USS Appanoose (AK-226)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The U.S. Maritime Commission instruction manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant (the design of this hull, MCE 2662) describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Liberty hulls were built to emergency USMC specifications during the period when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding. Typical applications for the type: boiler and steam-drum insulation; steam-line lagging between boiler room and engine room; valve and flange gaskets; machinery packing; insulation in accommodation spaces and around the galley; brake linings on winches and windlass.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944

   Population

   Construction trades (Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore, 1944); Navy engine-room crew; Seabee detachment; later foreign merchant crews

   Limitations

   Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual names the type, not this vessel, and does not itself state 'asbestos' content (magnesia lagging of the era was typically asbestos-fiber-reinforced, but the manual text is silent on fiber). Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-01

2. [2]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 Maritime Commission program under which this EC2-S-C1 hull was mass-produced at the program's largest Liberty yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   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 EC2-S-C1 type 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-appanoose-ak226-02

3. [3]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Appanoose' - NHHC online edition [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body (namesake: 'a county in southern Iowa named for Appanoose, a chief of the Sac and Fox Indian tribes'); canonical NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/appanoose.html and legacy http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a10/appanoose.htm both returned live 404 on 2026-09-21 (NHHC link rot, cf. batch-01 standing defect); text verified verbatim via Wayback capture 20121011224750

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS (NHHC): A. J. Cassatt laid down 1944-06-20 under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2662) by Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard Inc., Baltimore, Md.; launched 1944-07-27, sponsored by Mrs. A. J. Cassatt; acquired by the Navy 1944-08-10; renamed Appanoose (AK-226); commissioned 1944-09-26, Lt. Comdr. Volmer H. S. G. Holm in command. Shakedown Chesapeake Bay from 1944-10-01; loaded cargo at Davisville, R.I.; Panama Canal transit; Eniwetok and Ulithi; anchored Tacloban, Leyte, 1944-12-21; moved to Samar three days later to begin assembling pontoons - completed the task despite enemy torpedo attacks; withdrew to Tacloban 1945-01-21. Sailed 1945-01-23 via Manus to San Pedro (arrived 1945-02-23); departed 1945-03-09 for the Ryukyus; reached Okinawa 1945-04-28; discharged cargo at Buckner Bay from 1945-05-03; three months at Okinawa under numerous Japanese air attacks - claimed one Japanese plane downed and assisted in splashing four more. Departed Okinawa 1945-08-05; convoy via Saipan and Pearl Harbor to San Francisco (arrived 1945-09-05); drydocking and availability, repairs completed 1945-10-08; Panama Canal transit; reported to Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., 1945-10-30. Decommissioned there 1945-11-26 and turned over to the War Shipping Administration; struck from the Navy list 1945-12-05. One battle star for WWII service. DANFS characteristics: dp. 14,550; l. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4"; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 209; a. 1 5", 1 3", 8 20mm.; cl. Crater; T. EC2-S-C1.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1945

   Population

   Navy crew (~209); embarked Seabee pontoon-assembly detachment

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, dates, service history, and disposal to WSA. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - A. J. CASSATT, Ship History Detail 2, and APPANOOSE (AK-226), Ship History Detail 12572 (linked name-history records) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 2 fields + milestone table + name-history links; Detail 12572 https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/12572 ; cross-ref document /documents/7559a0ae-dfb0-4f69-b73f-6d0fafd019ca.pdf ('APPANOOSE See A. J. CASSAT'); status-card scans 2_3AF.jpg / 2_3AB.jpg present on Detail 2, raster-only, not read

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records: A. J. CASSATT, Detail 2 - year built 1944, U.S. Official No. 246155, Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, general cargo / break bulk, MARAD type EC2-S-C1, gross 7,210 / net 4,375, fate 'Sold - No Further Info'; milestones: entered Reserve Fleet 1945-11-27, acquisition 1945-11-27, disposition 1947-10-14 'Sold to Fordom Trading Company,' renamed SANTA ANA 1947-10-14; vessel name history links A. J. CASSATT and APPANOOSE (AK-226). Linked record APPANOOSE (AK-226), Detail 12572 - Naval Auxiliary / AK Cargo Ship, EC2-S-C1, 442.0 ft, displacement lightweight 4,023, fate 'Scrapped'; its typed cross-reference card (APPANOOSE.pdf) reads 'APPANOOSE See A. J. CASSAT.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1964

