Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive - APL-4 page (compiled from official U.S. Navy records and DoD photographs; page last updated 24 May 2024) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource APL-4 page - data block, specifications, and photo-caption history
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- APL-4, APL-2 class non-self-propelled barracks ship: built by Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA; ordered 7 October 1943; laid down 27 May 1944; launched 3 August 1944; completed by Everett Pacific Shipbuilding, Everett, WA; delivered and placed in service 21 September 1945. Specifications as built: displacement 1,300 tons light / 2,660 tons full load; length 260.0 ft waterline / 261.2 ft overall; beam 49 ft 2 in; draft 8 ft 6 in; crew accommodations 6 officers + 66 enlisted; troop accommodations 583 enlisted; three diesel-driven 100 kW 450 AC ship's-service generators; fuel capacity 1,000 bbls diesel. NavSource states there is no DANFS history available for APL-4. Photo captions document the craft moored at San Diego 1 October 1993 (DoD photo 330-CFD-DN-ST-94-00723); at the 'Mole' pier, Naval Station San Diego, 9 February 2004; moored with YR-93 and SS Curtiss (AVB-4) at Naval Station San Diego 27 July 2008; and moored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, circa February 2013 while serving as temporary accommodations for USS Kentucky (SSBN-737) crew members during that submarine's overhaul.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-present
- Population
- U.S. Navy berthing-barge occupants (crews of ships in overhaul)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer-maintained archive reproducing official data and DoD photography, not itself a government publication. Establishes identity, milestones, and berthing-program service; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information. 'Placed in service' is the documented status - the craft was never commissioned.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-01
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[2]Naval Vessel Register (NAVSEA), ship detail record - NO NAME (APL 4), BARRACKS CRAFT (N-S-P); record last updated 2011-05-16 (Wayback Machine capture 2017-01-07) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR ship detail page, all fields incl. milestone dates, physical characteristics, accommodations
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The official Naval Vessel Register lists APL 4 as 'NO NAME (APL 4), BARRACKS CRAFT (N-S-P)' with builder 'Naval Shipyard Puget Sound,' award date 10/07/1943, propulsion type 'none,' light displacement 1,300 tons, full-load displacement 2,580 tons, dead weight 1,280 tons, accommodations 6 officers + 624 enlisted, and planning yard Puget Sound NSY, Bremerton, WA. The record carries no commission/decommission or strike dates, consistent with a noncommissioned service craft remaining on the register.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- record current to 2011-05-16
- Limitations
- Authoritative official inventory record; the live NVR page renders dynamically and did not display data fields to automated fetch, so the 2017 Wayback capture of the 2011-updated record is cited. NVR accommodation count (624 enlisted) differs from other official sources (NavSource 66 crew + 583 troops; NAVSEA card 36 CPO + 458 crew) - figures differ by source/configuration era. Contains no asbestos or hazmat information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-02
-
[3]Shipscribe U.S. Navy Auxiliary Vessels - USS APL-2 Class page (Stephen S. Roberts, compiled 2002-2011 from Naval Vessel Register and official records), construction/disposition table and ship notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- APL-2 class page - construction table row APL-4, disposition table row APL-4, ship notes APL-4
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe's APL-2 class table records APL-4: ordered 7 Oct 43, builder NYd Puget Sound, keel 27 May 44, launch 3 Aug 44, in service 21 Sep 45; disposition table shows no decommission or strike date, fate 'I.S.' (in service). Ship note for APL-4: 'To Everett Pacific SB for completion, contract 5 Apr 45. In service in reserve by Jan 47. In service 2011 at San Diego.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-2011
