USS APL-47

Evidence

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

1. [1]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), USS APL-2 class construction and dispositions tables compiled from Navy register data; NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-47 page (NVR-derived milestones, specifications, awards ribbons) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APL/APL02.html construction table row 47 and Final Dispositions table row 47; https://www.navsource.net/archives/09/71/7147.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Compiled register-derived milestones for APL-47: ordered under the FY1944 auxiliary-vessels program 20 July 1944; laid down 17 October 1944 at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., Seattle, WA; launched 5 January 1945; placed in service 1 June 1945; stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 6 August 1987; disposal/transfer December 1972 (fate code 'Trf.' - transferred); sold to Turkey under the Security Assistance Program 17 August 1987; Turkish designation TCG Y38. Listed awards: American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal. Register specifications: 1,300 t light / 2,600 t full load; 261'2" oa x 49'2" x 8'6"; no propulsion machinery; three diesel-drive 100 kW 450 V AC ship's-service generators; complement 71 plus 583-person berthing capacity; original armament 4 x 20mm.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1987

   Limitations

   Secondary compilations of official register data - no register page image was examined. Shipscribe, NavSource, and shipbuildinghistory agree on the construction dates and 1987 disposition; NavSource records 'placed in service, date unknown' where shipscribe gives 1 June 1945 (the batch's stated service-entry date). Award ribbons are NavSource's compiled list, not verified against an official awards register. No asbestos or materials information in either source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-01

2. [2]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), USS APL-2 class notes, compiled from Auxiliary Vessels Board records and Navy building-program data [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APL/APL02.html 'Class Notes' section

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Design and program context: the APL-2-series craft were standard non-self-propelled 2,000-ton 260-foot Navy covered barges with a two-story barracks built on top, developed for long-distance ocean towing with ship-style raised bows and large skegs; they carried auxiliary-vessel (A) rather than service-craft (Y) designations. The Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended the barracks-ship program on 11 June 1943; APL-47 was authorized 20 July 1944 under the FY1944 program.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Population

   Construction trades (Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging, Seattle, 1944-45); embarked transient personnel

   Limitations

   Design- and program-level data from a secondary compilation of official records; describes the type, not this hull's outfitting. No asbestos or materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-02

3. [3]Carter, Worrall Reed, RAdm USN (Ret.), 'Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil: The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II,' Naval History Division / U.S. GPO (1953), Appendix - List of Commanding Officers, Hotel Barges section (HyperWar transcription) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Appendix, 'Hotel Barges' subsection, row 'APL-47 | Lt O.C. Gordon'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The official Navy history of Pacific fleet logistics lists APL-47 in its appendix 'List of Commanding Officers' among the 'Hotel Barges' - the Service Force Pacific barracks ships - under commanding officer Lt. O.C. Gordon, documenting the craft's assignment to wartime logistic work under Commander Service Force Pacific.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945

   Population

   Craft crew and embarked transients at forward Pacific bases

   Limitations

   The appendix documents wartime assignment and one commanding officer; it gives no dates or stations per vessel and does not alone place APL-47 at any specific base. No materials, construction, or asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-03

4. [4]Naval History and Heritage Command, DANFS online entry 'Zeus (ARB-4)' (Robert J. Cressman, 6 March 2016) - live page 404s at access date; cited via Wayback Machine capture 2019-07-22 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Zeus (ARB-4) DANFS online entry, paragraph covering December 1945 departure from Eniwetok

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The expanded online DANFS entry for the battle-damage repair ship USS Zeus (ARB-4), working the Eniwetok anchorage in late 1945, records: 'Her repair work in December had encompassed only four ships: the destroyer Hyman (DD-732), cargo ship Hidalgo (AK-189) and two barracks ships, APL-47 and APL-2.' The same entry records barracks ships (APL) as the most numerous customer type in Zeus's September and November 1945 workload at Eniwetok. Zeus departed Eniwetok 6 December 1945 and reached San Pedro 25 December 1945.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1945-12

