Evidence
13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).
-
[1]Shipscribe, 'USS APL-2 Class' (APL02) - construction and disposition tables and per-hull ship notes compiled from official U.S. Navy vessel registers [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row 46; Disposition table row 46 ('1 Feb 70 | ca. 1970 | Sold'); Ship Notes row 46 (SecNav 26 Jan 70 disposal approval, 14th Naval District custody); class header
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Register-based compilation record for this hull: ordered 19 July 1944 (Willamette Iron & Steel contract covering APL 41-46); laid down 28 February 1945; launched 23 May 1945; in service ('Commiss.' column) 31 August 1945; stricken 1 February 1970; disposal ca. 1970; fate 'Sold'. Per-hull ship note: 'In service in reserve by Jan 47, active in the Pacific May 49. In South Vietnam ca. 1968. SecNav 26 Jan 70 approved disposal by sale of this vessel, then in the custody of the 14th Naval District.' Class characteristics for the Navy APL-2 design: 1,300 t light / 2,600 t full load; 261.2 ft oa x 49.2 ft x 8.5 ft; complement 71 + 583 troops; no propulsion machinery; original armament 4-20mm.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-1970
- Limitations
- Secondary compilation of official register data (NVR/BuShips-derived), not itself a primary document; dates corroborate NavSource and NavalCoverMuseum for this hull. The 'Commiss.' column carries the in-service date for non-commissioned craft. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-01
-
[2]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-46 (navsource.net/archives/09/71/7146.htm) [other_primary]
- Locator
- APL-46 page header 'APL-41 Class Non-self-propelled Barracks Ship' chronology block; specifications block; Vietnam campaign table; photo captions 09714601-09714606
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for APL-46: built by Willamette Iron and Steel, Portland, OR; laid down 28 February 1945; launched 23 May 1945; 'Delivered and placed in service, 31 August 1945'; in service in reserve by 1947; active in service circa 1949 moored on the Sumida River, Tokyo, in the late 1940s-early 1950s, then moved to Yokosuka Naval Base; 'During the Vietnam War APL-46 was assigned to NSA Saigon and NSA Danang'; placed out of service, date unknown; custody assigned to the 14th Naval District for lay up in reserve in the U.S. Naval Reserve Fleet, Pearl Harbor Group; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; 'Disposed of by Navy sale, 26 January 1970'; final disposition, fate unknown. Contributed U.S. Navy photographs place the hull at Vinh Long, South Vietnam, in support of Mekong Delta operations October 1968 - January 1969 (contributor Robert Quarm US Navy), and in the Sumida River / Yokosuka circa 1949-1954. Specifications: 1,300 t lt / 2,600 t fl; 261 ft x 49 ft 2 in x 8 ft 6 in; accommodations 5 officers + 583 enlisted; three diesel-drive 100 kW 450V AC generators; fuel 1,600 Bbls diesel; Vietnam armament four .50 cal MG, two 80mm mortars, four .30 cal MG. Page states no DANFS history is available for APL-46. Page last updated 21 May 2021.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1970
- Population
- Ship's company (~71) plus berthed transient/riverine personnel (up to ~583 accommodation capacity)
- Limitations
- Volunteer photo-archive compilation drawing on official records and contributed Navy photography - reputable secondary presentation, not a primary document. Its 'disposed of by Navy sale 26 January 1970' reproduces the SecNav approval date documented by the Shipscribe ship note. Its 12-campaign Vietnam table extends to January 1973 - impossible after the 1 February 1970 strike date carried by Shipscribe/NavalCoverMuseum; discrepancy documented in the correction row and gaps. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-02
-
[3]Mobile Riverine Force Association, 'Vinh Long U.S. Naval Facility 1966-1971' (mrfa.org) [other_primary]
- Locator
- MRFA Vinh Long facility page, afloat-basing paragraph
