USS Antigone (LST-773)

Evidence

19 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-19).

1. [1]research packet 723-packet.md (1 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-antigone-lst773-pkt-723-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS, Antigone II (AGP-16) - construction, sponsor, commissioning chain, Pacific service, strike/disposal; spec block (cl. Portunus; cpl. 287) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Antigone II entry, full text and spec block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Documented for this hull: 'Originally projected as LST-773, the second Antigone was re-classified a motor torpedo boat tender and redesignated AGP-16 on 14 August 1944; laid down on 15 August 1944 at Seneca, Ill., by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 27 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mary Ellen Needham Fisher; commissioned in reduced status on 17 November 1944 at Algiers, La., for the voyage to Baltimore, Md.; decommissioned on 5 December 1944 for conversion by the Maryland Drydock Co., to a motor torpedo boat tender; and placed in full commission on 14 May 1945, Lt. Comdr. Whitson M. Jones in command.' Shakedown in Chesapeake Bay and final loading at Davisville, R.I.; sailed 28 June for the Pacific; transited the Panama Canal 8 July; Pearl Harbor 9-22 August; via Saipan to Okinawa, arriving 18 September; serviced Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons 31, 32, and 37 until December; arrived San Francisco 22 January 1946; name struck from the Navy list 10 June 1947; transferred to the Maritime Commission and simultaneously sold to Kaiser & Co. for scrapping 6 February 1948. Spec block: dp. 4,100; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'2"; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 287; a. 2 40mm., 8 20mm.; cl. Portunus.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   Construction trades (Seneca, 1944); Maryland Drydock conversion trades (1944-45); crew (1944-46)

   Limitations

   Ship-specific official history only; no asbestos or material content. No decommissioning date stated. 'Transited the Panama Canal on 8 July' compresses the sequence - the war diary shows arrival at Cristobal 8 July and the actual transit 10 July (see ev-06). Reduced-commission date (17 Nov) conflicts with Shipscribe (7 Nov ferry commission) and NavSource (27 Oct) - see gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-01

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Antigone (AGP-16) ex LST-773 (09/09/0916.htm, last updated 11 April 2019) - designation timeline, specifications, awards, photo captions, radio call sign NJYN [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 09/09/0916.htm header block, timeline, specifications block, awards, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline for this hull: authorized as LST-773; reclassified a Motor Torpedo Boat Tender 14 August 1944; laid down 15 August 1944 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 27 October 1944; 'Commissioned in reduced status as USS Antigone (AGP-16), 27 October 1944 at Algiers, LA' (conflicts with DANFS 17 November and Shipscribe's 7 November ferry-commission start - see gaps); decommissioned 5 December 1944 at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore, for conversion; recommissioned 14 May 1945, LCDR Whitson M. Jones in command; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater; 'Decommissioned, date unknown'; struck from the Naval Register 10 June 1947; transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 6 February 1948 and simultaneously sold to Kaiser & Co. for scrapping. Specifications: displacement 4,100 t; 328' x 50' x 11'2"; 11.6 kts; complement 41 officers + 246 enlisted; largest boom capacity 60 t; two LCVP; armament two quad 40mm AA mounts + eight single 20mm AA mounts (Shipscribe/HyperWar read 8 twin 20mm for this design group - see gaps); diesel 4,480 bbls, gasoline 62,000 gals; propulsion 'two General Motors 12-568A Diesel engines' (misprint - ship's own war diary records Model No. 12-567, ev-06), single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers, twin rudders, 1,800 shp; generators 3x 100kW 120V/240V DC + 2x 100kW 450V AC. Ribbons: American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asia clasp). Photo captions: NH 82218 at anchor San Francisco Bay circa late 1945 or early 1946 - 'Antigone had only one "A" frame hoist, to port. A cradle for repairing PT boats is stowed under it'; a second photo moored pierside, date/location unknown.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   Crew (1944-46); Maryland Drydock conversion trades (1944-45); PT squadron personnel serviced (1945)

