Evidence
12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).
-
[1]research packet mo-packet.md (2 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED — real identity: USS Antelope — IX-109 [DANFS-mirror]
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-antelope-ix109-pkt-mo-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Naval History Division / NHHC), 'USS Antelope II (IX-109)' entry; live NHHC page 404s - HyperWar/ibiblio transcription cited [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- entry text (transcription by P. Clancey); canonical NHHC URL 404s as of access date
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- M.H. de Young laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1587) 1943-06-15 at Richmond, CA by Permanente Metals Corp.; launched 1943-07-06, sponsored by Mrs. George T. Cameron; delivered to the Maritime Commission 1943-07-19. Operated under a Maritime Commission charter (DANFS names 'American Presidential Lines' - see limitations). Torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-19 on 1943-08-14 about 1,000 miles east of Noumea, New Caledonia; brought into Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, partially repaired, and taken over by the Navy under bareboat charter 1943-10-04. Renamed Antelope (IX-109) and placed in service the same day, Lt. L.G. Elsell in charge. Engines removed; spent the entire war as a non-self-propelled dry cargo storage vessel assigned to Service Squadron 9 - Espiritu Santo first duty station, possibly Leyte, Subic Bay last known location. Inspected at Subic Bay, found beyond economical repair; placed out of service 1946-05-03 and delivered to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration; struck 1946-05-21; sold for scrapping to Asia Development Corp. 1948-03-03.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- Navy storage-hulk crew (1943-1946); merchant crew and Armed Guard under WSA (1943)
- Limitations
- DANFS is an official compiled history; the entry itself notes 'scanty records make it impossible to compile a list of locations.' Its 'American Presidential Lines' operator line conflicts with the vessel's primary status card and USCG report, which show R.A. Nicol & Co., Inc. as WSA general agent - carried as Nicol per the primary document. Entry contains no asbestos, materials, or casualty-detail information. Wikipedia's rendering of this same entry says Service Squadron 8 where DANFS says 9 - DANFS carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-01
-
[3]U.S. Maritime Administration ShipHistory database - records 9622 (M.H. DE YOUNG) and 5668 (ANTELOPE, ex-M.H. DeYoung), each with a digitized vessel status card (cards 4MN_01.png, 5668_AF.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- ShipHistory Detail 9622 status card (4MN_01.png) and Detail 5668 status card (5668_AF.jpg); milestones on Detail 5668
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Vessel status cards for U.S. Official No. 243893: EC2-S-C1 cargo ship, hull no. 1587, built by Permanente Metals Corp. at Richmond, CA, completed 1943-07-19; construction cost $1,728,590. Operator ledger: basis to War Shipping Administration 1943-07-19 3:15 p.m. PWT at Richmond; R.A. Nicol & Co., Inc. under general agency agreement (GAA) from delivery; Navy Dept. by bareboat charter (BB) at Espiritu Santo 1943-10-04 12:01 a.m., card annotated '(renamed Antelope IX-109)'; Laid Up Fleet, Subic Bay, P.I. 1946-05-03 11:00 a.m.; sold to Asia Development Corp., delivered 1948-03-03. The ANTELOPE card adds: sold for scrapping of hull to Asia Development Corp., Shanghai, China, Jan. 28, 1948, as 1 of 15 vessels sold under PDX-402 for a lump sum of $271,000; WSA declaration LV#174 dated 1946-10-07; location Subic Bay Reserve Fleet.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1948
- Population
- WSA merchant crew (Jul-Oct 1943); Navy storage crew (Oct 1943-May 1946)
- Limitations
- Primary custody/operator ledger; card abbreviations (GAA, BB, PUR, PDX) read per MARAD status-card conventions. The two MARAD database records describe the same hull but disagree on fate wording ('Sold - Foreign Flag Op.' vs 'Sold - Scrap'). Card sale dates reconcile as authorization 1948-01-28/29, contract MCc-61131 of 1948-02-02, delivery 1948-03-03, Transfer Order 1948-03-11 - see ev-04. No materials or asbestos content on the cards.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-02
-
[4]U.S. Coast Guard war-loss questionnaire for S/S M.H. De Young (master's report to the Commandant, information furnished by the master, dated 1944-10-14; declassified under NARA project NW 63684; hosted by MARAD ShipHistory) [other_primary]
- Locator