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Mobile Riverine Force Association history of the Vinh Long U.S. Naval Facility (1966-1971) records this hull in-country: 'APL-46, a messing and berthing barge, dropped anchor off the river city in October 1968. At that time the twenty-boat PBR force, a detachment of SEALs, and the Naval Support Activity, Saigon Detachment Vinh Long moved afloat.' Per the same account, 'Following the relief in January 1969 of YR-9 and APL-46 by YRBM-20, a vessel that performed all the functions of the two former craft, the U.S. naval contingent was completely mobile,' and on 1 February 1969 NSA Saigon Detachment Vinh Long was disestablished.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-10 to 1969-01 (Vinh Long); Vietnam window ca. 1968 - ca. 1969/70
- Population
- APL-46 crew and berthed PBR/SEAL/NSA Detachment Vinh Long personnel
- Limitations
- Veterans'-association unit history - not an official Navy document, but consistent with the contributed Navy photo captions on NavSource (Vinh Long, October 1968 - January 1969) and with the official RVN Gallantry Cross window opening 21 November 1968. Anchors the documented in-country window for this hull to October 1968 - January 1969 at Vinh Long; NavSource's undated NSA Saigon/NSA Danang assignments may precede or follow. No asbestos or materials content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-03
-
[4]OPNAVNOTE 1650 (9 Mar 2001), 'Master List of Unit Awards and Campaign Medals,' enclosure Unit Awards and Campaign Participation - USS Ships section (scanned official PDF hosted at usscoralsea.net) [other_primary]
- Locator
- USS Ships enclosure, 'APL 46' row (between APL 30 and AQUILA PHM 4), page 13 area of the enclosure
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The official Navy unit-awards master list (OPNAVNOTE 1650, Unit Awards and Campaign Participation, OP-09B33 as of 29-Jan-01) carries this hull as 'APL 46' with two entries: NU (Navy Unit Commendation) award window 01-JUL-1969 to 30-JUN-1971, and RG (Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation - Gallantry) window 21-NOV-1968 to 21-NOV-1970. These are award-window dates for the cited units; personnel attached to APL-46 during any part of the windows are eligible.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-11-21 to 1971-06-30 (award windows); list as of 2001-01-29
- Population
- Personnel attached to APL-46 during the award windows
- Limitations
- Official awards database extract (mirror-hosted). Award windows bound the cited commendation/citation periods, not the hull's exact in-country service; a unit earns an award for service during any part of the window, so the June 1971 NUC window end does not itself prove the craft served past its February 1970 strike - and post-strike service would be impossible. No VS (Vietnam Service Medal campaign) rows are listed for this or the other APLs in this enclosure. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-04
-
[5]NavalCoverMuseum, 'APL 46' wiki page (navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/APL_46) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Ship Name and Designation History list; Postmarks section (post office established/disestablished 1968; Locy SLKb postmark 1950-10-30); campaign list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavalCoverMuseum designation history for APL 46: 'Placed In Service August 31 1945 - Out of Service 1947; Placed In Service 1949 - Out of Service (date unknown); Struck from Naval Register February 1 1970; Fate unknown.' Postal history independently documents activity: covers exist for 1946-50, a Locy postmark dated 1950-10-30, and a ship post office 'Established 1968 - Disestablished 1968' - consistent with the Vietnam deployment period. The page repeats the same 12-campaign Vietnam star list as NavSource (including the shared 'Mary 29 1972' typo for Consolidation II), indicating a common source rather than independent verification.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1970
- Limitations
- Volunteer philatelic museum wiki - a secondary compilation, but its postmark/cover data is documentary (covers and postmarks are artifacts). The 1 February 1970 strike corroborates the Shipscribe register transcription. The campaign list duplicates NavSource including a shared typo ('Mary' for 'March'), so it is not independent corroboration of the disputed campaign entries. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-05