   Limitations

   NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates cross-check against DANFS and the war diaries with exceptions noted (reduced-commission date, engine model, decommissioning date 'unknown'). The single-hoist photo caption post-dates the documented June 1945 Norfolk installation of an 'additional A-Frame ... on starboard side' (ev-05) - unresolved, see gaps. Contains no asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-02

4. [4]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), USS Portunus (AGP-4) Class data page - construction/disposition tables, class notes, ship notes compiled from BuShips, OpNav, and Maritime Commission records [other_primary]

   Locator

   Shipscribe AGP04.html class data block, construction table row 16, disposition table row 16, class notes paragraphs, ship notes row 16

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Documents the class program and this hull's place in it: AGP 16-19 were added 2 May 1944 by the Auxiliary Vessels Board (one per quarter of 1945), AGP-19 quickly deleted, and 'the LST hulls for AGP 16-18 were reclassified on 14 Aug 44.' Ship note for this hull: 'Ex LST-773 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-773 7 Nov-5 Dec 44. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore (begun 6 Dec 44). Sold by MC as LST-773 for scrap.' Disposition table: decommissioned 27 May 46; struck 10 Jun 47; disposal 6 Feb 48 MC/D; MA sale 6 Feb 48. Class mechanics: units built on the Mississippi were taken to New Orleans for three days of voyage repairs/stores, then delivered to Baltimore by combat crews with a three-day shakedown at St. Andrews Bay, Fla., transiting under their LST numbers and using the AGP numbers only upon decommissioning and entering the conversion yard; Gibbs and Cox was design agent; the class was designed with shops and equipment for maintenance of one MTB squadron, initially two ten-ton booms, to which a 50-ton 'A' frame hoist was added. Design of the last five units (AGP 14-18): similar to the CORONIS (ARL-10) class - no 3"/50 gun, bow doors and operating mechanism retained, forward kingpost/boom replaced by a crane, 40mm quad on a raised platform at the extreme stern, 'A' frame hoist lift capacity increased to 60 tons; a second 'A' frame hoist fitted in AGP-14 and AGP 17-18. Class data: 2,028 light/4,100 lim tons; 328' oa x 50' x 11.2' lim; 1,800 HP GM diesels, 2 screws, 11.6 kts; complement 240 (1944); later armament for AGP 14, 16-18: 2-40mmQ + 8-20mmT.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1944-1948

   Population

   CB&I construction trades (1944); Maryland Drydock conversion trades (Dec 1944-May 1945); delivery/ferry crew Nov-Dec 1944

   Limitations

   Expert secondary compilation of BuShips/OpNav/MC records, not the underlying documents themselves; the 27 May 1946 decommissioning date rests on this compilation alone (DANFS silent, NavSource 'unknown'). Complement 240 conflicts with DANFS/NavSource 287 - carried in gaps. 'Sold by MC as LST-773 for scrap' is consistent with DANFS/NavSource (no merchant-fate complication for this hull, unlike sister Silenus). Contains no asbestos content; conversion-scope description (shops, hoists) establishes interior rework but names no materials.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-03

5. [5]NARA NAID 140033088, 'USS ANTIGONE - War Diary, 5/14-31/45' (RG 38, World War II War Diaries; 3 images; digitized, OCR-read this session) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 140033088 images 1-3 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03); commissioning paragraph image 2