- MHDeYoung_9622_001.pdf, 2 pp. (MARAD 'SYSTEM UPLOAD' historical documents)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Master's casualty report: S/S M.H. De Young (O.N. 243893), owner WSA, operator R.A. Nicol & Co., ocean freight service, voyage Port Hueneme, CA to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, cargo 3,900 tons general (including Seabee barge pontoons stowed in every hold - noted as nearly making the ship unsinkable). Torpedoed 1943-08-13 at 1950 at position 21-50 S, 175-10 W; one torpedo hit, extensive damage to machinery; submarine sighted after the attack; SOS sent; ship armed and armament used with unknown result. 95 aboard (42 merchant crew incl. master W. Munda; 25 Armed Guard - 1 officer, 24 enlisted; 28 passengers). Casualties: 4 lost (1 officer, 2 unlicensed crew - the 3-man engineering watch below - and 1 passenger) by shell or torpedo fire; 6 injured. Master ordered all except himself, 2 merchant crew, and the armed guard to abandon ship into lifeboats; crew and passengers reboarded next morning; ship towed in to Espiritu Santo.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-08; report 1944-10-14
- Population
- Merchant crew, Navy Armed Guard detachment, and embarked passengers at the casualty event
- Limitations
- Handwritten standard USCG casualty form; a few entries are partially legible. The report dates the attack 1943-08-13 1950 while DANFS gives 1943-08-14 - likely a local-date vs. zone-date difference at 175W, logged as a discrepancy rather than resolved. Master reported to the Eleventh Naval District 14 months after the event. No materials or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-03
-
[5]U.S. Maritime Commission Transfer Order No. C-6066 (1948-03-11), approving the sale to an alien of S.S. M.H. DE YOUNG (ex-ANTELOPE), Official No. 243893, to Asia Development Corporation, Shanghai, pursuant to Contract MCc-61131 (1948-02-02), requiring complete scrapping of the hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- MHDeYoung_9622_002.pdf, 1 p.
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USMC Transfer Order C-6066 (1948-03-11, signed R.J. McDonald, Assistant Secretary): the Commission on 1948-01-29 authorized sale of S.S. M.H. De Young (ex-Antelope), O.N. 243893, to Asia Development Corporation, a Republic of China company with offices at Shanghai, under Contract MCc-61131 dated 1948-02-02, which provided that the hull 'shall be completely scrapped, dismembered, dismantled, or destroyed'; the order grants the Shipping Act 1916 Sections 9 and 41 alien-sale approval.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1948
- Limitations
- Disposal document only; no materials, scrapping-method, or asbestos content. 'Sold for scrapping 1948' is the documented disposition; the ~1950 China breakup date comes only from secondary compilations (NavSource). Confirms DANFS's 1948-03-03 sale framing within the full paper trail (authorization 1/28-1/29, contract 2/2, delivery 3/3, order 3/11).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-04
-
[6]Naval Historical Center, Online Library of Selected Images - 'USS Antelope (IX-109), 1943-1946' photo captions (NH 97018; 80-G-314233), via HyperWar/ibiblio mirror [other_primary]
- Locator
- NH 97018 and 80-G-314233 captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official U.S. Navy photographs document Antelope in the floating drydock USS Artisan (ABSD-1) at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides: entering ABSD-1 on 1945-01-05 (NH 97018) and in drydock with USS LST-120 on 1945-01-08 (80-G-314233), with the caption noting armament reduced to three 20mm guns and the other gun tubs empty. Forward-area drydocking/docking-period maintenance is documented aboard this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1945-01
- Population
- ABSD-1 drydock crews and Antelope ship's force (Jan 1945)
- Limitations
- Photo captions establish dates, location, and visible armament only; they do not state what work was performed or what materials were involved. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-05
-
[7]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 USMC operating manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant 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. This hull was built to that standard in mid-1943 at a Kaiser emergency yard.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943
- Population
- Construction trades (Permanente Metals Yard 2, Richmond, 1943); merchant engine crew (Jul-Aug 1943); workers involved in post-torpedo machinery stripping
- Limitations
- Design/class documentation, not a hull record - the manual does not name this vessel and does not itself state 'asbestos' content. Hull-specific counterweight: the Navy removed her engines in late 1943 after torpedo damage to machinery spaces, so at least some machinery-space material load was disturbed or removed; what remained in accommodation and auxiliary systems is undocumented. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven; does not establish quantity or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-06
-
[8]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 (1988) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373 (1988)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Peer-reviewed historical study documenting that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II - the era and emergency shipbuilding program under which this hull was mass-produced - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1941-1945