-
[6]Cross-source reconciliation: Shipscribe register compilation; NavSource APL-46; NavalCoverMuseum APL 46; shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net / navalmarinearchive.com APL table; Wikipedia APL-41-class table [other_primary]
- Locator
- All cited pages; campaign-table dates vs Disposition row / Ship Note 46
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged: (a) Campaign list vs disposal - NavSource and NavalCoverMuseum credit this hull with 12 Vietnam campaign stars extending through Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VII (Jul 1970-Jun 1971), Consolidation I (Jul-Nov 1971), Consolidation II (Dec 1971-Mar 1972) and Vietnam Ceasefire (Mar 1972-Jan 1973), yet the hull was stricken 1 February 1970 and its sale approved 26 January 1970 (Shipscribe register transcription and SecNav note; NavalCoverMuseum strike date). A stricken, sold craft cannot earn post-strike campaign credit; the five campaigns dated after Winter-Spring 1970 are inconsistent with the disposal record, and NavSource itself hedges the count as 'est. 12.' (b) Disposal location - shipbuildinghistory/navalmarinearchive compilations note 'left in Vietnam,' which conflicts with the documented 14th Naval District (Pearl Harbor Group) custody at SecNav approval; unresolved. (c) Fate - 'Sold' (Shipscribe), 'fate unknown' (NavSource/NavalCoverMuseum), 'scrapped in 1970' (Wikipedia class table, unsourced). (d) Fuel capacity - NavSource 1,600 Bbls vs class data 1,000 Bbls. (e) Armament - NavSource 'as built: none' vs class-level original fit of four 20mm Oerlikons (Shipscribe class data; Wikipedia class notes say guns removed after reserve entry 1946).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1968-1973 (disputed campaign window); 1970 (disposal)
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among secondary/transcription sources. The disposal spine (SecNav approval 26 Jan 1970; stricken 1 Feb 1970; sold ca. 1970) is carried on the strength of the register-derived Shipscribe data corroborated by NavalCoverMuseum; the NavSource 12-campaign list is documented but its post-strike entries are treated as unreliable. Controlling primary records (deck logs, NVR extract, DRMS sale record) were not retrieved. None affects identity or the asbestos assessment.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-06
-
[7]Consolidated era inference - WWII Willamette Iron & Steel construction under the Navy APL-2 design; BuShips-era auxiliary/service-craft construction practice [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class technical data (APL-2 design group, Willamette contract of 19 Jul 1944)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a 1945 Willamette Iron & Steel-built non-self-propelled barracks barge (Navy APL-2 design): the hull carried no propulsion plant but carried diesel-driven hotel generators (three 100 kW 450V AC sets documented in the NavSource spec block) plus heating, galley, and accommodation services for up to 583 berths - systems for which 1945-era Navy construction practice used asbestos-containing thermal insulation, exhaust lagging, gaskets, packing, floor coverings, and cement-board products. The two-story accommodation superstructure was itself a large interior-outfit surface.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1970
- Population
- Willamette construction trades (1945); ship's company and berthed personnel (1945-1970); towing/maintenance crews
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no member-hull record or ship-specific material schedule located; Boilers and steam systems are documented aboard sister craft (APL-30 via MRFA) but are not hull-documented for APL-46. The berthing mission made accommodation insulation the dominant interior material aboard, but its fiber content is undocumented for this hull. Establishes no quantities and no individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-07
-
[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) [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 emergency-construction program under which this 1945-built accommodation barge was produced.