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The ship's May 1945 war diary (all 3 pages OCR-read) documents verbatim: '1430 - This vessel was placed in full commission by Captain B. N. Ward, U.S.N. (Ret.), in accordance with Chief of Naval Operations Confidential letter Op-230 Mem, serial 0153523 (SC) of 4 April 1945. Command was assumed by Lieutenant Commander Whitson M. Jones, U.S.N.R. Vessel was formerly U.S.S. LST 773 and was converted at the Maryland Drydock Co., Fairfield Yard, Baltimore, Md., where the commissioning ceremonies were held.' Then: towed by civilian tug to Naval Storehouse, Port Covington, Baltimore, for outfitting (15 May, moored 0910; outfitting 16-21 May, completed 22 May); underway for Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, per CTF 23 Operation Order No. 317-45 of 8 May 1945 (22 May); Hampton Roads/NOB Norfolk pier 2 berth 21 (23 May); deperming at Lambert's Point crib (23 May); reported for shakedown; inspection party from CAVSG aboard 24 May (Commander Germaine, senior member); underway for shakedown area per CASVG confidential serial 0383 of 24 May (25 May); shakedown exercises Chesapeake Bay (26-31 May); structural firing 29 May expending 104 rounds 40mm and 480 rounds 20mm. Cover sheet: copies to Cominch (original) and ComServLant.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-05-14 to 1945-05-31

   Population

   Commissioning crew under LCDR Whitson M. Jones USNR; Maryland Drydock Fairfield Yard trades (at ceremony site); Port Covington storehouse detail; CAVSG inspectors

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record; OCR extraction verified against the displayed page for the commissioning paragraph. Names the conversion yard specifically as 'Maryland Drydock Co., Fairfield Yard' - a locatable detail beyond the secondary sources' generic 'Baltimore.' Documents events and dates, not materials - no asbestos or material content. 'CAVSG'/'CASVG' is the diary's own abbreviation (the auxiliary-vessel shakedown command at Norfolk); expansion not stated in the document.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-04

6. [6]NARA NAID 101716460, 'USS ANTIGONE - War Diary, 6/1-30/45' (RG 38, World War II War Diaries; 4 images; digitized, OCR-read this session) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 101716460 images 1-4 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03); availability work list on image 3 (diary p. 2)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The June 1945 war diary (all 4 pages OCR-read) documents the hull's post-shakedown availability at Norfolk Navy Yard verbatim: shakedown as part of T.G. 23.8 (1-3 June; AA practice, 1,576 rounds 40mm + 4,020 rounds 20mm); CAVSG departure inspection (Commander H. B. Shriner, USNR, senior member); moored Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., 1615 on 4 June; the 5 June entry reads 'Moored in Norfolk Navy Yard for post-shakedown availability.' Itemized work: '(1) Installation of additional A-Frame (for use in docking P.T. Boats) on starboard side, (2) Conversion of magazine spaces (including conversion of forward centerline ballast tank, A-409W) so that 5" SS Rockets, 81mm mortar illuminating projectiles and 37mm ammunition are now carried for P.T. Boats, in addition to 40mm, 20mm and .50 Cal. ammunition. Depth charges are no longer carried. (3) Installation of optical shop to repair binoculars was commenced but not completed, (4) Carrying racks for pontoon causeways and barges ... despite the fact that this vessel will be unable to carry either, as cradles for lifting P.T. Boats are of necessity stowed on A-Frame and project approximately 30" outboard of the hull - a fact ... brought to the attention of COTCLANT and BuShips. (5) ... a motor generator set, supplying ... D.C. to radar repair shop.' An after magazine conversion for 5" SS Rockets 'was not accomplished due to an oversight of Norfolk Navy Yard,' leaving stowage for 407 of a 1,200-round allowance; 'this vessel's availability was extended three days' but the yard's workload 'make it impossible to furnish men to work two full shifts. An additional week was needed.' Loading (smoke-screen generators, small arms, pyrotechnics, torpedo warheads, high explosives) 21-24 June; underway for Davisville 25 June; moored Advanced Base Depot, Davisville, R.I., 26-27 June; underway 1725 28 June for Cristobal.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-06-01 to 1945-06-30

   Population

   Ship's company; Norfolk Navy Yard (Portsmouth, Va.) yard trades, 4-~20 June 1945; CAVSG inspectors; Advanced Base Depot Davisville detail