- Population
- WWII shipyard construction trades (class context)
- Limitations
- Era-level scholarship; does not name this hull or the EC2-S-C1 type specifically, and establishes program-level material use rather than conditions aboard any individual vessel.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-07
-
[9]In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) [court_record]
- Locator
- Opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Second Circuit ruling addressing mesothelioma claims by a mariner aboard War Shipping Administration vessels; the court considered jurisdiction over a personal-injury claim against the United States for asbestos exposure aboard the WWII government merchant fleet - the same operating agency (WSA, acting through general agents such as R.A. Nicol & Co.) that operated this hull as M.H. de Young in July-October 1943. Claims against the government were barred on discretionary-function grounds.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1989 (opinion); wartime exposure period
- Population
- WWII merchant mariners (class context)
- Limitations
- Fleet-level jurisdictional ruling; does not name this hull, does not find asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes only the litigation posture for WWII merchant-fleet claims. Reporter citation: 891 F.2d 31.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-08
-
[10]Shipbuilding History (shipbuildinghistory.com, Tim Colton compilation), 'Kaiser Permanente No. 2, Richmond CA' yard table, MCE hull 1587 row [other_primary]
- Locator
- kperm2.htm hull table, row for MC hull 1587
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Compiled yard production table attributes MCE hull 1587 'M H De Young' (EC2-S-C1) to Permanente Metals Corporation's No. 2 Yard at Richmond, way 11: laid down 1943-06-15, launched 1943-07-06, delivered 1943-07-19 (21 days on the ways, 13 fitting out); table note reads 'Torpedoed in the Pacific 1943, to USN as Antelope (IX 109), scrapped 1950' - consistent with the primary status-card dates.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943
- Limitations
- Secondary compiled reference, not a government record - used for the Yard-2 attribution and build metrics only; all dates agree with the primary MARAD status card. No materials or asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-09
-
[11]Batch-4678 search ledger (this record): DANFS via HyperWar; NHHC Online Library photos; MARAD ShipHistory records + status cards + 4 uploaded PDFs (incl. USCG casualty report, USMC Transfer Order C-6066, two USCG radio-sealing reports); NARA catalog; NVR; NavSource; Shipbuilding History; CourtListener API v4 (name + hull-number sweeps) [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-antelope-ix109-01 through sl-uss-antelope-ix109-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, NRHP/NHL file, or asbestos opinion naming USS Antelope (IX-109) or M.H. de Young was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger; CourtListener opinion sweeps completed, docket sweeps pending at commit). The hull's 1943-46 Navy career was as a stripped, non-self-propelled storage hulk, and the hull was scrapped in China ~1950 - before the asbestos-regulatory era - so no modern survey record can be expected.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard during construction or service - the documented torpedo strike into machinery spaces, forward-area repair/drydocking, and engine removal are exactly the events where era insulation would have been disturbed. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-10
-
[12]CourtListener API v4 sweep (opinion index type=o; RECAP docket index type=r) for exact name 'USS Antelope', hull number 'IX-109', and merchant name 'M.H. de Young' via cl-auth-search.py (authenticated, fleet-paced) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-antelope-ix109-10, -11, -12
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener opinion sweep (completed): '"USS Antelope"' (type=o) returned 0 results; '"IX-109"' returned 16 hits, all string collisions on review (e.g., 'Hall IX, 109 So.3d', old digest/pagination tokens in 1914-1923 8th Cir. opinions, the Downie v. Abex asbestos-brake-shoe opinions matching on unrelated tokens - none references a vessel); '"M.H. de Young"/"De Young" asbestos' returned 2 hits, both unrelated (Travelers asbestos-insurance coverage litigation; a Texas attorney-dispute order). No opinion naming this hull located. RECAP docket sweeps pending at commit (fleet pacing intervened).
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Opinion index swept for both names and the hull number; docket index not yet swept - see search_ledger sl-11/-12. The sweep does not cover state-court records, bankruptcy trust claims, or non-U.S. jurisdictions. Collision discipline required: 'USS Antelope' hits may reference the unrelated Asheville-class gunboat PG-86 (1967-1977), which appears on commercial asbestos ship lists; hull number is the discriminator.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-antelope-ix109-11