- 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 vessel or the APL type and does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. A non-propelled barge carried far less machinery-era asbestos scope than a steam-driven combatant; the inference rests on accommodation outfit and hotel machinery.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-08
-
[9]Task & Purpose, 'The Navy has a floating barracks that is somehow worse than living on an actual ship' (published 26 July 2021) [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Article body, fleet-age paragraph (verbatim quote re-verified 2026-09-26)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Contemporary press documents the berthing-barge fleet cohort this hull belonged to: '13 of the service's current fleet of 18 [berthing barges] were built between 1944 and 1946, back when lead paint and asbestos were industry standards.' APL-46 was built in 1945 within that cohort; it was disposed of by sale in 1970, decades before the article's 2021 fleet snapshot.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2021
- Population
- Sailors berthed on WWII-era APL barges (program-wide)
- Limitations
- Fleet-level characterization - the article does not name APL-46 or any single hull, and 'industry standards' is journalism, not a survey; moreover APL-46 was not part of the 2021 fleet (sold 1970). Establishes era context for the WWII-built berthing-barge design cohort, not asbestos aboard this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-09
-
[10]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VBA), 'Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' (2021 edition, verbatim mirror hosted by VFW Florida; full-text extraction re-verified 2026-09-26) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Category I inland-waterways section - APL entries limited to APL-26 and APL-30; 'APL-46' not present anywhere in the document
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Negative finding - this hull is NOT listed in the VA adjudication instrument 'Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' (2021 edition checked by full-text extraction): the list's berthing-craft entries are 'Barracks Barge (APL-26) [Sleeping Quarters]' and 'Barracks Barge (APL-30)' only. APL-46's documented Vinh Long mooring (October 1968 - January 1969, an inland Mekong Delta location) is absent from the list.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- list edition 2021; hull's Vietnam window 1968-1969/70
- Population
- Veterans berthed aboard in Vietnam, 1968-1969
- Limitations
- This is a HERBICIDE-exposure instrument, not an asbestos record - absence establishes only that VA had not listed this hull for the Agent Orange presumption as of the 2021 edition. It does not show that the craft lacked inland-waterway service (Vinh Long mooring is photo- and MRFA-documented), does not bear on asbestos, and the list evolves - later editions were not checked.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-10
-
[11]CourtListener API v4 opinion + docket searches via authenticated fleet-paced helper (cl-auth-search.py) [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-46-09 and sl-uss-apl-46-10
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweeps of the opinion and docket indexes for the hull token "APL-46": opinion search returned 0 results; docket search returned 5 hits, all name collisions - SIPA v. Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 08-01789, 'APL-46' as document/exhibit code), Smartflash LLC v. Apple Inc. (E.D. Tex. 6:13-cv-00447, patent - exhibit numbering), American President Lines Ltd v. Aquanita LLC (S.D. Fla. 1:15-cv-24608, marine contract - 'APL' = American President Lines), Hammonds v. APL Cargo, Inc. (N.D. Ind. 4:23-cv-00035, FLSA - 'APL Cargo' trucking), English v. City & County of Honolulu (D. Haw. 1:04-cv-00108, civil rights - trial-exhibit code). None names the Navy craft; no qualifying asbestos litigation located.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 2026-09-26
- Limitations
- Name-token sweeps cannot prove no filing exists - pleadings that omit the hull number or index only a party name would not surface, and asbestos complaints typically name shipyards or manufacturers rather than a berthing barge. The hull was sold in 1970, predating modern asbestos docketing.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-11
-
[12]Batch-2501 search ledger (this record): Shipscribe; NavSource; NavalCoverMuseum; MRFA; OPNAVNOTE 1650; VA ship list; NARA SL-44; CourtListener API v4; general web asbestos/mesothelioma sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-46-01 through sl-uss-apl-46-12
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, FOIA release, or docketed case naming this hull was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The vessel left Navy custody by a 1970 sale, predating asbestos-disclosure practices in Navy/GSA vessel disposals, and no preservation or museum organization exists for this hull.
- 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 building and machinery 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-46-12
-
[13]NARA Special List 44 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' (ship-number ordering checked 2026-09-26); NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 19 / RG 24 / RG 181 [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 ship-number sequence - APL entries APL-8 through APL-42 present, no APL-46 row
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): (a) NARA Special List 44 shows NO WWII logbook coverage for APL-46 (sister craft APL-42 has coverage 30 Apr - 31 Aug 1945; the hull-number sequence checked contains no APL-46 entry). (b) Vietnam-era deck logs for the 1968-1970 in-country window would sit in the NARA RG 24 deck-log series - not confirmed for this hull. (c) NARA RG 19 (BuShips) contract/construction records for the Willamette order of 19 July 1944 (APL 41-46) and RG 181 (13th Naval District, Portland) records could contain material schedules. (d) The SecNav disposal approval of 26 January 1970 and the ensuing sale file (14th Naval District / DRMS) would resolve the buyer, sale location, and the 'left in Vietnam' conflict.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1970 records
- Limitations
- Finding-aid and record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. SL-44 absence concerns only the WWII-era (1945-1947) logbook series; Vietnam-era logs are a separate series. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-46-13