 1945-01-30; sailed 1945-02-05 for Leyte via Eniwetok (arrived 1945-03-04), loaded for the Ryukyu campaign; sailed with TransDiv 37 1945-03-27, off Okinawa 1945-04-01, boats away 0600, cargo unloaded by 04-09, sailed for Hawaii, Pearl Harbor 04-24 with further engine repairs; sailed for San Francisco 05-10, arrived 05-18, repairs at General Engineering & Drydock Co. through October; deactivation began 10-14; decommissioned 1945-12-03; struck from the Navy list 1945-12-19; returned to the Maritime Commission 1946-06-30. Four battle stars for WWII service. Header specs: 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. The same entry separately covers AK-262 (ex-SS Elisha Whitney, N3-S-A2, M.C. hull 1624, Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont, launched 1943-10-31, acquired from the Army 1951-06-12, loaned to the Republic of Korea the same day, struck 1960-02-01, sold to Hong Kong Rolling Mills 1960-06-27) - a different hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1938-1946
- Population
- Ship's complement (397 per entry header) plus embarked troops/passengers; yard and salvage workers during documented repair periods
- Limitations
- Official Navy history; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information and does not state machinery type. The entry's silence on a reported kamikaze hit of 1945-04-06 (a secondary-compilation claim) is noted in gaps. Minor transcription differences between the NHHC capture and the HyperWar mirror ('Rendova Island' vs 'Islands'; '1 July to 17 August' vs '16 August') - unresolved at source level. Does not establish any exposure condition aboard.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-01
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[2]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - ALGORAB (AK-25/AKA-8), ShipHistory Detail 152 [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 152 - vessel particulars, milestones, vessel name history, documents tab
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD record: year built 1939; shipyard Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock; general type Naval Auxiliary, specific type AKA Attack Cargo Ship; MARAD type C2; ship length 438.30 ft, beam 63.20 ft; gross 6,198 / net 3,651 tons; Official Number 238889; fate 'Sold - Foreign Flag Op.'; vessel name history lists ALGORAB (AK-25/AKA-8) and MORMACWREN. Milestones: Sold 1947-06-24 'Sold to Pillsburt & Martignoni' [sic - Pillsbury & Martignoni, agents for Wallem & Co.]; Renamed 1947-06-24 'Renamed to Mongala'; Delivered 1947-09-11 'Physically delivered.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1939-1947
- Limitations
- Milestone/custody and dimensional data only - no materials, insulation, or asbestos fields. Registered length 438.30 ft is the measurement-convention figure vs DANFS 459'1" overall - unmerged. Status-card and one attached document are image-only/partially legible (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-02
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[3]U.S. Maritime Commission, Transfer Order No. C-5305 (1947-04-15), attached to MARAD ShipHistory Detail 152 as document Algorab_152_001.pdf [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- Algorab_152_001.pdf, single-page order, full text
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Attached MARAD document (scanned original, OCR-aided): U.S. Maritime Commission Transfer Order No. C-5305 'Approving the Sale Alien and Transfer to Panamanian Registry and Flag of the S/S ALGORAB' - recites that the Commission on 1947-04-03 authorized sale of S/S ALGORAB, Official No. 238889, to Wallem and Company, a Norwegian private partnership with offices in Hong Kong, China, with privilege of transfer to foreign registry and flag; orders dated 1947-04-15 approve the sale and transfer to Panamanian registry and flag, void unless effected within six months of 1947-04-03.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1947
- Limitations
- Primary disposal document; reconciles the sale-date spread across sources (Commission authorization 1947-04-03; order 04-15; MARAD milestone sale/delivery 06-24 and physical delivery 09-11). No asbestos, materials, or condition information. OCR-aided reading of a typed scan - names/dates verified against the milestone table.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-03
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[4]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 and Maritime Commission construction program under which this C2 hull was built (Sun Shipbuilding, 1938-39) and under which she was repaired and converted for Navy service 1941-1945.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1940-1945
- Population
- WWII-era shipyard workers and ship crews (program context)
- Limitations
- Program-level scholarship; does not name this hull, the C2 type, or Sun Shipbuilding specifically. Supports era context only - not evidence that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, and establishes nothing about quantities, locations, or condition.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-04