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record documenting a ~16-day Navy-yard availability with interior rework (magazine-space conversions including a ballast-tank space, shop installations, a second A-frame) - events and dates verbatim, not materials. The diary does not say 'asbestos' and does not itemize insulation, lagging, or deck-covering work; asbestos scope is era inference only. Bottom third of page 3 is scan-degraded (25 June entry partially illegible) - content carried only from legible text.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-05

7. [7]NARA NAID 77484185, 'USS ANTIGONE - War Diary, 7/1-31/45' (RG 38, World War II War Diaries; 5 images; digitized, OCR-read this session) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 77484185 images 1-5 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03); propulsion paragraph on image 4 (27 July entry)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The July 1945 war diary (all 5 pages OCR-read) documents the Pacific transit verbatim: proceeding to Canal Zone per ComServLant Confidential despatch #221521 of 22 June (1 July); arrived Cristobal, C.Z., moored pier #1 Coco Solo, reported to CinCPac (8 July, 1737); 'Underway to transit canal. Moored pier B18, Balboa, C.Z., to load M.T.B. lifting cradle' (10 July); cradle assembled and loaded aboard (11-12 July); underway for Pearl Harbor per Port Director Balboa despatch (13 July); daily positions through 31 July. 27-31 July: directed by ComWesSeaFron to rendezvous the disabled concrete tanker S.S. Thaddeus Merriman (~11,000 t, rudder lost) and tow her to Pearl Harbor - boarding party (Executive Officer, Repair Officer, Boatswain) inspected jury-rudder prospects; two tow attempts failed (1 1/4" shackle pin parted, then the 1 5/8" tow wire parted); Antigone stood by pending a tug. The diary records the ship's own engineering data verbatim: 'Main propulsion of U.S.S. Antigone, two General Motor engines, Model No. 12-567, 900 h.p. at 744 engine R.P.M, giving 300 shaft R.P.M., driving two screws (vessel is converted from LST 542 class)' - and the handling note 'the construction of this vessel with no keel ... it skids badly and makes considerable leeway.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-07-01 to 1945-07-31

   Population

   Ship's company; boarding party to S.S. Thaddeus Merriman (Executive Officer, Repair Officer, Boatswain); Balboa/Coco Solo port detail

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record. The verbatim 'Model No. 12-567' entry is ship-specific primary documentation of the diesel plant, resolving NavSource's '12-568A' spec-block misprint; it does not itself address insulation materials. 'Transited canal' dates refine DANFS's compression (Cristobal arrival 8 July; transit 10 July). No asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-06

8. [8]NARA NAID 77499544, 'USS ANTIGONE - War Diary, 8/1-31/45' (RG 38, World War II War Diaries; 3 images; digitized, OCR-read this session) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 77499544 images 1-3 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03); magazine entry on image 2 (10 Aug entry)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The August 1945 war diary (all 3 pages OCR-read) documents: standing by S.S. Thaddeus Merriman until USS ATR-37 took her under tow 1920 on 1 August; resumed passage; moored Berth X-1, Pearl Harbor, 1857 on 9 August (matches DANFS). Verbatim ship's-force work entry for 10 August: 'Moored, berth X-1, Pearl Harbor. Completed work on magazine C-417-2M, converting it from .50 Cal. to 5" SSR stowage. Made 1,000 hours check on Main Engine.' - i.e., the crew finished the magazine conversion Norfolk Navy Yard had left incomplete. 22 August: berth F-9, Ford Island, unloaded 24 Mark 13 torpedoes and 24 Mark 13 warheads per ComMTBRonsPac instructions; underway 1345 for Saipan; daily transit positions 23-31 August.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-08-01 to 1945-08-31

   Population

   Ship's company performing magazine conversion and engine maintenance; Ford Island ammunition-handling detail

