Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]Shipscribe, USS APL-2 class page (design description and class notes compiled from NHHC Ships Histories files) [other_primary]
- Locator
- APL-2 class header data (design, displacement, complement '71 + 583 troops', machinery 'None') and Class Notes paragraphs
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Design/era inference for the hull type: APL-21 was built to the Navy APL-2 design - a standard non-self-propelled 2,000-ton, 260-foot covered barge fitted with a two-story barracks instead of the usual warehouse, intended to house repair-force personnel on a three-shift basis. WWII-era Navy accommodation and service-craft construction of this period commonly employed asbestos-containing thermal insulation, deck and floor coverings, joiner bulkhead materials, gaskets, and packing. No materials manifest or outfitting specification for this hull was located.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944 design era
- Population
- Construction trades (Tampa Shipbuilding, Tampa FL, 1944); embarked barracks population (up to ~583 enlisted + 6 officers by design) and ship's company of 71
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation and era inference, not a hull record - the source does not state asbestos content for this or any APL hull. Asbestos presence aboard this craft is era inference, not ship-proven; does not establish quantity, location, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-01
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[2]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 1944 steel service craft was built.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- 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 craft and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-02
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[3]Shipscribe, USS APL-2 class page - construction table row for APL-21 and class notes (YF 628-33 completed as APL 17-22; Tampa contract of 9 Nov 43 for YF 624-33) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row '21 | APL-21 | 9 Nov 43 | Tampa SB | 29 Jul 44 | 3 Sep 44 | 16 Feb 45'; class notes on the YF 624-33 contract and redesignation
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Construction and identity: hull ordered 1943-11-09 under the Navy's contract with Tampa Shipbuilding for covered lighters YF 624-633; six of those barges (YF 628-633) were redesignated barracks ships APL-17 through APL-22 with the contract date retained, so this hull was keel-laid as covered lighter YF-632 on 1944-07-29, launched 1944-09-03, and completed as APL-21. Shipscribe's construction table carries 1945-02-16 in the commissioning column. Class data: displacement 1,300 t light / 2,600 t full load; 261.2 ft oa x 49.2 ft x 8.5 ft full; complement 71 + 583 troops; machinery: none.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Tampa Shipbuilding construction workforce, 1944
- Limitations
- Authoritative compiled construction record (Shipscribe tables are built from NHHC Ships Histories files including the Maritime Commission construction-contract report and ship source folders). The 16 Feb 45 'Commiss.' date conflicts with NavSource/NCM 'November 1944' service-entry claims - logged in correction row. Establishes identity and construction only; contains no asbestos or materials information and supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-03
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[4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-21 page (navsource.net/archives/09/71/7121.htm) [other_primary]
- Locator
- APL-21 main page: chronology, Vietnam campaign table, specifications block, photo-caption entries; DANFS-absence notice
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Service summary: delivered to the U.S. Navy November 1944 and 'placed in commission' as USS APL-21; decommissioned date unknown. During the Vietnam War assigned to Naval Support Activity, Saigon and credited with fourteen campaign periods from Vietnamese Counteroffensive (1965-12-25 to 1966-06-30) through Consolidation II (1971-12-01 to 1972-03-29). Photo captions document her anchored off An Thoi in 1969; alongside USS Tutuila (ARG-4) tending PCFs circa 1969-1972 probably at An Thoi in support of Market Time, Seafloat, and Sealord; and at Nha Be in 1971 and 1972 (1972 caption notes a fixed rudder welded to the bow). NavSource expressly notes 'There is no DANFS History currently available for APL-21.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Population
- Ship's company (71) and berthed patrol-craft/support population at An Thoi and Nha Be, 1965-1972
- Limitations
- Compiled photo-archive record: campaign list follows the official CNO Vietnam campaign framework but NavSource is a secondary compilation; photo captions are contributor-supplied and the 'probably at An Thoi' placement is captioned as likely, not confirmed. November-1944 service-entry conflicts with Shipscribe's 1945-02-16 - logged in correction row. No asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-04
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[5]U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam, Monthly Historical Supplement for April 1968 (declassified; DTIC accession ADA953633) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Table-of-contents entry and photo caption, Fourth Coastal Zone section (~pp. 12-13), per search-indexed excerpt
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Official dated placement: the declassified U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam Monthly Historical Supplement for April 1968 carries the entry 'APL 21 (barracks ship) anchored off An Thoi on Phu Quoc Island' and photo caption text describing the craft as 'the base of operation for personnel manning patrol craft in the Fourth Coastal Zone.'