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official U.S. Navy register data, not itself a government publication; consistent with NavSource and NVR on all shared data points. 'In service in reserve' is a service-craft status and does not mean commissioned-then-decommissioned. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-03
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[4]NAVSEA Ship Characteristics Card for APL 4 (mirrored text at GlobalSecurity.org, 'APL - Berthing Barge' page) [other_primary]
- Locator
- GlobalSecurity 'APL - Berthing Barge' page, 'Ship characteristics Cards APL 4' principal characteristics tables
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The NAVSEA ship characteristics card for APL 4 records: welded steel construction; length overall 261 ft 1.75 in, length between perpendiculars 260 ft; beam extreme over plating 49 ft 2 in; depth molded 15 ft 0.25 in; displacement 1,300 tons light / 2,180 tons full load; capacity 880 tons personnel and equipment; principal compartments wardroom, officers' mess, CPO berthing, CPO mess, crew's quarters, crew's cafeteria and mess, galley, bakery, laundry, sick bay; berthing 6 officers + 36 CPO + 458 crew; electric galley; all compartments air-conditioned except storeroom; fire and flood alarm system with carbon-dioxide extinguishers; 13 fire plugs; interior PA and dial telephone systems. The card cites NAVSEA Booklet of General Plans drawing 1113310 (APL 2 / APL 17).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- characteristics card era (WWII design)
- Population
- Berthing occupants (ship crews in maintenance availability)
- Limitations
- Official characteristics card for this hull, mirrored on a secondary site (GlobalSecurity.org); document is ship-specific for systems and dimensions but contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement - supports no asbestos claim. Full-load displacement (2,180 tons) differs from NavSource (2,660) and NVR (2,580) - condition/load-state differences by source.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-04
-
[5]Shipscribe APL-2 class notes (Stephen S. Roberts) + GlobalSecurity class description ('APL 2, 17, 41 and 54 are non-self-propelled shore dependent barracks craft ... designed to be self-sufficient. They have generators, boilers, refrigeration, as well as sewage') [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe APL02.html 'Class Notes' section; GlobalSecurity apl.htm class introduction
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Class documentation: APL-2-class craft are standard non-self-propelled 2,000-ton 260-foot Navy covered barges with a two-story barracks built on top, fitted with a raised bow for seakeeping and skegs for ocean towing, and carry an auxiliary (A) designation rather than a service craft (Y) designation. The program originated with the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommendation of 11 June 1943 to build a 2,000-ton floating barracks barge for the repair-force personnel of each EC-2 (Liberty ship) repair-ship conversion, enabling three-shift manning; APL 2-13 were the first group (APL-4 was in the FY1944 program). Per the class description, APL 2/17/41-class craft carry generators, boilers, refrigeration, and sewage plants and were designed to be self-sufficient where port services are unavailable.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-1945 (design/program)
- Population
- Construction trades (Puget Sound Navy Yard; Everett Pacific), 1944-45
- Limitations
- Class/program-level documentation: establishes the design origin and the mechanical systems carried by the class, but does not state asbestos content and does not alone establish any material condition aboard this specific hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-05
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[6]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 APL-4 was built at Puget Sound Navy Yard and completed at Everett Pacific Shipbuilding in 1944-45 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in ship construction.
