Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]research packet at-packet.md (6 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-apl-54-apl54-pkt-at-packet-md
-
[2]Naval Vessel Register (nvr.navy.mil, NAVSEA), SHIPSDETAIL_APL_54 detail page, Wayback Machine capture 2017-01-26 (record last updated 2001-10-17) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR detail page: milestone dates block, physical characteristics block, status/custodian block
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Naval Vessel Register detail record for 'NO NAME (APL 54)' (official Navy inventory, archived 2017-01-26 capture; live detail page now returns generic shell): BARRACKS CRAFT (N-S-P), class APL 53, UIC 01674, builder Tampa Shipyards Inc.; award date 07/01/1944; keel 01/22/1945; launch 03/01/1945; delivery 06/01/1945; commission 06/01/1945; stricken 11/09/1999; status 'Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) by Exchange/Sale for reuse/conversion,' date status changed 08/21/2001; custodian 'Schools, Organizations and Private Enterprises'; record last updated 10/17/2001. Physical characteristics: 261 ft oa / 260 ft wl x 49 ft beam; max navigational draft 11 ft, draft limit 10 ft; 1,300 t light, 2,580 t full load, deadweight 1,280 t; steel hull, steel superstructure; propulsion type none; accommodations 6 officers + 338 enlisted.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-2001
- Limitations
- Official Navy register entry for this hull captured pre-disposal-deletion; live NVR detail page no longer serves the record and the inactive-status index (Wayback 2016 capture) corroborates the 08/21/2001 DRMS disposal line. NVR's 'Commission Date' field records the in-service date for non-commissioned craft. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-01
-
[3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-54 (navsource.net/archives/09/71/7154.htm, page last updated 2009-10-16) [other_primary]
- Locator
- APL-54 page: chronology, awards display, specifications, contributed photo caption, 'no DANFS History' note
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource Online Service Ship Photo Archive, APL-54 page: 'APL-53 Class Non-self-propelled Barracks Ship'; laid down 22 January 1945 at Tampa Shipyards, Tampa, FL; launched 1 March 1945; delivered and placed in service 1 June 1945; placed out of service, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register 9 November 1999; final disposition 'to be disposed of, Maintenance category X' (stale - superseded by NVR 2001 disposal entry). Awards display: American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal. Specifications: 1,300 t lt / 2,600 t fl; 261'2" x 49'2" x 8'6" (lim); total accommodations 5 officers + 583 enlisted; troop capacity 583 enlisted; three diesel-drive 100 kW 450V AC ship's-service generators; fuel capacity 1,600 bbls. Contributed photograph places APL-54 at Boston Naval Shipyard, date unknown (contributor Richard Leonhardt). Page states no DANFS history is available for APL-54.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-2001
- Limitations
- Volunteer-maintained archive transcribing official records and contributed material; the 2009-dated 'final disposition' line predates the completed 2001 DRMS disposal recorded by NVR and is superseded by it. Accommodation figure (5+583) differs from the NVR record (6+338) - carried as a discrepancy, not resolved. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-02
-
[4]Shipscribe.com, 'USS APL-2 Class' auxiliary data page (transcription of official Navy vessel data), APL-54 construction row, disposition row, ship note, and class notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- Construction table row 54; Disposition table row 54; Ship Notes row 54; Class Notes (APL 44-58 paragraph)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Shipscribe auxiliary-ship construction/disposition tables (transcribed from official Navy records) for APL-54: ordered 26 Jul 44; builder Tampa SB; keel 22 Jan 45; launch 17 Mar 45; 'Commiss.' (in-service) 29 Jun 45. Disposition table: strike 9 Nov 99; disposal 21 Aug 01; fate 'Sold.' Ship note: 'In service in reserve by Jan 47. Sold 2001 by DRMS for further use/conversion.' Class notes for the design group: 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; machinery none (non-self-propelled); standard non-self-propelled 260-ft Navy covered barges with a two-story barracks built on top; APL 44-58 group recommended by the Auxiliary Vessels Board 2 May 44 - 15 ARLs (ARL 25-39) plus 15 APLs for completion during the last three quarters of 1945 to support the 1945 landing-craft program.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-2001
- Limitations
- Respected transcription site of official Navy ships' data, not the primary document itself; its 'Commission' column records the in-service date for non-commissioned craft. Launch (17 Mar) and in-service (29 Jun) dates conflict with NVR/NavSource (1 Mar, 1 Jun) - logged as discrepancies. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-03
-
