Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
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[1]DANFS, USS Altamaha (CVE-18) entry (verbatim transcription; live NHHC page returned 404) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS CVE-18 entry, construction and service paragraphs
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents: laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 235) 19 December 1941 at Tacoma, Wash., by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp.; launched 25 May 1942 (two compiled sources give 22 May - see gaps); sponsored by Mrs. Thomas S. Combs; commissioned 15 September 1942. Pacific service: aircraft ferry/transport runs to the southwest Pacific (Espiritu Santo, Noumea, Fiji, Funafuti), replacement-aircraft runs to Midway, and a voyage delivering 29 Army Air Force planes to Karachi (August 1943); overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard (October-November 1943); nucleus of hunter-killer Task Group 11.1 against Japanese submarines on the Pearl Harbor-Marshall Islands supply lines (March-April 1944, evaded a four-torpedo attack 15 April); repairs and alterations at United Engineering Co., Alameda (May 1944); further ferry operations, then TG 30.8 replenishment-group duty (November 1944-February 1945). On 18 December 1944 she was caught in a severe typhoon in the Philippine Sea, rolled 25-30 degrees, lost nearly half her aircraft overboard, and took propeller and forward-elevator-pit damage; dry-docked for underwater work and propeller repairs at Hunters Point Navy Yard (3-14 March 1945), with a further post-surrender overhaul there (August-October 1945). Magic Carpet repatriation runs followed. Out of commission, in reserve, at Tacoma 27 September 1946; redesignated CVHE-18 12 June 1955; struck 1 March 1959; sold 25 April 1961 to Eisenberg & Co., New York; scrapped in Japan. One battle star.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1941-1961
- Population
- Crew (DANFS 970) plus embarked squadrons and transport passengers
- Limitations
- Documents construction, combat and transport service, four distinct yard availabilities (Mare Island, United Engineering, Hunters Point x2), and disposal; contains no insulation, material, or asbestos information. The typhoon damage repair is documented as an event - its insulation disturbance scope is not recorded.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-01
-
[2]NavSource Online, Escort Carrier Photo Archive, USS Altamaha (ACV-18/CVE-18/CVHE-18) - Operational and Building Data + class specifications [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource CVE-18 page, Operational and Building Data block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource building data documents: named for a river and a sound in Georgia (also a 1540 town named in De Soto's journals); Maritime Commission hull 235, type C3-S-A1; laid down 19 December 1941; launched 22 May 1942; acquired 1 May 1942; converted to an aircraft carrier at the Bremerton Navy Yard; AVG-18, ACV-18 (20 August 1942), CVE-18 (15 July 1943), CVHE-18 (12 June 1955); commissioned 15 September 1942; decommissioned 27 September 1946; stricken 1 March 1959; sold 25 April 1961 and scrapped in Japan. Class specifications: 7,800 tons standard; 2 boilers (285 psi), 1 steam turbine, 1 shaft, 8,500 shp; 16.5 knots; crew 890.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1941-1961
- Population
- n/a (building data)
- Limitations
- Compiled secondary source consistent with DANFS on all overlapping facts except the launch date (NavSource 22 May vs DANFS 25 May - carried in gaps). No insulation/asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-02
-
[3]U.S. Navy, Bureau of Ships Technical Manual, NAVSHIPS 250-000, Chapter 39 'Thermal Insulation' (1960, page date 15 April 1959) - specification-level document for Navy shipboard insulation materials [other_primary]
- Locator
- BuShips TM ch.39, sections 39-11 through 39-13 (materials)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The 1960 BuShips Technical Manual's insulation chapter enumerates the asbestos material suite standard to Navy steam plants of this hull's construction era: MIL-I-2781 pipe covering including 85% magnesia 'formed from a combination of 85 percent magnesium carbonate with about 15 percent asbestos fiber' and a class 'formed from a uniform mixture of amosite asbestos fibers'; roll asbestos felt MIL-I-15091; asbestos cloth/tape SS-C-466 (80-95% chrysotile) as lagging; asbestos millboard HH-M-351; asbestos finishing cement; molded asbestos block for high-temperature service. This hull's two Foster-Wheeler boilers, single Allis-Chalmers geared turbine set, and associated steam piping are the equipment classes these specifications cover.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1960 (manual); describes era-standard specifications
- Population
- Construction trades (Tacoma, 1941-42; Bremerton conversion, 1942); crew (1942-46)
- Limitations
- Specification-level documentation of materials the Navy specified, not a ship-specific installation record - establishes the era insulation suite, not what was installed on this hull. Keel-to-commissioning window (1941-42) is inside the asbestos-spec period. Retrieved PDF is a scan hosted in the Garlock bankruptcy Daubert-appendix repository; the document itself is the government manual (verified legible 2026-09-18; same document verified in the class-D profile work of 2026-09-16 and batch-54 records).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-03