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record; documents the crew-performed magazine-space conversion and engine check aboard this hull - events verbatim, not materials; no asbestos or material content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-07

9. [9]NARA NAID 77564222, 'USS ANTIGONE - War Diary, 9/1/45 TO 10/31/45' (RG 38, World War II War Diaries; 7 images; digitized, OCR-read this session) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NAID 77564222 images 1-7 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The September-October 1945 war diary (all 7 pages OCR-read) documents the Okinawa tender period verbatim: anchored Saipan Harbor, discharged passengers (9 Sep); underway for Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in convoy SOK 37 (10 Sep); ordered to proceed independently, course for the China Sea to avoid typhoon (16 Sep); anchored Buckner Bay 1349 on 18 September (matches DANFS); reported to CTG 95.5 (found dissolved), directed by CTG 53.6 to report to ComFleetAirWing-1 (CTG 50.2) as successor; shifted to Chimu Wan (19 Sep), then Sesoko Anchorage (21-22 Sep) where she 'Reported to SOPA (Commanding Officer, U.S.S. SILENUS (AGP-11))'; shifted to Toguchi Harbor (22 Sep); 'supplying tender services to and making repairs on MTB Squadron 32' (23-28 Sep); typhoon evasion with USS CHEHALIS (AOG-48) (29-30 Sep), then with SILENUS (guide), PORTUNUS (AGP-4) and CHEHALIS under typhoon plan X-ray West (1 Oct). October: Sesoko Harbor, tender services/repairs on MTB Squadron 32 (2-4 Oct); Toguchi Harbor (5-7 Oct); second typhoon evasion with SILENUS and CHEHALIS, 'Wind varying from forces 7 to 9, very rough sea, Ship pounding badly' (8-9 Oct); Buckner Bay (11 Oct), moored to USS CAMEL (IX-113) for fuel; Toguchi Harbor 12-31 October 'supplying tender services to and accomplishing repairs on MTB Squadrons 32 and 37.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-10-03

   Study period

   1945-09-01 to 1945-10-31

   Population

   Ship's company; MTB Squadrons 32 and 37 personnel alongside; Silenus/Portunus/Chehalis/Camel crews during joint evolutions

   Limitations

   Primary ship-produced record; operational detail verbatim, no asbestos or material content. Tender 'repairs' on PT boats are documented as a recurring function but no work content is itemized.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-antigone-lst773-08

10. [10]NARA NAID 633452621, 'USS Antigone - War Diary, 11/1-30/45' (RG 38, World War II War Diaries; 2 images; digitized, OCR-read this session) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NAID 633452621 images 1-2 (downloaded and OCR-read 2026-10-03)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    The November 1945 war diary (both pages OCR-read) records a single continuous entry: '1 November to 30 November - Anchored in Toguchi Harbor, Okinawa supplying tender services to and accomplishing repairs on MTB Squadrons 31, 32 and 37.' Corroborates the DANFS statement that Antigone serviced Squadrons 31, 32, and 37 at Okinawa until December.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1945-11-01 to 1945-11-30

    Population

    Ship's company; MTB Squadrons 31, 32 and 37 personnel alongside

    Limitations

    Primary ship-produced record; summary-level monthly entry, no asbestos or material content; tender repair scope not itemized.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-09

11. [11]Bulkley, Robert J., Jr., At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy (Naval History Division official history), p. 440 (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]

    Locator

    At Close Quarters p. 440 (HyperWar PT-8.html, --440-- page marker)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Official PT-boat service history records for this hull: 'The first boats of Squadron 37, shipped by LSD Oak Hill from Espiritu Santo, arrived at Okinawa on August 8 [1945]. They had no action with the enemy. Squadron 32, the rest of Squadron 37, and the tenders Silenus and Antigone, did not reach Okinawa until after the end of hostilities.' Consistent with the war-diary record (Okinawa arrival 18 September, after the 15 August cease-fire) and with DANFS.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1945

