Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
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[1]research packet ae-packet.md (12 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-alpine-apa92-pkt-ae-packet-md
-
[2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - transports, attack (APA) section, per-hull rows for ALPINE APA-92 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 APA tables at p. 222 (dimensions, personnel, machinery, armament/cargo, construction rows for ALPINE APA92); name index entries 'Alpine (ex-Sea Arrow, ex-M.C. Hull 281)' and 'Sea Arrow (now Alpine)'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries a per-hull row for ALPINE APA-92 (ex-Sea Arrow, ex-M.C. Hull 281): 492'0" overall / 465'0" waterline; beam 69'6"; 26'6" limiting draft; 18.4 knots trial; 11,760 t trial / 16,100 t limiting displacement; machinery 1 General Electric turbine, 8,500 shp, single propeller, with 2 Combustion Engineering 'D'-type boilers at 465 psi / 765 deg F; ship's company 41 officers + 437 enlisted; troop accommodations 91 officers + 1,420 enlisted; staff accommodations 43 officers + 108 enlisted; boom capacity 30 t; armament 2 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm; cargo 180,500 cu ft non-refrigerated; construction row 'Western Pipe & Steel Co., Los Angeles, Calif.', acquired 30 Sep 43, year built 1943, first commission 30 Sep 43.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1945
- Limitations
- Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant, manning, builder, and acquisition. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS and NavSource. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-01
-
[3]DANFS, 'Alpine' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (published 2015-06-16; live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20250202214608) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry body text + spec block (Wayback capture 20250202214608)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC records (spec block: dp. 11,760; l. 492'; b. 69'6"; dr. 26'6"; s. 18.4 k.; cpl. 478; a. 2 5", 4 40mm.; cl. Bayfield; T. C3-S-A2): laid down as Sea Arrow under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 281) 12 Apr 1943 at Los Angeles, Calif., by Western Pipe and Steel Co.; launched 10 Jul 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Helen Marsh; renamed Alpine and designated APA-92 on 30 Aug 1943; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 30 Sep 1943 at San Francisco, Capt. W. L. Taylor in command; same-day command transfer to Comdr. Roger E. Perry; civilian-crewed transit to Portland, Oreg. (arr. 4 Oct); decommissioned 8 Oct 1943 at Commercial Iron Works for conversion; recommissioned 22 Apr 1944, Comdr. George G. K. Reilly in command. War record: San Diego shakedown to 18 Jun 1944; Pearl Harbor; TransDiv 38 with 1,417 troops of the 77th Army Division for the Guam assault (offload 21 Jul, six days in area); Leyte operation (Manus staging, TG 79.1, Leyte Gulf debarkation 20 Oct with 791 troops); 18 Nov 1944 kamikaze crash into the port side - fires brought under control in one-half hour, five crew killed and 12 injured, hull repairs at Seeadler Harbor; Lingayen Gulf landings 9 Jan 1945 and Zambales landing 29-30 Jan; Okinawa assault with TG 51.13 - on 1 Apr 1945 a bomb hit the starboard main deck and the plane struck the ship, fires in holds 2 and 3, 16 killed and 19 injured, Gear (ARS-34) alongside from 2 Apr; departed Okinawa 6 Apr; Seattle naval station arrival 30 Apr and drydock 1 May for overhaul and battle repairs completed 29 Jun; postwar occupation lifts - Jinsen, Korea (16 Oct), China ports (Taku, Weihaiwei, Tsingtao), Nagoya (26 Dec, 1,915 Army troops homeward); Tacoma 14 Jan 1946; Panama Canal 13 Feb; Norfolk 20 Feb; decommissioned at Norfolk 5 Apr 1946; name struck from the Navy list 1 May 1946. Five battle stars for WWII service.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1946
- Limitations
- Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history and identity. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. Casualty figures differ from NavSource's personnel-awards table (see gaps).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Alpine (APA-92), file 10/03/03092 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 03092.htm - timeline, campaign table, occupation-service table, personnel-awards note, spec block, CO table, merchant-service entries
