USS APL-45

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]U.S. Navy, Naval Vessel Register (nvr.navy.mil), Ship Details - NO NAME (APL 45), shipId=1681 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NVR ship detail page, VESSEL STATUS and MILESTONE DATES tables; quickfind index row 'APL 45 / NO NAME / UIC 01665 / ACTIVE'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Naval Vessel Register detail record for 'NO NAME (APL 45)', BARRACKS CRAFT (N-S-P): class APL 41; UIC 01665; status 'active, in service'; date status changed 09/30/2002; builder 'Willamette Iron & Steel Corp.'; keel date 02/07/1945; delivery date 07/01/1945; launch, commission, in-service, inactivation, decommission, out-of-service, and stricken date fields blank; custodian Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command; planning yard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & IMF; ships program manager PMS 300; record last updated 05/22/2026. Located via the NVR quickfind AJAX index (shipId=1681).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-2026

   Limitations

   Official registry record - authoritative for identity, milestones, and current administrative status. Physical characteristics are suppressed on the public page ('currently unavailable as we update our public information policies'). The blank Commission Date field is consistent with noncommissioned 'in service' status; the popular 'USS' styling is informal. The NVR Delivery Date 07/01/1945 conflicts with the 1945-07-28 in-service date given by NavSource/shipscribe/NavalCoverMuseum - carried as a discrepancy (ev-11). No asbestos, materials, or condition information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-01

2. [2]shipscribe.com, 'USS APL-2 Class' construction/disposition tables, APL-45 ship note, and class notes (compilation of official Navy vessel-register and BuShips program records) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Construction table row APL-45; Disposition table row APL-45; Ship Notes 'APL-45' entry; Class Notes 'APL 44-58' paragraph

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe compilation of official Navy records (Ship Data U.S. Naval Vessels / BuShips Auxiliary Vessels Board program history): APL-45 ordered 1944-07-19, built by Willamette Iron & Steel, keel 1945-02-07, launched 1945-05-12, in service ('Commiss.' column) 1945-07-28; disposition table shows no strike entry, disposal field '2011', fate 'I.S.' (in service). Ship note for APL-45: 'Out of service in reserve by Jan 47. Inspection 31 Mar 71 revealed that the craft was not habitable, stk. 1 Nov 72, reinstated ca. 1974. In service 2011 on the East Coast.' Class notes document the APL 44-58 group: on 1944-05-02 the Auxiliary Vessels Board, considering the landing-craft construction program authorized for 1945, recommended 15 ARLs (ARL 25-39) and 15 APLs for completion in the last three quarters of 1945; the design is a standard non-self-propelled 2,000-ton 260-foot covered barge with a two-story barracks superstructure; class complement 71 + 583 troops; no machinery.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-2011

   Limitations

   Non-official secondary compilation of official data - construction milestones independently match NVR and NavSource, but the 1971 inspection, 1972 strike, and circa-1974 reinstatement rest on this compilation plus the NavSource narrative rather than a retrieved primary document (the NVR record carries no stricken date). The '2011 / I.S.' disposition entry reflects a 2011 NVR data vintage, not a 2011 event. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-02

3. [3]USAspending.gov (official U.S. federal award open-data system), keyword search 'APL-45', contract awards (FPDS-derived records) [other_primary]

   Locator

   API v2 search/spending_by_award, keywords ['APL-45'], award_type_codes A-D, 2007-2026; award detail 310645147 (N5005422F5036) confirms Mid-Atlantic Reg Maint Ctr office and Norfolk, VA place of performance

