USS Allioth (AK-109)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Allioth' - verbatim NHHC page text (legacy history.navy.mil/danfs/a7/allioth.htm; live NHHC URL /research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/allioth.html returned 404 on 2026-09-20; text verified against Wayback capture 2014-10-06) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Allioth' entry, full text via Wayback; spec corroboration https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AVS/AVS-4_Allioth.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Allioth: 'Allioth is a star in the constellation Ursa Major.' Spec block: (AK-109: dp. 14,550; l. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4"; s. 11 k.; cpl. 209; a. 2 3", 8 20mm.; cl. Crater; T. EC2-S-C1). James Rowan laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1730) 30 July 1943 by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif.; launched 20 August 1943, sponsored by Miss Cora Clonts; acquired by the Navy 3 October 1943; renamed Allioth and designated AK-109 on 6 October 1943; commissioned at Portland, Oreg., 25 October 1943, Comdr. George F. Prestwich in command. Arrived Pearl Harbor 5 December 1943, assigned Service Squadron 8; for 11 months operated as a mobile supply source for the Army from Funafuti (Ellice Islands), Makin and Tarawa (Gilberts), Kwajalein and Eniwetok (Marshalls), Peleliu and Angaur (Palaus). Sailed from Peleliu 14 November 1944; on the afternoon of 20 November two Japanese airplanes attacked dropping several bombs with no hits; that evening one aircraft returned and dropped a bomb which exploded near the ship - ten crewmen slightly wounded, minor structural damage from shrapnel; arrived Hawaiian waters 11 December 1944. Resumed voyage two days later; entered a shipyard at Alameda, Calif., on the 24th for overhaul and conversion to an aviation supply issue ship; alterations completed early March 1945, redesignated IX-204. Underway for Pearl Harbor 10 March; anchored Ulithi 8 April supplying units with airplane parts; designation changed to AVS-4 on 3 May. Leyte Gulf 27 May; Seeadler Harbor, Manus, early June; Leyte 29 June. Moved to Okinawa mid-September 1945, remained into 1946 supporting airplane squadrons in the Ryukyus. Underway for the U.S. 18 January 1946; arrived Alameda 16 February, discharging cargo and stripping excess equipment for deactivation; returned to Pearl Harbor 15 April; placed out of commission there 18 May 1946. Transferred to the Maritime Commission 13 May 1947; name struck from the Navy list 22 May 1947; resumed the name James Rowan and carried it until she disappeared from merchant ship registers in 1956.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Wartime crew (complement 209 per spec block)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction milestones, service chronology, and disposal outline; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information. Does not name the Alameda shipyard used for the 1944-45 conversion, and does not state where the 1943 Navy AK fitting-out occurred. The 'disappeared from merchant ship registers in 1956' line refers to merchant-registry listings - the MARAD card shows the hull remained in NDRF Suisun Bay custody until October 1964.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ALLIOTH (AK-109/AVS-4) Ship History Detail 162 (digitized cards 162_307AF.jpg reserve-fleet data card, 162_307AB.jpg condition note, MA-20 record-of-sale card); JAMES ROWAN Ship History Detail 8688 (main vessel status card 3F3_01.png) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 162 (cards 162_307AF.jpg, 162_307AB.jpg, MA-20 sale card) + Detail 8688 (card 3F3_01.png); milestone table: Entry/Acquisition 5/13/1947, Disposition/Withdrawal 10/13/1964, Fate 'Sold - U.S. Operation'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull: ALLIOTH (AK-109/AVS-4) Detail 162 and JAMES ROWAN Detail 8688 (both Official No. 244191, Permanente Metals Corp., EC2-S-C1, 7,176 gross / 4,380 net, DWT 10,800, bale 499,573 cu ft). Digitized card scans read directly: (a) main vessel status card - type 'CARGO EC2', speed 12.5, hull no. 1730, 'Built by Perm. Metals Corp. at Richmond, Calif., Completed 8-31-43', 'Basis to W.S.A. 8-31-43 4-PM PWT @ Richmond, Calif.'; allocation rows: Pope & Talbot, Inc. under GAA at Richmond delivered 8-31-43 4-PM PWT; Navy Dept. ('renamed ALLIOTH AVS-4') on form 'BB' (bareboat) delivered at Portland, Ore. 10-3-43 2-PM PWT; Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay 5-13-47 10:30 AM PST; Union Minerals and Alloys Corp. (Scrap) 'Purch.' Suisun Bay 10-13-64 10:15 am PDST. (b) Reserve Fleet Division vessel-data card - 'ALLIOTH (AVS-4)' former 'James Rowan', type 'EC2 Mil. Aux.', fleet and unit 'SUISUN F-11', date entered fleet 5-13-47 1030, hull no. MCE-1730, fuel oil at entry 465 bbls Bunker C; 'Sold Scrap on PD-X-673 dated Aug. 5, 1964 - Awarded Aug. 27, 1964 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. $50,719.00'; withdrawn 'Oct. 13, 1964; 1015 PDST - Delivered to Purchaser-Learner Co. agent for Union Minerals & Alloys'; separate handwritten strip: 'Vessel reported to have considerable bottom damage - per condition report.' (c) Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales - PD-X-673, ALLIOTH (AK-109), Official No. 244,191, type 'Liberty', awarded to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. 8-27-64 for $50,719.00, contract no. MA-3703, year built Aug 31 1943, dimensions 417'8" x 56'10" x 37'4", location 'Suisun Bay ResFlt.', acquisition note 'Built for MA by Permanente Metals Corp.'; remarks: '5-8-64 - Advertised under PD-X-666 opened 5-28-64 - Dismantle Hull US - Bid Rejected. 8-5-64 - Readvertised under PD-X-673, opened 8-26-64, Dismantle Hull US.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones, hull identity (ON 244191 = MCE 1730 = ex-AK-109 printed on the cards), the WSA/Pope & Talbot/Navy bareboat delivery chain, the 17-year Suisun Bay lay-up, and the 1964 scrap sale. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information and supports no asbestos claim. The 'considerable bottom damage' note cites an unretrieved condition report - cause (wartime shrapnel damage, grounding, or lay-up deterioration) is undocumented. The card's 'Learner Co.' delivery-agent reading is transcribed as written.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-02