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones and identity linkage; milestone dates (11-27-1945 reserve-fleet entry, 10-14-1947 sale) vs shipscribe's 'MA Sale 14 Nov 47' and NavSource's 'November 1947' are disclosed in the correction row. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-04

5. [5]shipscribe.com, 'U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships: USS Crater (AK-70) class' class page (S. S. Roberts compilation of official records) - construction/disposition tables, AK 225-26 group note, hull note 226 [other_primary]

   Locator

   Construction table row AK-226; disposition table row AK-226; class notes AK 225-26 paragraph; hull-note table row 226; shipscribe has no individual AK-226 page (shipscribe.com/usnaux/AK/AK226.html returned 404)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Shipscribe Crater (AK-70) class compilation (Stephen S. Roberts, compiled from official BuShips/Auxiliary Vessels Board records): construction table - AK-226 APPANOOSE acquired 10 Aug 44, Bethlehem-Fairfield SYs, keel 20 Jun 44, launched 27 Jul 44, commissioned 26 Sep 44; disposition table - decommissioned 26 Nov 45, struck 5 Dec 45, disposal 27 Nov 45 (returned to MC), fate MC/D, MA Sale 14 Nov 47. Hull note: 'Ex merc. A. J. CASSATT. Converted by Maryland DD Co., Baltimore. Merc. A. J. CASSATT (MC) 1945, SANTA ANA (Panamanian) 1947. Scrapped 1965.' Group note AK 225-26: on 1944-07-12 CinCPOA requested two AKs with facilities for Construction Battalion personnel (2 officers, 35 enlisted) to assemble pontoon docks; on 1944-07-19 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended acquiring two EC2 hulls preferably under construction (the Navy accepted VAN LEAR BLACK but rejected ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, obtaining a new hull instead); conversion similar to AK 130-134 less LCM(3)s and towing engine; AK-225 and AK-226 loaded first pontoon cargoes at Davisville, R.I., October 1944; in November 1944 the Fleet Maintenance Office of Commander Service Force Pacific Fleet furnished material for outrigger platforms for pontoon assembly and authorized both vessels to proceed with fabrication and installation of the necessary parts - the ships then operated as pontoon assembly ships alongside USS VEGA (AK-17) and CARINA (AK-74).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1965

   Population

   Maryland Drydock conversion workers; Navy crew; 37-man Seabee pontoon detachment

   Limitations

   Compilation of official BuShips/AVB records - the underlying conversion contract and Fleet Maintenance Office correspondence were not viewed directly. Documents a Navy conversion (Maryland DD Co.) and a shipboard fabrication/installation event (outrigger platforms) but states no insulation, asbestos, or materials content; supports no asbestos claim. 'MA Sale 14 Nov 47' conflicts with MARAD's 1947-10-14 disposition - disclosed in correction row.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-05

6. [6]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Appanoose (AK-226) page [other_primary]