   Population

   Zeus repair crews and APL-47 embarked personnel

   Limitations

   A monthly-aggregate operational summary: it does not state where the December work on APL-47 was performed (Zeus lay at Eniwetok through 6 December and at San Pedro from 25 December); the Eniwetok reading is consistent with APL-47's Service Force Pacific assignment but is not explicit in the source. Establishes wartime forward-area employment of the hull, nothing about materials or asbestos.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-04

5. [5]Y. Necdet Celik, Turkish Submariners' Association history of Turkish submarining (denizalticilarbirligi.com); NavSource TCG Y38 photo captions; fleetphoto.ru vessel record 38433 [reputable_press]

   Locator

   denizalticilarbirligi.com/db.dztarih.htm entry for TCG YZB. NASIT ONGOREN (Y-1204) (Y-38) (Ex. USS APL-47)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Turkish service record compiled from Turkish-language naval-history sources: ex-APL-47 was towed to Turkey as a spare for TCG Gazal and hoisted the Turkish flag 9 March 1973; designated TCG Yzb. Nasit Ongoren, pennant Y-38 (later Y-1204), a 'submarine accommodation ship' (Denizalti Yatak Gemisi). Stationed at Karadeniz Eregli as flagship of the 1st Submarine Flotilla Command and accommodation ship for submarine crews; from 16 August 1993 stationed at Aksaz serving the 3rd Submarine Flotilla; reported still in service. NavSource photo captions show the craft in Turkish service as TCG Y38 at Istanbul (Kasimpasa Naval Hospital background); a 2026 Turkish-language post places her at the Antalya Coast Guard Group quay.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1973-2026

   Population

   Turkish Navy submarine crews berthed aboard during overhauls, 1973-present

   Limitations

   Veterans'-association and database compilations, not official registry pages; no Turkish Navy official source located. The U.S. instrument was a December 1972 loan (compiled register data) converted to outright sale 17 August 1987; the 9 March 1973 flag-hoisting date marks Turkish commissioning. Station sequence (Eregli, Aksaz 1993, Antalya 2026) rests on Turkish secondary sources. No asbestos or materials information in any source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-05

6. [6]U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Vol. 114/5/1,023 (May 1988), 'Ships' Status Changes: 1 January 1987-31 December 1987' [reputable_press]

   Locator

   Proceedings May 1988, Ships/Craft Transferred section

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings annual compilation 'Ships' Status Changes: 1 January 1987-31 December 1987' (compiled by Fred W. Cassaday, Jr., May 1988) lists APL-47 among ships/craft transferred during 1987, consistent with the compiled register data recording strike 6 August 1987 and sale to Turkey under the Security Assistance Program 17 August 1987.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1987

   Limitations

   Article is member-paywalled; APL-47's presence in the 1987 transfer list was confirmed from indexed text, but the exact subsection header could not be read. Sale instrument and 17 August 1987 date rest on NavSource's NVR-derived compilation; strike date 6 August 1987 on shipscribe's compilation. The 1972 loan vs 1987 sale sequence is reconstructed from compilations, not an official transfer document.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-06

7. [7]Shipscribe USS APL-2 class design data (machinery: none; three diesel generators; 583-person berthing capacity), compiled from Navy register data [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/APL/APL02.html design header and class notes

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Design-bounded era inference: as a non-self-propelled accommodation barge built 1944-45, APL-47 carried no propulsion boilers, turbines, or steam lines; hotel services ran on three diesel-driven 100 kW generators. Any asbestos aboard would have been confined to accommodation-type applications typical of the era - heating and hot-water piping insulation, galley equipment gaskets, generator exhaust insulation, and accommodation-space finishes - rather than the boiler/engine-room insulation typical of powered vessels.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-present

   Population

   Construction trades (1944-45); embarked personnel (1945-1972 USN; 1973-present Turkish)

   Limitations

   Pure era/design inference - no source documents any asbestos-containing material aboard this hull. The unpowered design narrows the plausible application set but cannot establish presence, quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation. Turkish-era refits are undocumented.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-07

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) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Abstract and article, AJIM 11(3):359-373

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Peer-reviewed historical scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during World War II - the era and program under which this FY1944-funded craft was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos use aboard naval vessels and auxiliaries.