3. [3]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Allioth (AVS-4) index page (volunteer-compiled index citing BuShips/DANFS figures) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 09/50/5004 page, specifications block, awards/campaign table, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource service-ship archive page for Allioth (AK-109/IX-204/AVS-4): Crater-class cargo ship / Grumium-class aviation supply issue ship; laid down 1943-07-30 as SS James Rowan (EC2-S-C1, MCE hull 1730) at Permanente Metals Corp. Yard No. 2, Richmond; launched 1943-08-20; acquired by the Navy 1943-10-03; commissioned at Portland, OR 1943-10-25 (CDR George F. Prestwich, USNR); converted to aviation supply issue ship at Alameda, CA and redesignated IX-204 March 1945; redesignated AVS-4 1945-05-03; decommissioned 1946-05-18 Pearl Harbor; delivered to Maritime Commission 1947-05-13, name reverted to SS James Rowan; struck 1947-05-22; 'sold for scrapping, 27 August 1964 (PD-X-673) for $50,719, to Union Minerals and Alloys.' Spec block: displacement 4,023 t.(lt) / 14,550 t.(fl); 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 11 kts trial; complement 16 officers + 190 enlisted; largest boom 50 t.; cargo 4,470 DWT non-refrigerated, 272,146 cu ft; armament 1x 5"/38 DP, 1x 3"/50 DP, 6x 20mm AA; fuel 7,285 bbls NSFO; propulsion one Joshua-Hendy vertical triple-expansion engine, two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers 220 psi 450 deg, three turbo-drive 60 kW 120 V D.C. ship's-service generators, single propeller 2,500 shp. Awards: Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 20 November 1944), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp), Philippines Liberation Medal; Purple Hearts - 10 WIA 20 November 1944. Photo index includes Navy Yard Mare Island photos 7670-43/7672-43/7673-43 (broadside/stern/bows views off San Francisco, 19 November 1943), NARA RG-19-LCM photo 19-N-63594, and NHHC photo NH 84615 (as AVS-4, circa 1945).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964

   Population

   Ship's company (206 per NavSource breakout)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation, not an official publication - consistent with DANFS and the MARAD cards where they overlap (dates, displacement, sale details incl. PD-X-673 and $50,719 confirmed by the MA-20 card). Discrepancies logged in gaps: complement 206 (16+190) vs DANFS 209; armament 5"/38 + 3"/50 + 6x 20mm vs DANFS '2 3", 8 20mm'; speed 11 kts consistent. Award/ribbon list and photo identifications are NavSource-compiled, not independently verified. No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The U.S. Maritime Commission instruction manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant (the design type documented for this hull by the DANFS spec block 'T. EC2-S-C1' and the MARAD status card 'CARGO EC2') describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Liberty hulls were built to emergency USMC specifications during the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   Construction trades (Permanente/Kaiser Richmond Yard No. 2, 1943); Navy engine-room and maintenance crew; conversion-yard workers (Portland fitting-out 1943; Alameda 1944-45)

   Limitations

   Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual names the type, not this vessel, and does not itself state 'asbestos' content (magnesia lagging of the era was typically asbestos-fiber-reinforced, but the manual text is silent on fiber). The 1943 Navy AK conversion and the 1944-45 Alameda aviation-supply conversion added armament and reworked spaces whose material scope is undocumented. Does not establish quantity, past or present presence (hull scrapped 1964-65), individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-04

5. [5]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 emergency program under which this EC2-S-C1 hull was mass-produced at Permanente Metals Yard No. 2, Richmond (the Kaiser Richmond yards produced more Liberty ships than any other yard complex) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel or the EC2-S-C1 type 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-allioth-ak109-05

6. [6]O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012), CourtListener opinion 844228 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion, 53 Cal. 4th 335 (No. S177401); cluster verified in batch-01