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-04
- Population
- Personnel berthed aboard at An Thoi - PCF crews and Fourth Coastal Zone support population, April 1968
- Limitations
- Primary-source command publication, but direct PDF fetch returned HTTP 403 (DTIC blocks automated access); the quoted passage is the search-indexed excerpt, not a full-text read. A manual pull may yield additional APL-21 entries in the same supplement series. Establishes April-1968 placement and function only; no asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-05
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[6]NavalCoverMuseum wiki, 'APL 21' - Ship Name and Designation History; Postmarks (Post Office Established April 30 1945 - Disestablished October 24 1946) [museum_official]
- Locator
- Name/designation history table; postmark table; 'Other Information' awards block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Compiled designation/status history: keel laid 1944-07-29 as Covered Lighter YF-632, redesignated barracks ship (APL), launched 1944-09-03; 'USS APL-21' commissioned November 1944, decommissioned date unknown; 'APL-21' subsequently placed in service (dates unknown) and assigned Naval Support Activity, Saigon; struck from the Naval Register April 1 1972; reported 'turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy, fate unknown.' Post office aboard established 1945-04-30 and disestablished 1946-10-24 (Locy postmark record, 1945 cover documented).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Limitations
- Museum-compiled chronology; the post-office dates are documentary (cancel record), while the commissioning month and South-Vietnamese-Navy turnover are compiled claims - the turnover conflicts with Shipscribe's 'Sold' disposition and is treated in the correction row. No asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-06
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[7]Navy Unit Commendation citation to U.S. Naval Support Activity, Saigon (Secretary of the Navy John W. Warner), transcribed on NavSource APL-21 award page with unit window '[APL-21 - 1 Jul 69 - 30 Jun 71]' [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 7121a.htm - SECNAV citation text and unit-date header
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- APL-21 is credited under the Secretary of the Navy's Navy Unit Commendation to United States Naval Support Activity, Saigon - citation covering 'exceptionally meritorious service from 16 March 1966 to 30 April 1972' in logistic support to U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Free World Naval Forces - for the window 1 July 1969 to 30 June 1971, as tagged on the NavSource award transcription page.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1969-07-01 to 1971-06-30 (credited window); citation period 1966-03-16 to 1972-04-30
- Limitations
- Award attaches to the parent command (NSA Saigon), with APL-21's credited window tagged by NavSource as 1 Jul 69 - 30 Jun 71; the citation text is a SecNav document, the window tagging is NavSource's compilation. No asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-07
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[8]Batch-2475 search ledger (this record): NavSource APL-21 + award sub-page; Shipscribe APL-2 class page; NavalCoverMuseum; NVR; NAVFORV supplement excerpt; CourtListener authenticated searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-21-apl21-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, materials manifest, or docketed case naming APL-21 or YF-632 was found in the sources searched. NavSource expressly notes no DANFS history exists for the hull; NVR carries no record (pre-1987 disposal); the craft left Navy custody in 1972, before Navy asbestos-control programs and NESHAP demolition rules, so no U.S.-regulated abatement record was expected.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 steel accommodation barge is era-consistent with asbestos-containing insulation, deck coverings, and joiner materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-08
-
[9]Shipscribe APL-2 class page disposition table ('21 | APL-21 | -- | 1 Apr 72 | ca. 1972 | Sold') vs NavSource APL-21 page vs NavalCoverMuseum APL-21 designation history [other_primary]
- Locator
- Shipscribe disposition table row for APL-21 and rows for APL-26/APL-27 (Trf. Mar 71); NavSource 7121.htm fate lines; NCM designation history
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved or logged: (a) Final fate - NavSource and NavalCoverMuseum report 'placed out of service and turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy, date unknown,' while Shipscribe's disposition table carries 'Sold, ca. 1972' and Wikipedia 'scrapped 1972'; Shipscribe's 'Sold' is adopted as the compiled disposition of record and the SVN-turnover claim is treated as likely conflation with sisters APL-26/APL-27, the two class members Shipscribe documents as transferred to the RVN Navy (HQ-9050/HQ-9051, Mar 1971). (b) Service entry - NavSource/NCM 'delivered/commissioned November 1944' vs Shipscribe '16 Feb 1945' commissioning-column date; both retained, unresolved at source level. (c) Builder name - NavSource 'Tampa Marine' vs Shipscribe 'Tampa SB' (Tampa Shipbuilding Co.); Shipscribe adopted. (d) As-built armament - NavSource 'none' vs Shipscribe class spec '4-20mm'; class-level spec not asserted for this hull; Vietnam-era fits (four .50 cal, two mortars, four .30 cal per NavSource) are contributor data, not verified.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1972
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies between compiled sources; does not change identity or the 1972 stricken date. Whether the hull was sold to a Vietnamese (non-Navy) buyer - one possible bridge between 'Sold' and 'turned over to South Vietnam' framings - is not documented in any located source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-09
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[10]CourtListener API v4 search (type=o), authenticated, queries run 2026-09-26 via cl-auth-search.py [court_record]
- Locator
- Zero-hit result envelopes for the three completed queries; pacing-limit stderr for the fourth
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener authenticated API v4 opinion searches returned zero results for '"APL-21" asbestos', '"USS APL-21"', and '"YF-632"' (counts 0). A bare '"APL-21"' sweep query was four times refused by the fleet pacing limiter (shared ~114/hr budget momentarily spent; exit 2) and was not retried into the limiter.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- No qualifying asbestos litigation, other litigation, or name collisions located in completed queries - meaningful because the hull-designation strings are low-collision. The bare-quoted 'APL-21' sweep is an unresolved residual gap (pacing-blocked), so this is a substantially-complete rather than exhaustive negative; docket-type (type=r) search not run.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-10
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[11]NARA record-group guidance (RG 24 Navy deck logs; NAVFORV command records); NHHC Ships Histories Branch files; DTIC ADA953633 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA deck-log guidance; DTIC accession record ADA953633
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): WWII-era deck logs/movement records for APL-21 (NARA RG 24 deck logs, Archives II) to establish the undocumented 1945-46 station; Vietnam-era unit records - Naval Support Activity Saigon command histories and NSA Detachment An Thoi files - for berth and population documentation; the NHHC Ships Histories Branch source file for APL-21 (underlying Shipscribe's row) for the sale record behind 'Sold ca. 1972'; full text of NAVFORV Monthly Historical Supplement April 1968 (DTIC ADA953633, fetch blocked HTTP 403) and companion supplements in the same series.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1972 records
- Limitations
- Record-path mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-21-apl21-11