[5]Oral history interview of Henry M. Powell, Jr., Veterans History Project, Atlanta History Center, 2004-08-02 (interviewer David Lowance) - digitized by Digital Library of Georgia, full transcript with APL-54 subject heading [museum_official]
- Locator
- DLG record geh_vhpohr_295, transcript Tape 1 Side A: Tampa construction, June 1945 convoy departure, Portobelo incident, canal transit, Pearl Harbor arrival, Enewetak recall, Texas/Charleston return; subject term 'APL-54 (barracks ship)'
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Firsthand oral-history account by Henry M. 'Hank' Powell, Jr. (b. 1925), the craft's supply officer (Naval Supply Corps School, Sampson NY; V-12 program), interviewed 2004-08-02 for the Veterans History Project at the Atlanta History Center with full transcript: assigned to APL-54 during construction at the Tampa shipbuilding company; describes the craft as a flat-bottom barge with no propulsion, one deck below and three above the waterline, berthing about 350 enlisted plus fewer officers, with soda fountain, barber shop, mess hall, large refrigeration plant, seawater evaporators, and fuel for about two years without resupply. Recounts June 1945 departure from Tampa in convoy - ocean-going tug towing a yard barge (YB), APL-53, and APL-54, train nearly a mile, 3-4 knots - collision damage at anchor off Portobelo, Panama, ~two months' repair on the Atlantic side, canal transit, ~45-50 days Panama to Pearl Harbor, moored at the submarine docks; ~75 personnel embarked on each APL, yard barge sealed; departed Hawaii for 'Anawetok' (Enewetak), recalled one to three weeks out when the war ended; post-war a Navy inspector refused troop carriage because the all-welded craft had no watertight hatches or bulkheads; return via the canal to a Texas port (APL-53 left there), then Charleston, SC, where the craft supported post-war decommissioning of destroyers; Powell discharged May 1946.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1946 (events); interview 2004
- Population
- APL-54 ship's company (~75 embarked, 1945-46); berthed personnel at destination stations (none embarked on the delivery voyage)
- Limitations
- Verified firsthand record held by a Library of Congress partner archive; content is a 2004 recollection of 1945-46 events - specific figures (~350 capacity, ~75 crew, 45-50 day transit, two months' repair) are the officer's memory, not contemporaneous logs, and minor details (e.g., year self-correction '44 to '45, Texas port name) show expected recall drift. Establishes mission, itinerary, and embarked crew; contains no asbestos statement and does not itself prove asbestos use.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-04
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[6]NavalCoverMuseum (navalcovermuseum.org), 'APL 54' ship page: Ship Name and Designation History; postmark section 'Post Office Established September 20 1945 - Disestablished June 30 1947' [other_primary]
- Locator
- APL 54 designation-history block; Postmarks section (Locy Type 2, 1947-01-21 cover)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavalCoverMuseum designation-history and postmark record for APL-54: 'Placed In Service June 29 1945 - Out of Service (Date unknown)'; 'Struck from Naval Register November 9 1999'; fate unknown (page predates/lacks the NVR 2001 disposal). Post office aboard established September 20, 1945 - disestablished June 30, 1947 (Locy Type 2 postmark documented on a 1947-01-21 cover), independently corroborating a crewed ship's company aboard through mid-1947.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-1999
- Limitations
- Museum-compiled designation timeline and postal-history record; in-service date (29 Jun 45) agrees with Shipscribe but conflicts with NVR/NavSource (1 Jun 45) - logged as discrepancy. 'Fate unknown' is superseded by the NVR 2001 disposal. Post office dates document a functioning crewed unit, not berthing capacity or mission tempo. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-05
-
[7]shipbuildinghistory.com (Tim Colton's U.S. shipbuilding yard lists), 'Tampa Shipbuilding (TASCO), Tampa FL' hull table, row 151 [other_primary]
- Locator
- TASCO hull table row 151 (hull no. / name / owner / tonnage / delivered / disposition columns)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- shipbuildinghistory.com Tampa Shipbuilding (TASCO) yard table: APL-54 carried as TASCO hull no. 151, 1,300 tons, delivered 29-Jun-45, disposition 'In reserve 1947, sold 2001' - corroborating the June 29 in-service/delivery date against NVR's June 1 milestone and independently confirming the 2001 sale.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-2001
- Limitations
- Standard reference compilation of U.S. yard production lists, secondary rather than the yard's own records; 'delivered' 29-Jun-45 aligns with Shipscribe/NCM in-service but conflicts with NVR delivery 06/01/1945 - discrepancy carried. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-06
-
[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 program under which this 1945-built Navy service craft was constructed at a wartime commercial yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.