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: radio call sign NZUK; campaign credits - Marianas (Guam, 21-27 and 29 Jul 1944), Leyte (20 Oct and 18 Nov 1944), Luzon (Lingayen Gulf, 9 Jan 1945), Manila Bay-Bicol (Zambales-Subic Bay, 29-30 Jan 1945), Okinawa Gunto (assault and occupation 1-16 Apr 1945); Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 8-19 Sep and 17 Oct-9 Nov 1945; China Service Medal (extended) 17 Oct-9 Nov 1945; returned to the Maritime Commission 10 Apr 1946 for NDRF lay-up; five battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation. Personnel-awards note Purple Hearts 18 Nov 1944 (Leyte Gulf, 5 KIA, 18 WIA) and 1 Apr 1945 (Okinawa, 3 KIA, 19 WIA). Merchant service: sold 1947, renamed India Mail; resold 1965 Transwestern; resold 1969 Buckeye Pacific; resold 1971 Empire Pacific; scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, October 1971. Spec block consistent with SDB: 8,591 t light / 16,100 t full; 492' x 69'6" x 26'6"; 18.4 kt; complement 41 officers + 437 enlisted; troops 91 + 1,420; staff 43 + 108; armament 2 x 5"/38 DP + 4 twin 40mm + 18 x 20mm; boats 12 LCVP + 4 LCM(6) + 3 LCP(L); propulsion 1 GE geared turbine, 2 Combustion Engineering D-type boilers 465 psi/765 deg F, double GE main reduction gears, 3 x 300 kW turbogenerators, single propeller 8,500 shp. CO table: CDR Perry (ferry) 30 Sep-8 Oct 43; CDR Reilly 22 Apr 44-5 Apr 46.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Limitations
- Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with NHHC/MARAD/SDB. Casualty counts for both kamikaze hits conflict with DANFS (see gaps). Page header styles the class 'Alpine Class' - a NavSource filing artifact; DANFS and shipscribe assign the hull to the Bayfield (APA-33) class. Merchant-owner names on this page are limited (a photo caption ties Transwestern to Pack & Kahn Inc.); contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-03
-
[5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ALPINE (APA-92), Ship History Detail 168 (linked merchant record SEA ARROW, Detail 4458), incl. scanned vessel status card (ALPINE.pdf) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 168 registry block, name history, milestone table, documents tab (ALPINE.pdf status-card scan); linked merchant record Detail 4458
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- MARAD ShipHistory registry for this hull: Year Built 1943; Official Number 251767; Shipyard 'Western Pipe and Steel Company'; Naval Auxiliary / APA Attack Transport; MARAD Type C3-S-A2; length 492.00 ft; beam 70.00 ft; displacement 16,100 t summer / 8,591 t lightweight; fate 'Sold - No Further Info'. Vessel name history: Sea Arrow (1943); Alpine (APA-92) (1943-1947); Indian Mail (1947-1965); Transwestern (1965-1969); Buckeye Pacific (1969-1971); Empire Pacific (1971). Milestones: Entry 4/10/1946; Disposition 4/10/1946 'SEE-SEA ARROW'; Disposition 10/11/1946 'Conversion@ Tampa S/B Co.'; Withdrawal 10/11/1946. The attached scanned status card (ALPINE.pdf, partially legible handwriting) records the custody chain Western Pipe & Steel Co. -> U.S. Maritime Commission -> Navy Department -> War Shipping Administration at Lee Hall, Va., 4-10-46, then to Reserve Fleet lay-up - consistent with the James River NDRF custody reported by NavSource.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Population
- Wartime crew and embarked troops; Commercial Iron Works conversion workforce (Oct 1943-Apr 1944); Tampa S/B Co. conversion workforce (Oct 1946); NDRF Lee Hall caretakers (1946); merchant crews (1947-1971); Kaohsiung breaking-yard workers (1971)
- Limitations
- Authoritative MARAD registry plus a handwritten status-card scan whose OCR is only partially legible ('ALPINE, ex Sea Arrow'; custody entries read with moderate confidence). MARAD's name history carries 'Indian Mail' where NavSource/shipscribe/Colton carry 'India Mail' - variant logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim. Status-card image files under /media/shipstatus/ 404 (same defect as prior batches); the two extra card scans on Detail 4458 were not retrievable.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-04
-
[6]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Bayfield (APA-33) Class, Part 1' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]
- Locator
- APA-33 class Part 1 page: characteristics block, construction table, disposition table, ship notes (APA-92 row)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the class tables: ALPINE acquired 30 Sep 43; builder 'Western Pipe, San Fran.'; keel 12 Apr 43; launched 10 Jul 43; commissioned 22 Apr 44. Disposition row: decommissioned 5 Apr 46, struck 1 May 46, disposal 10 Apr 46, fate MC/D, Maritime Administration sale 27 Feb 47. Ship note: 'Ex merc. SEA ARROW. Ferry comm. 30 Sep-8 Oct 43. Converted by Commercial IW, Portland, Ore. Merc. INDIA MAIL 1947. Scrapped 1971 as EMPIRE PACIFIC (ex BUCKEYE PACIFIC).' Class-level context: MC design C3-S-A2; 7,845 t light / 16,100 t limiting; 492'0" oa x 69'6" x 26'6"; 18.4 kts; 8,500 hp GE turbine, 1 screw; class complement 520 (1944); APA-92 belongs to Part 1 (basic attack-transport fit) rather than the Part 2 relief-AGC subset.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Population