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[5]GAO, 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure,' HRD-80-2 (1979-10-18) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented the Navy's asbestos-protection program and its insulation-removal policies with fieldwork at Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards - program-level context for Navy-yard availabilities. Algorab's documented repair periods ('Norfolk' 1942, facility not named in the official entry; commercial yards at New York, Oakland, and Alameda; Brisbane, Australia) all predate the report's 1970s policy window.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- 1979 (report); covers policies 1975-1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers (program level)
- Limitations
- Program-level report; the report postdates her Navy service by ~30 years and the documented availabilities are not confirmed to be fieldwork yards (DANFS says only 'Norfolk'). gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches - product-page description used; full text not retrieved this pass. Establishes nothing about this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-05
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[6]CourtListener API v4 opinion-index searches run 2026-09-22: 'Algorab' (1 hit, classified), 'AKA-8' (1 hit, classified), 'Mormacwren' (3 hits, classified) [court_record]
- Locator
- CourtListener search results; classification detail in search_ledger sl-uss-algorab-aka8-05 through -07
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located in the opinion index. CourtListener API v4 searches run 2026-09-22: 'Algorab' type=o returned 1 hit - Iravani Mottaghi v. Barkey Importing Co., 134 F. Supp. 719 (S.D.N.Y. 1955), a carpet-wool contract dispute in which 'Algorab' appears as a carrying steamer in a January 1951 cable, five years after this hull was sold and renamed Mongala; the reference cannot be attributed to this hull and may name a different vessel - classified other litigation. 'AKA-8' type=o returned 1 hit - In re Michelin North America, Inc. (Tex. App. 2015), an 'a/k/a' artifact - classified name collision. 'Mormacwren' type=o returned 3 hits, all non-asbestos commercial matters: Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. v. United States (Ct. Cl. 1966, construction-subsidy/compensation litigation naming the vessel in fleet context); Ladzinski v. Sperling Steamship & Trading Corp., 300 F. Supp. 947 (S.D.N.Y. 1969, seaman's wages/maintenance-and-cure case on a LATER Moore-McCormack ship of the same name - sold at Chester 1965-03-12 and renamed East Hills - name collision); Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. v. Commissioner (Tax Ct. 1965, tax matter).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Study period
- opinion index; search date 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Opinion-index coverage only and incomplete: the 'AK-25' opinion query, the broad 'Algorab' + asbestos query, and the RECAP docket-level sweep were rate-limit blocked (HTTP 429; shared-machine hourly cap consumed by other batch work, backed off rather than retrying into a ban) and logged as blocked in search_ledger. No located hit names hull AK-25/AKA-8 or involves asbestos; no finding of exposure exists in any located record. Search-stage classification, not an adjudicated result.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-06
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[7]Batch-1062 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS (live 404 + Wayback capture 20190919210845) + HyperWar mirror; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 152 + attached documents incl. USMC Transfer Order C-5305; CourtListener name/hull queries; NARA Catalog; NavSource (lead only); shipscribe/shipbuildinghistory MC contract data (cross-check only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-algorab-aka8-01 through sl-uss-algorab-aka8-11
- 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) or the hull under its other names (Mormacwren, Mongala) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger).
- 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 - WWII-era construction, Navy conversion, repeated repair availabilities, and 1947 foreign-flag resale are consistent with era-typical materials, but nothing ship-specific was located. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-07
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[8]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 181 (naval districts and shore establishments); war-diary date ranges per NavSource AKA-8 page (lead only) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov record-group guide pages (024, 019, 178, 181); navsource.org/archives/10/02/02008.htm war-diary index entries (secondary)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): NARA WWII war diaries for this hull indexed by NavSource - AK-25 diary 1942-06-02 to 1943-01-31 and AKA-8 diary 1943-02-01 to 1945-10-19 (would resolve the 1945-04-06 kamikaze claim); RG 24 deck logs for AK-25/AKA-8; RG 178 Maritime Commission construction/outfitting files for M.C. hull 20 (Mormacwren) and the 1947 disposal file (secondary indexing gives action PD-X-315 dated 1947-02-10); RG 19 Bureau of Ships records for documented availabilities; RG 181 naval-district/yard records for the 1942 Norfolk repair period (facility unnamed in DANFS) and West Coast availabilities.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-22
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - not evidence about this hull. NARA Catalog returns SPA HTML, no machine-readable results this pass; war-diary digitization status unverified; no box-level retrieval performed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-algorab-aka8-08