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   USAspending.gov award search for 'APL-45' returns 18 contract actions, 2007-2026, all Navy maintenance/repair/docking/storage work on this craft in Norfolk, VA: earliest located action 2007-09-28 to Lyon Shipyard, $2,812,043 (IDV N40025-05-D-5011); largest located 2022-01-04 'APL-45 BERTHING BARGE REPAIR AND MAINTENACE' to Colonna's Ship Yard, $955,433 (N50054-22-F-5036, awarding office Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, place of performance Norfolk VA). Recurring maintenance/repair orders to Lyon Shipyard and Colonna's (2010-2023), periodic docking availabilities N50054-24-F-5171 (Colonna's, $143,869, 2024-08-31) and N50054-25-F-5039 (Colonna's, $218,630, 2025-01-15), a 2024-07-01 delivery order to Fairlead Boatworks ($116,943), and the most recent located action N50054-26-F-2104 'APL-45 STORAGE' (Colonna's, $122,269, 2026-06-30 to 2026-12-15).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2007-2026

   Population

   Shipyard/repair workers at Hampton Roads yards (Lyon Shipyard, Colonna's Ship Yard, Fairlead Boatworks) performing maintenance on the craft; berthing/messing occupants (crews of ships in availability)

   Limitations

   Proves recurring funded maintenance events on this hull 2007-2026, including documented periodic drydockings in 2024-2025 and a 2026 storage order. FPDS short descriptions do not enumerate work-package line items; no asbestos, abatement, or hazardous-material scope appears in any description. Does not establish presence or absence of asbestos aboard.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-03

4. [4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-45 (navsource.net/archives/09/71/7145.htm) [other_primary]

   Locator

   APL-45 page: narrative block, specifications, awards display, contributed photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-45 page: 'APL-41 Class Non-self-propelled Barracks Ship'; built by Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, OR; ordered 19 July 1944; laid down 07 February 1945; launched 12 May 1945; delivered and placed in service 28 July 1945; placed in reserve by January 1947; 'Inspection revealed craft not habitable and struck from Naval Register, 01 November 1972'; reinstated circa 1974; 'Current Disposition, active in service at Norfolk, VA.' Specifications: 1,300 t light / 2,600 t full load; 261 ft x 49 ft 2 in x 8 ft 6 in; crew accommodations 5 officers + 66 enlisted; troop capacity 583 enlisted; three diesel-drive 100 kW 450 V AC generators; diesel fuel capacity 1,000 bbls. Awards display: American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal. Contributed photographs place APL-45 docked at Norfolk Naval Station July 1973 (during the stricken interval) and underway passing Craney Island in the Elizabeth River December 18, 2015. Page states no DANFS history is available for APL-45.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-2016

   Population

   Ship's company (~71 class figure) plus embarked berthing occupants (up to ~583 accommodation capacity)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained archive transcribing official records and contributed firsthand material; the strike/reinstatement narrative corroborates the shipscribe ship note but neither cites the underlying NVR extract or inspection document. The July 1973 photograph's presence at Norfolk Naval Station during the stricken interval (Nov 1972 - ca. 1974) is consistent with a retained-but-stricken craft pending disposition. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-04

5. [5]NavalCoverMuseum.org, APL 45 page - Ship Name and Designation History timeline and post office record [other_primary]

   Locator

   Ship Name and Designation History table; Postmarks section 'Post Office Established November 1 1945 - Disestablished May 7 1946'

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Naval Cover Museum (official-naval-cover archive) records the APL-45 designation history - placed in service July 28, 1945; out of service 1947 (placed in reserve); struck from Naval Register November 1, 1972; reinstated 1974; 'Currently active In Service at Norfolk, VA' - and a shipboard post office established November 1, 1945, disestablished May 7, 1946, documenting an onboard crew during the craft's first months.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-1946

   Population

   Ship's company operating the post office (1945-1946)

   Limitations

   Philatelic archive - authoritative for postal dates cataloged from physical postmarks, but it documents no duty station and contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information. Postal operation implies an onboard crew but does not enumerate it. No postmarks from the post office survive in the museum's collection display.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-05

6. [6]Naval History and Heritage Command photograph NH 84183 (Don S. Montgomery, USN) - 'USS APL-45 taken after World War II'; provenance via Wikimedia Commons file record citing the NHHC NH-series URL [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Commons file page - Summary/Source fields cite history.navy.mil NH-84183; live NHHC URL tested 2026-09-26 returns 404