- Western Pipe & Steel construction workforce (1943); Commercial Iron Works conversion workforce (1943-1944)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; figures used where consistent with NHHC/SDB/MARAD. Builder entry 'Western Pipe, San Fran.' conflicts with the BuShips/DANFS 'Los Angeles' - discrepancy logged in gaps. Class complement 520 (1944) conflicts with the DANFS spec block (478) and SDB personnel row (41+437=478) - logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; the conversion note documents a work event, not materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-05
-
[7]Darrel Franklin v. USX Corp., 87 Cal. App. 4th 615, 105 Cal. Rptr. 2d 11 (Cal. Ct. App. 2001) (A091473), CourtListener opinion 2287235 [court_record]
- Locator
- 87 Cal. App. 4th 615 at 619 (contract/asbestos stipulation and take-home allegations); opinion disposition (successor-liability reversal, jury verdict unaddressed)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Published appellate opinion documenting asbestos at this hull's builder yard in its build window: on a stipulated documentary record the trial phase established that Western Pipe & Steel 'entered into a contract with the United States Maritime Commission' for wartime shipbuilding at South San Francisco and that 'the contract required the use of ship building materials containing asbestos.' Plaintiffs' decedent Jeannette Franklin alleged childhood take-home exposure 1942-1945 from both parents' work at the WPS South San Francisco yard - the same yard and period in which this hull (MC 281, keel Apr 1943) was built per the yard-level compilations. A jury returned a verdict exceeding $5 million; the Court of Appeal reversed ONLY on successor-liability grounds (USX was not WPS's successor in interest) and expressly did not reach the jury verdict issues - the yard's asbestos-use findings stand.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- exposure window 1942-1945; opinion 2001
- Population
- WPS South San Francisco shipyard workforce and households (1942-1945, era context)
- Limitations
- Builder-program finding, not a hull record - the opinion names neither this vessel nor MC hull 281 and does not quantify materials aboard any hull. Disposition described exactly per litigation-stage discipline: the appellate reversal was limited to successor liability; the trial-level contract/asbestos findings were made on a stipulated documentary record. Documents conditions at the South San Francisco yard; if the hull was in fact built at WPS's San Pedro facility (per the official 'Los Angeles' builder entries), the yard-level link weakens accordingly - location discrepancy logged in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-06
-
[8]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + MC C3-S-A2 type data (shipscribe APA-33 class page); disturbance events from DANFS/NavSource/MARAD rows [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v3 machinery table, APA section (ALPINE row); https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/APA/APA34.html class data; disturbance events per ev-02/-03/-04
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-turbine steam plant (one GE turbine, two Combustion Engineering 'D'-type boilers at 465 psi / 765 deg F, 8,500 shp) built at the peak of WWII asbestos usage under a Maritime Commission contract that a California appellate record states 'required the use of ship building materials containing asbestos' (Franklin v. USX, this record ev-06). Boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. The incomplete-hull acquisition and Commercial Iron Works conversion (Oct 1943-Apr 1944), troop/staff outfitting for ~1,660 embarked personnel, the documented battle-damage events (18 Nov 1944 kamikaze with port-side fires and Seeadler Harbor hull repairs; 1 Apr 1945 bomb-plus-kamikaze with fires in holds 2 and 3 and the May-Jun 1945 Seattle drydock overhaul), the Oct 1946 Tampa S/B merchant conversion, 24 years of merchant service, and the 1971 Kaohsiung breaking are the documented disturbance-phase pathways for this hull.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1971
- Population