- 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 APL-4, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-06
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[7]USNI News, 'New Barges, Budgeting Tweaks Set to Ease Crew's Life During Ship Repair, Maintenance' (2023-09-19) [other_primary]
- Locator
- USNI News article, Greene keynote remarks at 2023 Fleet Maintenance and Modernization Symposium
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Navy's berthing and messing barge fleet - of which APL-4 is among the oldest members still in service - is being recapitalized: four-plus new APL-67-class auxiliary personnel lighters are in delivery to replace 27 older barges, with the Navy separating budget lines for off-ship berthing (~$30M O&M request FY2024) and barge operations/overhaul (~$14.7M). Per Fleet Maintenance Officer Rear Adm. William Greene, as older barges undergo repairs and upgrades 'such as for mitigating leaded paint, that drives the cost of the program.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2023
- Limitations
- Program-level reporting naming the replacement program and lead-paint abatement generally - does not name APL-4 and does not address asbestos; lead paint is a different hazard. Establishes only that legacy barges undergo hazmat-related repair work at program level.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-07
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[8]CourtListener API v4 searches, 2026-09-26: opinions "APL-4" (6 hits); opinions "USS APL-4" (0 hits); RECAP dockets "APL-4" (84 fuzzy text hits) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-4-apl4-06 through sl-uss-apl-4-apl4-08
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was located. Exact-phrase opinion search "APL-4" returned 6 hits, all name collisions (a Sac and Fox Nation tribal docket number 'No. APL-04-01'; pipeline-litigation abbreviation in Unocal Pipeline Co. v. BP Pipelines; exhibit/identifier strings in unrelated divorce, banking, and environmental-permit opinions). Exact-phrase "USS APL-4" returned zero opinions. Docket-index fuzzy hits for "APL-4" reference other entities (e.g., APL Co. Pte. Ltd., the container-shipping company) and attachments - none name the Navy barracks craft.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- CourtListener indexes opinions and RECAP dockets; it does not cover all state trial courts, unreported matters, or PACER-only filings, so absence here does not prove no claim was ever filed. Findings classified at the least-final stage: nothing located rises above 'no qualifying result.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-08
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[9]Cross-source verification: NavSource APL-4 page; shipscribe APL-2 construction table; NVR record; USS APL-4 Wikipedia article (secondary) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Wikipedia USS APL-4 infobox and 'Construction and career' section vs NavSource/shipscribe/NVR records
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Secondary-source framing corrections: (a) Wikipedia's infobox lists 'commissioned 21 September 1945' and 'decommissioned January 1947' - APL-4 is a noncommissioned service craft; the documented facts are 'delivered and placed in service 21 September 1945' (NavSource) and 'in service in reserve by Jan 47' (shipscribe), and the craft remains on the NVR today with no decommission or strike date. (b) Wikipedia's prose states 'laid down on 31 May 1944' - both NavSource and shipscribe record 27 May 1944 for APL-4 (31 May 1944 is sister APL-3's keel date). (c) Published accommodation figures differ by source: NavSource 6 officers + 66 enlisted crew + 583 troops; shipscribe 71 + 583; NVR 6 + 624; NAVSEA card 6 + 36 CPO + 458 crew.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-2026
- Limitations
- Correction of secondary-source presentation; underlying primary-source values are adopted. Wikipedia is not cited as authority - it is the subject of the correction. No asbestos content in any of the underlying sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-09
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[10]Batch-2495 search ledger (this record): NavSource APL-4 page; NVR ship detail (live + Wayback); shipscribe APL-2 class; GlobalSecurity NAVSEA characteristics card; NHHC/DANFS; CourtListener opinion and docket searches; USNI/Seapower/DVIDS program coverage; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-4-apl4-01 through sl-uss-apl-4-apl4-11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, environmental record, or docketed case naming APL-4 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). NavSource confirms no DANFS history exists for this hull; no NHHC ship-history entry was located. The NAVSEA characteristics card for APL 4 contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement.
- 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 1944-45 Navy-built accommodation craft remaining in continuous service for eight decades is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials having been installed and subsequently abated or retained undocumented. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-10
-
[11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships) and RG 181 (Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments - Puget Sound Navy Yard records held at NARA Seattle); NARA RG 330 DoD photograph holdings [other_primary]
- Locator
- NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 19 and RG 181 group pages; NAVSEA dwg 1113310 cited on GlobalSecurity characteristics card; DoD photo ID from NavSource caption
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NAVSEA Booklet of General Plans drawing 1113310 for APL 2 / APL 17 class, cited on the APL-4 characteristics card, would show as-built systems and materials - likely held in RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) or NAVSEA plan repositories; (b) RG 181 records of Puget Sound Navy Yard (NARA Seattle) may hold construction/outfitting records for the 1944 APL hulls; (c) DoD photo 330-CFD-DN-ST-94-00723 (APL-4 at San Diego, 1 Oct 1993) is in RG 330 DoD imagery at NARA; (d) modern-era hull condition and hazmat surveys for in-service berthing barges are held by COMPACFLT/NAVSEA maintenance records, not publicly posted - FOIA is the access path.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1943-present records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for APL-4 is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-4-apl4-11