-
[4]Port of Tacoma v. Todd Shipyards Corp. et al., No. 3:08-cv-05132-BHS (W.D. Wash.), Order approving TSC settlement (Doc. 139, 2010-09-09); allegations recited from Port's CERCLA contribution complaint (Doc. 58) [court_record]
- Locator
- Order Doc. 139 at 1-3; complaint summary Doc. 58 (Shipbuilding Site, 1916-1946)
- Finding type
- environmental_record
- Finding
- A W.D. Wash. order recites the Port of Tacoma's CERCLA/MTCA contribution allegations that Todd Shipyards Corporation owned and operated parcels near the mouth of the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma - 'the Shipbuilding Site' - from 1916 through 1946, and that Todd's shipbuilding operations disposed of contaminated material and hazardous substances into the waterway. The Shipbuilding Site is the Commencement Bay yard where this hull was built; a settlement releasing TSC (Todd) was approved.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1916-1946 site era; litigation 2005-2010
- Population
- Todd Tacoma yard workforce (allegation-level)
- Limitations
- Establishes the builder's site identity and operating era (1916-1946) at the location of construction. The litigated contaminants were listed hazardous substances (metals, PAHs, PCBs) - asbestos is not among the recited substances; the order recites allegations for settlement approval, not findings of contamination or exposure. No individual or hull-level exposure is established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-04
-
[5]Herring v. Texaco, Inc., 161 Wn.2d 189, 165 P.3d 4 (Wash. 2007) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 161 Wn.2d 189 (No. 78774-3)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Washington Supreme Court opinion documents that Roger Herring worked for subcontractors at Todd Shipyards sites in the 1960s-early 1970s, developed pleural thickening (1986), asbestosis (~1989), and fatal mesothelioma (2002), and that his suit against Todd was barred because his asbestos claims were discharged in Todd's 1987 Chapter 11 bankruptcy (published-notice sufficiency was the litigated issue). Documents that occupational asbestos-exposure claims were litigated against this hull's builder corporate family in the postwar era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1960s-2007
- Population
- Todd Shipyards subcontractor worker (mesothelioma)
- Limitations
- Yard/corporate-level litigation at Todd's Puget Sound operations post-dating this hull's construction era; does not name this hull, does not adjudicate exposure aboard any specific vessel, and Herring's claim was barred on bankruptcy-discharge grounds - a merits-level negative for that plaintiff, not affirmative exposure evidence. Construction-era (1941-42) conditions at the Tacoma yard are not addressed.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-05
-
[6]Braaten v. Saberhagen Holdings, Inc., 165 Wn.2d 373, 198 P.3d 1010 (Wash. 2008) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 165 Wn.2d 373 (No. 80146-4)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Washington Supreme Court opinion documenting the shipboard asbestos-maintenance regime at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard through the career of pipefitter William Braaten (1967-2002), who developed mesothelioma; the court held manufacturers had no duty to warn of asbestos in other makers' products applied to their equipment - a defense win on duty grounds. Documents the era asbestos environment at the naval shipyard where this hull was converted to an escort carrier in 1942.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 1967-2008
- Population
- PSNS pipefitter (mesothelioma)
- Limitations
- Yard-level litigation context only: Braaten's PSNS tenure (1967-2002) postdates this hull's 1942 conversion by 25 years and the opinion does not name this hull or adjudicate exposure aboard any vessel. Carried because the conversion yard is documented (NavSource); the decision is a merits-level negative for those plaintiffs, not exposure evidence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-06
-
[7]Batch-66 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NavSource/navypedia ship records; CourtListener-domain searches by exact name and hull number; builder-yard litigation verification [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-altamaha-cve18-01 through -08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, insulation specification, abatement contract, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Altamaha (CVE-18) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Litigation-index sweeps by exact ship name and hull number returned no qualifying asbestos opinion naming this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-18
- Study period
- 2026-09-18
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1941-42 Tacoma construction plus Bremerton conversion sits inside the Navy's asbestos-specification era and the negative reflects record availability, not hull condition. CourtListener API was rate-limited (HTTP 429, daily cap) on 2026-09-18; the domain-restricted index sweep is a degraded but honest substitute, logged in the ledger. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-altamaha-cve18-07