- Construction trades at Western Pipe & Steel (1943); Commercial Iron Works conversion trades (1943-1944); wartime crew and embarked troops (1944-1946); battle-damage repair workforces (Manus 1944; Seattle drydock 1945); Tampa S/B conversion trades (1946); merchant crews (1947-1971); Kaohsiung breaking-yard workers (1971)
- Limitations
- Inference from the documented machinery plant, contract program, and construction era - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming APA-92 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation aboard this specific hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-07
-
[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 C3-S-A2 attack transport was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- 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-alpine-apa92-08
-
[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)
- 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
- 2026-09-25
- 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; the survey's yards are anonymized - whether Western Pipe & Steel (South San Francisco or San Pedro) or Commercial Iron Works was among the contract yards surveyed is unverified - and the source 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-alpine-apa92-09
-
[11]Batch-2392 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback; NavSource 03092; MARAD ShipHistory Details 168 + 4458 + ALPINE.pdf status card; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe APA-33 class page; CourtListener API v4 (authenticated helper); VA BVA index; NARA record-group guides; shipbuildinghistory.com yard/APA tables [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-alpine-apa92-01 through sl-uss-alpine-apa92-12
- 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 Alpine / APA-92 / MC hull 281 / Sea Arrow / India Mail was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener hits for 'Alpine' are name collisions - Alpine Group (Pa. workers' comp), Alpine Industries (CAA criminal), Alpine Podiatry, Alpine UT attorney addresses, unrelated plaintiffs/defendants - not this hull; all six 'APA-92' opinion hits plus the single '"APA-92" asbestos' opinion hit are likewise unrelated (Administrative Procedure Act matches, a 3M Tax Court page-fragment match). Law-firm marketing pages (asbestos-ships.com dedicated hull page; simmonsfirm.com navy ship list) assert era-typical asbestos content for this hull without primary support - excluded as a source per the no-law-firm-sources rule; the asbestos-ships.com page also carries demonstrable factual errors (decommission date 'March 24, 1946' vs. the documented 5 Apr 1946; complement '575' vs. 478).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 C3-S-A2 steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, her builder's USMC contract is judicially documented as requiring asbestos-containing materials (ev-06), and her conversion, battle-damage repairs, merchant conversions, and 1971 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage is complete for the queries run: exact-phrase 'USS Alpine' returned zero opinions and zero dockets; 'APA-92' six opinion collisions; '"APA-92" asbestos' one opinion collision; '"Alpine" asbestos' 91 opinions / 287 dockets with first-page results all name collisions.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-alpine-apa92-10
-
[12]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), RG 181 (13th Naval District / Seattle-area shore establishment records); MARAD ShipHistory documents section for this hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; /groups/181.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/168 (status-card scans)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Alpine 1943-1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park); BuShips records incl. C3-S-A2 contract plans, the APA-92 ship's case file, and war-damage/repair documentation for the 18 Nov 1944 and 1 Apr 1945 kamikaze events and the May-Jun 1945 Seattle drydock overhaul (RG 19; possibly RG 181 13th Naval District/Seattle repair-yard files); USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 281 at Western Pipe & Steel (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1946 Lee Hall lay-up, the Oct 1946 Tampa Shipbuilding conversion, the Feb 1947 sale, and the 1965/1969/1971 resales and Taiwan disposal (RG 357) - the sale/disposal files are the most promising hazmat leads; the remaining MARAD status-card scans on Details 168/4458 (image paths 404 at access date) may carry additional custody entries.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1943-1971 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-alpine-apa92-11