   Locator

   Chronology, campaign table, merchant-service notes, spec block, CO table, ribbon table (page mirrored at navsource.net/archives/09/13/130226.htm; .org fetch intermittently fails, .net mirror retrieved 2026-09-21)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-226 page): same chronology as DANFS plus campaign table - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation 3 May - 30 June 1945; 'Decommissioned, 26 November 1945, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA. and turned over to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet'; struck 5 December 1945; one battle star. Merchant service chain: sold to Fordom Trading Co., N.Y., November 1947, for Cia de Operaciones Maritimas SA, Panama RP - renamed SS Santa Ana, reflagged Panamanian; sold Cia Nav San Maritine SA, Panama, 1951; sold San Martin Cia de Nav SA, 1952; managed by Cargo & Tankship Management Corp., N.Y., 1958; managed by Santa Maria Shipowning & Trading Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., 1961; arrived Yokohama 1964-11-04 in tow after losing propeller bound Osaka to Portland, OR; sold to Japanese breakers, arrived Yokosuka about 1964-12-23; scrapped January 1965. Spec block: displacement 4,023 lt / 14,550 fl; 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; complement 18 officers + 191 enlisted; cargo 7,160 DWT non-refrigerated 451,000 cu ft; largest boom 35 t.; armament 1x5"/38 DP, 1x3"/50 DP, 2x40mm AA, 6x20mm AA; propulsion one General Machinery Corp. (Hamilton, OH) vertical triple-expansion engine, two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers 220 psi/450 deg, single propeller 2,500 shp; call sign NXUE; CO table LCDR Volmer H. S. G. Holm, USNR, 26 Sep 1944 - 26 Nov 1945; ribbons include Philippines Liberation Medal.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1965

   Population

   Foreign merchant crews 1947-1964; Japanese shipbreakers 1964-65

   Limitations

   Standard secondary reference consistent with DANFS and MARAD on the Navy chronology and with MARAD on the merchant chain; the merchant-owner chain and Japanese-breaker detail are compilation-level (not separately corroborated by a primary registry document beyond MARAD's 1947 milestone). Armament list (2x40mm + 6x20mm) differs from the DANFS header (8x20mm, no 40mm) - disclosed in correction row. No asbestos, materials, or insulation information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-06

7. [7]Royal Museums Greenwich, collections object RMGc-object-67557 - 'A J Cassatt (1944); Merchant vessel; Cargo vessel; Liberty ship' [museum_official]

   Locator

   RMG collections page, object description text

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Royal Museums Greenwich object record for a full-hull exhibition model of 'A J Cassatt' (1944): 'a Liberty merchant ship... Built by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, the A J Cassatt measured 422 feet in length by 57 feet in the beam and had a registered tonnage of 7210 gross. It was powered by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine of 2500 horsepower... The A J Cassatt was originally named the Appanoose and used as a navy transport in July 1944. In 1946, it was taken over by the United States War Shipping Administration and renamed A J Cassatt. After the war it was sold and renamed SS Santa Ana and registered in Panama. In 1965, it was taken to Yokohama and scrapped.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1965

   Limitations

   Official museum record corroborating the hull's Liberty-ship identity, dimensions (422 ft register x 57 ft, 7,210 gross - matching MARAD's register figures), plant, and merchant rename chain (A.J. Cassatt -> Appanoose -> A.J. Cassatt under WSA -> Santa Ana Panama -> scrapped Yokohama 1965). Date framings are imprecise ('used as a navy transport in July 1944,' 'taken over ... 1946' vs. DANFS acquired 10 Aug 44 / decommissioned + WSA turnover 26 Nov 45) - DANFS/MARAD control; see correction row. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-07

8. [8]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS 'Appanoose' (Wayback); MARAD ShipHistory Details 2/12572; NavSource AK-226 page; shipscribe AK-70 class page; RMG object 67557; HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-45' AK class table and AK-226 page; mariners-l.co.uk LibshipsA list; Wikipedia ship page (secondary echoes) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Per-source locators as in rows ev-03 through ev-07; HyperWar at ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AK/AK-226_Appanoose.html and /hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-ak.html; mariners-l.co.uk/LibshipsA.html