    Population

    Antigone crew; MTB Squadrons 32/37 personnel (1945)

    Limitations

    Official history published by the Naval History Division; narrative-level corroboration only. Contains no asbestos or material content.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-10

12. [12]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. II (January 1945) - alphabetical vessel index (Shipscribe-hosted PDF scan) [other_primary]

    Locator

    SDB 1945 Vol. II, alphabetical vessel index ('Antigone (ex-LST773)', 'AGP16', 'Auxiliary-Motor Torpedo Tender')

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Official BuShips register, January 1945: the alphabetical vessel index lists 'Antigone (ex-LST773) - AGP16 - Auxiliary-Motor Torpedo Tender,' capturing the hull's designation status mid-conversion (keel laid 15 Aug 1944; ferry commission Nov-Dec 1944; conversion in progress at Maryland Drydock as of the register date).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1945

    Limitations

    Official register entry; documents designation status only, not material content. The register's LST roster annotation adjacent to LST773 did not survive OCR extraction of the columnar scan cleanly enough to quote verbatim - only the index entry is carried. PDF mirror hosted on shipscribe.com; the register is a U.S. Navy publication.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-11

13. [13]Era inference built on: ship's own war diary propulsion entry (2x GM 12-567 diesels, no boilers); Shipscribe Portunus-class notes (Maryland Drydock conversion Dec 1944-May 1945; squadron-support shop scope); Norfolk Navy Yard availability itemization (June 1945 diary); Corn & Starr (1987) WWII shipbuilding asbestos documentation; GAO HRD-80-2 Navy asbestos-use era [other_primary]

    Locator

    war diaries NAIDs 140033088, 101716460, 77484185, 77499544; Shipscribe AGP04 class notes; class profile lst-1-class

    Finding type

    asbestos_application

    Finding

    A diesel-powered tank landing ship hull built August-October 1944 and converted December 1944-May 1945 sits inside the documented WWII shipbuilding asbestos era. As a diesel vessel she carried no boilers - the steam-plant lagging pathway does not apply. Era-standard asbestos-relevant applications aboard a diesel LST/AGP of this period were: GM diesel exhaust lagging and gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation insulation, and winch/crane brake linings. Documented interior-rework events aboard this hull raise the inference's relevance without proving materials: the Maryland Drydock conversion (Dec 1944-May 1945), the Norfolk Navy Yard post-shakedown availability (June 1945: magazine-space conversions including a ballast-tank space, optical shop, radar-repair-shop motor generator, second A-frame), and ship's-force completion of magazine C-417-2M at Pearl Harbor (Aug 1945).

    Verification

    inferred

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1944-1948

    Population

    CB&I construction trades (1944); Maryland Drydock Fairfield Yard conversion trades (1944-45); Norfolk Navy Yard trades (Jun 1945); ship's company (1944-46); MTB squadron personnel serviced (1945); 1948 scrapping trades

    Limitations

    Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, conversion work package, material schedule, or abatement record located for LST-773/Antigone. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials on this hull; no quantities; no manufacturer attribution; no individual exposure established.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-12

14. [14]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 program under which this hull was built (1944) and converted (1944-45) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in naval and merchant construction.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    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 its yards and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. DOI verified via Crossref 2026-10-03 (title/authors/journal/volume/pages/year match; Wiley blocks automated fetch - bot filter, not link rot).