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official U.S. Navy photograph NH 84183, 'USS APL-45 taken after World War II,' photographer Don S. Montgomery, USN - an NHHC-numbered image documenting this specific hull in postwar configuration. The live history.navy.mil object page now returns 404 (NHHC photo-page migration); the image and its NHHC provenance (source URL and NH-series number) are preserved in the Wikimedia Commons file record.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   post-1945

   Limitations

   Photograph confirms the hull's postwar existence and official Navy photographic coverage but contains no date, location, or material-condition statement beyond 'after World War II.' The live NHHC object page is unavailable; provenance rests on the Commons upload metadata. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-06

7. [7]U.S. General Accounting Office, PLRD-81-41, Navy's Berthing Facilities and Crewing Practices for Ships Undergoing Overhaul (1981) [gao]

   Locator

   Report enclosure, APL inventory and habitability findings (text via search-index excerpt)

   Finding type

   gov_survey

   Finding

   GAO report PLRD-81-41, 'Navy's Berthing Facilities and Crewing Practices for Ships Undergoing Overhaul' (1981), documents the Navy berthing-barge program of which APL-45 is part: 'The Navy acquired the 17 APLs during 1944 through 1946' to provide berthing, messing, administrative, and classroom facilities for crews of ships undergoing overhaul; the Navy's 1979 habitability study concluded it needed to rehabilitate 7,975 inadequate berthing spaces and construct 6,733 more, and 'many of its older barges do not meet' habitability standards.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1978-1981 (study and report); 1944-1946 (acquisition era described)

   Population

   Crews of ships undergoing overhaul berthed on APL/YRBM barges (fleet-level)

   Limitations

   gao.gov returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches (standing defect noted in BATCH-01); content verified through search-index excerpts of the PDF text, not a full read. The report discusses the 17-APL fleet without confirming whether APL-45 is individually named in any appendix; the documented 1971 'not habitable' inspection of this craft is consistent with the habitability problem the report describes. Program-level context only - no asbestos statement located in the accessible text; habitability deficiencies are not themselves an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-07

8. [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 (1987); design description per shipscribe APL-2-class notes [other_primary]

   Locator

   AJIM 11(3):359-373, abstract and article; shipscribe class notes for hull design type

   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 1945-built steel accommodation craft was constructed at Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland. The APL design is a non-self-propelled barge with a two-story barracks superstructure; era-consistent asbestos applications for an accommodation hull include thermal insulation on plumbing and heating lines, joiner and sheet insulation panels, floor/deck tile, gasket and packing material, and galley/messing equipment insulation. The craft has no propulsion machinery, so the highest-density asbestos application of the era (boiler and steam-plant insulation) is absent by design.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945 construction; article 1987

   Population

   Construction trades (Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, 1945); berthing occupants and maintenance crews

   Limitations

   Era/design-level inference only - neither source names this hull or itemizes its materials. Application list is extrapolated from the accommodation function of the design, not from a specification sheet or survey. Does not establish that asbestos was, or remains, aboard; no quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-08

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 search: "APL-45" type=o (0 results) and type=r (3 results, all non-qualifying name collisions); "USS APL-45" type=o (0 results); "APL 45" asbestos type=o (0 results) [court_record]

   Locator

   Docket hits screened individually: nysb Madoff-era bankruptcy matter (docket row w/o clean caption in result set), txed 6:13-cv-00447 Smartflash v. Apple, flnd 4:22-cv-00325 Dekker v. Harris

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener authenticated API v4 searches returned: 'APL-45' type=o (opinions) - 0 results; 'USS APL-45' type=o - 0 results; '"APL 45" asbestos' type=o - 0 results; 'APL-45' type=r (dockets/RECAP) - 3 results, all screened individually as name collisions with no relation to this vessel (a S.D.N.Y. Bankruptcy Court Madoff-era matter assigned to Judge Beckerman using APL-45 as an exhibit/document code; Smartflash LLC v. Apple Inc., E.D. Tex. 6:13-cv-00447, patent case with Apple document-code matches; Dekker v. Harris, N.D. Fla. 4:22-cv-00325, discrimination/agency-review action with exhibit-code matches). No opinion or docket naming the barracks craft was located, and no asbestos litigation referencing the hull was found.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Search coverage is the CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket indexes; PACER-only and state-court filings not fully represented. 'APL-45' is a short alphanumeric string prone to collision - all 3 docket hits were individually screened and classified as name collisions. Absence of a located case does not prove no claim was ever filed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-09