   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 scholarship; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-08

9. [9]Lockwood v. AC & S, Inc., 109 Wn.2d 235, 744 P.2d 605 (Wash. 1987) [court_record]

   Locator

   Wash. 1987 opinion, product-identification testimony (per shipyards.json record ev-puget-bridge-01)

   Finding type

   litigation_product_id

   Finding

   Yard-level asbestos documentation: the Washington Supreme Court opinion in Lockwood v. AC&S, Inc. records testimony that Raymark asbestos products and asbestos pipe/steam-turbine insulation were used on a large liner conversion at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredge in 1947-1948 - documenting asbestos use at the hull's builder yard in the same era.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1947-1948

   Population

   Shipyard workers (insulators) at Puget Sound Bridge & Dredge, 1947-48

   Limitations

   Yard-level, not hull-level: the documented exposure involves a 1947-48 liner conversion that post-dates APL-47's construction (Oct 1944-Jun 1945) and a different project. Establishes that the builder yard used asbestos products in the era; does not establish any asbestos aboard or exposure to APL-47 workers. Plaintiff Lockwood was a smoker - causation context noted in the yard record.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-apl-47-09

10. [10]Archives West finding aid, 'Lockheed Shipbuilding & Construction Company Photographs and Publications, 1889-1980,' Museum of History & Industry Sophie Frye Bass Library, collection Lib1988.13 [other_primary]

    Locator

    Detailed Description of the Collection, Series 1 subseries E item N-2847--N-2852 'Crew working on APL-47' and subseries G item 'APL 47 -- commissioning'

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): (a) Museum of History & Industry, Seattle - Lockheed Shipbuilding & Construction Company Photographs and Publications, collection Lib1988.13, holds APL-47 construction-era images: 'Extra prints' 4x5 N-2847 through N-2852 captioned 'Crew working on APL-47' (Box 2, Folder 75, Series 1/Subseries E: People) and 'APL 47 - commissioning' (Box 3, Folder 55, Series 1/Subseries G: Ships); (b) NARA RG 19 (Bureau of Ships) holds contract construction and outfitting records for Navy-built auxiliaries; (c) wartime deck logs and administrative records for numbered service craft are in RG 24/RG 181 series.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944-1945 records

    Limitations

    Finding-aid-level identification only - the photographs were not examined and their content is unknown; commissioning-era images could document outfitting detail but nothing is asserted from them. No asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-apl-47-10

11. [11]CourtListener API v4 search endpoint, opinion and docket types [court_record]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-47-06 through sl-uss-apl-47-09

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweep (API v4, authenticated, 2026-09-26): quoted-phrase opinion search '"APL-47"' returned 0 results; docket search '"APL-47"' returned 7 hits, all name collisions (document-text strings in unrelated matters - e.g., Richards v. EQT Production Co. contract dispute, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, an American President Lines contract case); opinion search '"APL 47" asbestos OR ship OR vessel' returned 0; unquoted 'APL-47' returned 529 hits, all tokenization collisions (AFL-CIO, American President Lines, union-local numbers). No opinion or docket names the hull; no qualifying asbestos litigation located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    CourtListener indexes published opinions and RECAP dockets; absence here does not reach unreported settlements, state-court filings not on PACER/RECAP, or Turkish litigation (the hull has been Turkish since 1972). No inference about actual exposure is possible from a litigation vacuum.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-apl-47-11

12. [12]Batch-2502 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; NVR online; MARAD ShipHistory; NavSource; shipscribe; CourtListener; Turkish naval-history sources [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-47-01 through sl-uss-apl-47-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, condition survey, or museum/official materials statement naming this hull was found in the sources searched; NHHC DANFS contains no APL-47 entry; the live Naval Vessel Register carries no record (pre-1987 disposal); the MARAD ShipHistory database search endpoint returned errors (no custody record expected - the craft moved Navy-to-Turkey under security assistance, not through MARAD).

    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 hull is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and Turkish-era refits are undocumented. 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-47-12