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012): California Supreme Court 'bare metal' decision arising from a sailor's asbestos exposure aboard USS Oriskany (CV-34) - holds that a product manufacturer is not liable for harm caused by another manufacturer's asbestos-containing product used with its equipment. Establishes the doctrinal posture under which WWII-era Navy-ship asbestos product claims are litigated; for this hull the governing structure is the WSA-owned/Navy-operated bareboat arrangement documented on the MARAD status card (sailors' claims proceed against product suppliers, not the government).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   2012 (opinion); wartime exposure period

   Population

   WWII-era Navy sailors (class context)

   Limitations

   Doctrinal context only - the opinion does not name this hull, finds no asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes legal framework rather than exposure. No docketed case naming Allioth, AK-109, IX-204, AVS-4, or James Rowan was located (see negative-finding row and search ledger; direct CourtListener sweeps were rate-limit blocked). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-06

7. [7]Batch-797 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback; MARAD ShipHistory details 162/8688 + digitized status cards; NavSource; CourtListener API/HTML (blocked) + Google site checks; shipbuildinghistory Kaiser-Permanente-2 and AVS tables; usmm.org Permanente yard table; NVR; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-allioth-ak109-01 through sl-uss-allioth-ak109-10

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Allioth, AK-109, IX-204, AVS-4, or James Rowan (MCE 1730 / ON 244191) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Direct CourtListener API and HTML searches were blocked by rate limiting on 2026-09-20 (shared machine quota); Google site:courtlistener.com checks for 'Allioth' and the hull designators returned only name collisions (Alioto law firm appearances; 'IX Advisors'; aviation leasing entities) - no vessel match. The hull appears on law-firm SEO ship lists (e.g., duboselawfirm.com cargo-ship list, mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com Navy-ship list) - marketing compilations excluded per source rules; list presence is not documentation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   2026-09-20

   Limitations

   Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 EC2-S-C1 hull operated to 1964-65 scrapping is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented Alameda conversion/overhaul and any wartime damage repairs are undisturbed-record disturbance pathways. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is partial: CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket searches were not run to completion due to the 125/day shared rate limit; the site: check is not a substitute.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-07

8. [8]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 178 (US Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), RG 181 (naval districts and shore establishments); HAER CA-326 Kaiser Shipyards documentation (Library of Congress) [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov record-group guides 24/178/248/181 + deck-log guidance; HAER CA-326 via tile.loc.gov; photo numbers via NavSource index

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for USS Allioth (Oct 1943 - May 1946); NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) and RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) files for MCE hull 1730, the 1943-08-31 Pope & Talbot GAA allocation, and the 1943-10-03 WSA->Navy bareboat ('BB') delivery at Portland; NARA RG 181 (12th Naval District / San Francisco Bay Area naval shore establishment) records as the candidate repository for the December 1944 - March 1945 Alameda conversion work packages; the condition report underlying the reserve-fleet card's 'considerable bottom damage' note; NHHC photo NH 84615, NARA RG-19-LCM photo 19-N-63594, and Navy Yard Mare Island photos 7670-43/7672-43/7673-43 (indexed via NavSource); HAER CA-326 (Kaiser Shipyards, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front NHP) for Yard No. 2 builder context.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964 records

   Limitations

   Record-group and collection 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-allioth-ak109-08

9. [9]MARAD status cards and name-history fields (Details 162/8688) vs DANFS/NavSource/HyperWar/shipbuildinghistory/usmm.org; Wikipedia infobox (tertiary) [other_primary]

   Locator

   MARAD Detail 162 name-history block vs page title; shipbuildinghistory kperm2 table row 1730 + us-navy-large/ak and navalships/av tables; usmm.org Permanente yard table row 1730

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Cross-source reconciliation: (a) MARAD name-history fields on both Detail 162 and Detail 8688 print the post-1945 designation 'AVS-6', while the Detail 162 page title, DANFS, NavSource, HyperWar, shipbuildinghistory, and the MARAD status card itself all read AVS-4 - the cards and Navy sources are carried as controlling; 'AVS-6' is an unexplained database-field artifact. (b) Complement: DANFS spec block 'cpl. 209' and HyperWar's card agree; NavSource's 16 officers + 190 enlisted totals 206 - figures carried separately, not reconciled. (c) Armament: DANFS 'a. 2 3", 8 20mm.' (an AK-period fit) vs NavSource '1x 5"/38 DP, 1x 3"/50 DP, 6x 20mm' (a later fit) - the two blocks likely describe different configuration dates; not reconciled. (d) Wikipedia's infobox gives Navy acquisition 5 October 1943; DANFS and the MARAD status card both record 3 October (card: delivered Portland 10-3-43 2-PM PWT) - 3 October carried as controlling. (e) shipbuildinghistory's Permanente-2 table gives way no. 10, 21 days on the ways / 11 in the water / 32 total, and 'scrapped 1965' - build-time detail and the 1965 demolition-completion framing are secondary-only; the MARAD card controls custody (withdrawn 1964-10-13). (f) usmm.org's Permanente yard table maps '1730 James Rowan -> AK 109 Allioth; IX 204; AVS 4', consistent with the cards.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1965

   Limitations

   Resolves database-label and secondary-source inconsistencies visible across primary and secondary sources; does not affect identity or custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-allioth-ak109-09