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-13

15. [15]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]

    Locator

    GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction, conversion, service, and disposal era (1944-48).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1979

    Population

    Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review

    Limitations

    Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, reconfirmed 2026-10-03) - content via product-page description.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-14

16. [16]NARA NAID 125413188, 'Antigone (AGP-16), 5/15/45-4/30/46' (Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities; 182 images; digitized) [other_primary]

    Locator

    NAID 125413188 record page; 182 images digitized

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Digitized muster-roll file unit covering this hull's entire full-commission period (15 May 1945-30 April 1946), 182 images - the authoritative name-by-name crew population record for Antigone's commissioned service, supporting the ~287-officer/enlisted complement figure at the individual level.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1945-05-15 to 1946-04-30

    Population

    Ship's company, May 1945-April 1946

    Limitations

    Archival lead: file unit confirmed digitized (182 images) but individual pages were not OCR-read this session - the complement figure rests on DANFS/NavSource, not a muster headcount. Muster rolls document crew identity/presence, not asbestos; the reduced-commission ferry crew (Nov-Dec 1944) precedes this file unit's coverage.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-15

17. [17]NARA NAID 2762660, 'AGP-16 (ex-LST-773)' (RG 38, Material Inspection Reports and Related Documentation, 1940-1978; creator: Board of Inspection and Survey; paper-only, NOT digitized) [other_primary]

    Locator

    catalog.archives.gov/id/2762660 record page; series NAID 2092723

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    A ship-titled file unit exists in the Board of Inspection and Survey's Material Inspection Reports series for 'AGP-16 (ex-LST-773)' - the category of record most likely to contain survey/inspection material detail for this hull (acceptance trials, material inspections, condition surveys). Not Yet Available Online; paper container at Archives II.

    Verification

    partial

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1944-1948

    Population

    Ship's company (inspection subjects)

    Limitations

    Archival lead only: file unit confirmed to exist via the catalog record; contents unknown and unread - no finding about materials, condition, or asbestos can be drawn from its existence. Retrieval requires an Archives II reference request.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-16

18. [18]NHHC photographic catalog, NH 82218 USS ANTIGONE (AGP-16) - 'In San Francisco Bay, 1945-46. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975.' [other_primary]

    Locator

    NHHC catalog page NH-82218; same frame at NavSource 09091601.jpg

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Official NHHC catalog record for the hull in completed AGP configuration in San Francisco Bay, 1945-46 - i.e., after the war (arrival 22 January 1946) and before decommissioning (27 May 1946). NavSource's caption for this frame adds configuration detail: one 'A' frame hoist to port with a PT-boat repair cradle stowed under it.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    1945-1946

    Limitations

    Archival lead only: a photograph establishes configuration and location, not material content - visual presence of insulation cannot establish asbestos. The single-port-hoist view does not resolve whether the starboard 'additional A-Frame' installed at Norfolk in June 1945 (ev-05) was still fitted in 1946.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-17

19. [19]Batch-7309 search ledger (this record): DANFS (live); NavSource; Shipscribe class page + SDB 1945 v2 scan; NARA catalog + six war-diary file units OCR-read in full + muster-roll and material-inspection file units identified; NHHC photo catalog; HyperWar At Close Quarters; GAO product page; secondary web sweep; CourtListener (quota-blocked, 0 queries completed); shipyards.json registry check [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-antigone-lst773-01 through -17

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, conversion work package, material schedule, or verified litigation naming USS Antigone / LST-773 / AGP-16 was found in the public sources searched. The ship's own war diaries document three interior-rework events (Maryland Drydock conversion; Norfolk Navy Yard availability; crew-completed magazine conversion) but no source read names asbestos aboard this hull. COURTLISTENER COVERAGE IS A GAP, NOT A NEGATIVE: the fleet daily API quota was exhausted before the first query in all three 2026-10-03 attempts (~01:15 CDT, server-requested wait ~11.1h; 02:33 CDT, wait 34832s ~9.7h; 05:08 CDT, wait 25639s ~7.1h; reset ETA ~12:15 CDT); no searches completed - no claim of zero litigation is made.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-10-03

    Study period

    2026-10-03

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - construction at a wartime yard and three documented rework events sit squarely inside the Navy's asbestos-use era. Litigation coverage is entirely open (CourtListener quota-blocked; state-court filings, settlements, and MDL-875 vessel lists were also outside the searched coverage). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-antigone-lst773-18