10. [10]Batch-2500 search ledger (this record): NVR; NavSource; shipscribe; NavalCoverMuseum; navysite.de; USAspending; CourtListener; GAO PLRD-81-41; NHHC/DANFS; NHHC photo NH 84183; MARAD ShipHistory; NARA SL-44 [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-45-apl45-01 through sl-uss-apl-45-apl45-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, environmental report, or docketed case naming APL-45 was found in the public sources searched. The NVR record contains no materials data; the 18 federal award descriptions located on USAspending contain no asbestos or abatement scope; NARA Special List 44 lists no logbooks for this hull; no DANFS entry exists. See search_ledger.

    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 1945-built accommodation craft is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and this hull remains in active service with recurring documented maintenance. 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-45-apl45-10

11. [11]Cross-source reconciliation: NVR shipId=1681 milestone/status tables vs NavSource APL-45 narrative, shipscribe construction/disposition rows and ship note, NavalCoverMuseum designation history, navysite.de APL 45 page [other_primary]

    Locator

    NVR VESSEL STATUS/MILESTONE DATES; NavSource milestones block; shipscribe ship note APL-45; NCM timeline; navysite 'Delivered: July 1, 1945' field

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies logged: (a) Delivery/in-service date - the NVR 'Delivery Date' reads 07/01/1945 while NavSource, shipscribe, NavalCoverMuseum, and the batch assignment all record delivered-and-in-service 1945-07-28; navysite.de repeats the NVR 7/1 date, indicating the two dates coexist in the source chain (likely contract delivery vs placement in service) - the 1945-07-28 in-service date is adopted as controlling for service entry and both dates are disclosed. (b) Launch date - the NVR Launch Date field is blank while NavSource/shipscribe record 1945-05-12; the secondary date is carried with provenance noted. (c) Strike - the NVR record carries no stricken date although NavSource/shipscribe document a 1972-11-01 strike and circa-1974 reinstatement; the NVR 'date status changed' reads 09/30/2002, an administrative marker whose triggering event is unpublished. (d) Commissioning language - 'USS APL-45' styling notwithstanding, the craft was never commissioned; the NVR Commission Date field is blank and placement in service 1945-07-28 marks entry into service.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1945-2002 milestones; sources 2005-2026

    Limitations

    Resolves or discloses publication-level discrepancies between the official registry and secondary/transcription sources; none affects identity or the asbestos assessment. Controlling primary records (the 1971 inspection file, strike/reinstatement correspondence, deck logs) were not retrieved.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-11

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) and RG 181 (Naval Districts and Shore Establishments); NARA Special List 44 ship-logbook finding aid [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/019.html ; https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/181.html ; SL-44 ship-number sequence (no APL-45 entry)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) construction and outfitting specifications for WWII APL-class craft and the Willamette Iron & Steel contract file, which could contain material schedules for this hull. (b) The March 31, 1971 habitability inspection file and the 1972 strike / circa-1974 reinstatement correspondence (NAVSEA/NVR custodial records) - these events are documented only at transcription level. (c) MARMC/NAVSEA PMS 300 berthing-and-messing program records covering the documented 2007-2026 Hampton Roads repair availabilities; FPDS work packages may hold hazmat line items not visible in public abstracts. (d) Deck logs: NARA Special List 44 lists no APL-45 coverage (sisters APL-29/30/42 are listed) - the location of this craft's 1945-46 deck logs is unconfirmed.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1945-present records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. The SL-44 absence may reflect retention, transfer, or loss of this craft's logs rather than their nonexistence. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-apl-45-apl45-12