- 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 and does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation. A non-propelled barge had a smaller machinery plant than a steam warship - the inference rests on its diesel generators, evaporators, refrigeration, steam/hot-water systems, and accommodation outfit.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-07
-
[9]Cross-source reconciliation: NVR detail page (Wayback 2017); NavSource APL-54 page; Shipscribe APL-2 class page; NavalCoverMuseum APL 54 page; shipbuildinghistory TASCO table [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR milestone/characteristics blocks; NavSource chronology/specs; Shipscribe construction and disposition row 54; NCM designation history; TASCO row 151
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies logged: (a) Launch date - NVR and NavSource record 03/01/1945; Shipscribe records 17 Mar 45. NVR is the official register and is adopted; the 17 Mar figure is carried as a transcription discrepancy. (b) In-service date - NVR delivery and commission milestones are both 06/01/1945 and NavSource records 'delivered and placed in service 1 June 1945'; Shipscribe (29 Jun 45), NavalCoverMuseum (placed in service June 29 1945), and shipbuildinghistory (delivered 29-Jun-45) record June 29. Both June dates are carried; the conflict is unresolved. (c) Ordered/award date - Shipscribe 'Ord.' column 26 Jul 44 vs NVR award date 07/01/1944. (d) Accommodations - NVR lists 6 officers + 338 enlisted; NavSource lists 5 officers + 583 enlisted troop capacity; Shipscribe class data 71 + 583; Powell's firsthand '~350 enlisted' aligns closer to the NVR figure. (e) Full-load displacement - NVR 2,580 t vs NavSource/Shipscribe 2,600 t. (f) Draft - NVR draft limit 10 ft / max navigational 11 ft vs NavSource 8.5 ft limiting.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1944-2001
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies among the register and transcription sources; none affects identity or the asbestos assessment. Controlling primary records (delivery acceptance papers, deck logs) were not retrieved.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-08
-
[10]Batch-2508 search ledger (this record): NavSource; NVR (live + Wayback); Shipscribe; NavalCoverMuseum; shipbuildinghistory; DLG/VHP oral history; NARA SL-44; VA ship-list mirror; CourtListener API v4 opinion sweep; general web asbestos/litigation sweeps [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-apl-54-apl54-01 through sl-uss-apl-54-apl54-12
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- No qualifying asbestos record located: CourtListener opinion search on exact token "APL-54" returned 0 results; the docket/RECAP sweep returned 4 hits, all name collisions - APL Co Pte Ltd. v. United Supply Co Ltd. (D. Del. 2005, marine contract; 'APL' is the American President Lines corporate party), Smartflash LLC v. Apple Inc. (E.D. Tex. 2013, patent; document-code match), In re Richard Schragger (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2016; document-code match), and Armstrong v. American Pallet Leasing Inc. (N.D. Iowa 2007, securities; 'American Pallet Leasing' = APL) - none names the Navy craft and none is asbestos litigation. Web-level searches for APL-54 with asbestos/mesothelioma/BVA/lawsuit returned no proceeding naming the hull (hits were lab-equipment product collisions and generic BVA decisions not naming the craft). The craft does not appear on the VA 'Navy and Coast Guard Ships Associated with Service in Vietnam and Exposure to Herbicide Agents' list (which carries sister craft APL-26 and APL-30) - consistent with no Vietnam service. NARA Special List 44 contains no APL-54 logbook entry, and no DANFS history exists. No asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or government report naming APL-54 was found in the sources searched.
- 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 auxiliary carrying generators, evaporators, refrigeration, and steam/hot-water systems is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener coverage is complete for the exact token across opinion and docket indexes; the craft has no name other than its hull designation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-09
-
[11]NARA Special List 44 (archives.gov finding aid, ship-number ordering); NARA Guide to Federal Records, RG 24 deck-log series description; DRMS disposal-record trail implied by NVR status entry [other_primary]
- Locator
- SL-44 ship-number sequence - APL entries run APL-8 through APL-42 with no APL-53/54/55/56; RG 24 deck-log program description; NVR custodian/status fields
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) NARA Special List 44 (ship logbooks 1801-1947) lists no APL-54 entry - unlike sister APL-30 (1945-04-11 to 1945-07-31 coverage), no WWII-era logbook for this hull appears in the finding aid; any 1945-47 deck-log coverage would sit in the RG 24 deck-log series, digitized coverage for this hull unconfirmed in the public catalog. (b) BuShips/BuSandA construction and outfitting specifications for the APL design group and Tampa Shipbuilding contract records (hull 151) could contain material schedules. (c) The DRMS August 2001 exchange/sale file would identify the buyer, reuse site, and condition at sale. (d) NavalCoverMuseum cover collection may bracket additional duty stations.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-26
- Study period
- 1945-2001 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-apl-54-apl54-10