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies logged, not merged: (a) Sale date - MARAD milestone carries disposition 1947-10-14 'Sold to Fordom Trading Company' + renamed Santa Ana same day; shipscribe carries 'MA Sale 14 Nov 47'; NavSource carries 'November 1947' - MARAD's exact date adopted for the record, Nov-14 variant disclosed (plausibly approval vs. delivery, not resolved). (b) Armament - DANFS header lists 'a. 1 5", 1 3", 8 20mm.' (no 40mm); NavSource spec block and shipscribe's 1945 standard fit list 1x5"/38, 1x3"/50, 2x40mm, 6x20mm - variants disclosed; likely reflects as-commissioned vs. 1945 standard fit but not resolved. (c) Horsepower - NavSource/shipscribe 2,500 shp vs. HyperWar generic class table 1,950 hp - hull-specific 2,500 adopted. (d) Displacement/draft - DANFS 14,550 at 28'4" and NavSource 4,023 lt / 14,550 fl agree; HyperWar generic table's 11,565 fl, 30' draft are class-figure variants. (e) Complement - DANFS 209 = NavSource 18+191 adopted; HyperWar 198 and shipscribe 1944 class range 133-207 are class-level variants. (f) RMG frames Navy use as 'from July 1944' and WSA takeover as '1946' - imprecise vs. DANFS (acquired 10 Aug 44, commissioned 26 Sep 44; WSA turnover 26 Nov 45, NDRF entry 27 Nov 45 per MARAD) - primary dates adopted. (g) Scrapping - NavSource/shipscribe/mariners-l 'scrapped Jan 1965 / 1965 Yokosuka-Yokohama' consistent; Wikipedia 'scrapped after 23 December 1964' reflects the Yokosuka arrival date (~23 Dec 1964) as the start of breaking - January 1965 adopted per NavSource.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944-1965 (dates reconciled 2026-09-21)

   Limitations

   Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. Where a primary record and a compiled reference disagree, the primary record (DANFS, MARAD) is adopted and the variant disclosed. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-08

9. [9]Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950); In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989) [court_record]

   Locator

   Supreme Court reporter citation 340 U.S. 135 (CourtListener URL not verified - repository rate-limited on access date); Robinson opinion CourtListener 533004 (verified by prior batches 01/05)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Doctrinal context for the hull's litigation surface: this vessel was a commissioned U.S. Navy ship manned by a Navy crew, so any service-member injury claim arising aboard ran into Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950), barring servicemember suits against the government for injuries incident to service; WWII Navy-ship asbestos claims therefore characteristically proceeded against product manufacturers and (later) successor entities rather than naming hulls - a structural reason hull-named opinions are rare even where shipboard exposure occurred. The merchant phase ran under foreign (Panamanian) flag ownership after 1947, outside the U.S. general-agent chain that produced the WWII WSA litigation posture (cf. Robinson v. United States, 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989), barring claims against the government on discretionary-function grounds - the class-level posture for WSA-operated EC2 hulls, relevant here only to the brief 1945-47 MC/WSA custody period).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1950/1989 (doctrine); 1944-1964 (service period)

   Population

   U.S. Navy crew (class context); foreign merchant crews post-1947

   Limitations

   Doctrinal context only - neither case names this vessel or any vessel and neither makes an asbestos finding; they describe why hull-specific litigation records for Navy-manned and WSA-custody ships are structurally sparse. Does not establish or defeat any claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-09

10. [10]Batch-896 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS; MARAD ShipHistory 2/12572; NavSource; shipscribe; RMG; NVR; CourtListener (blocked); general web litigation search (non-qualifying hits only) [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-appanoose-ak226-01 through sl-uss-appanoose-ak226-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Appanoose, AK-226, A.J. Cassatt, or Santa Ana was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The CourtListener opinion/docket search was blocked by rate limiting on the research date (authenticated API v4 returned 'Request was throttled. Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day' on the first request; HTML search returned 403) and is logged as blocked - the litigation sweep is incomplete, not a verified negative. Web-wide checks returned only bulk law-firm marketing lists that enumerate AK-226 in generic Navy-ship tables (asbestos-ships.com, mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com, freeasbestostesting.com - non-qualifying: no pleadings, findings, or vessel-specific facts) and Appanoose County, Iowa name collisions (opioid-MDL litigation, e.g. Appanoose County v. Allergan PLC, unrelated to the ship).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    2026-09-21

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 EC2-S-C1 hull with a documented wartime Navy conversion and a shipboard fabrication event is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. The CourtListener rate limit means the docketed-litigation check specifically is unfinished; everything else searched returned no hull-specific asbestos record. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-10

11. [11]MARAD ShipHistory Detail 2 attachments (raster); NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 deck logs (post-1941 at Archives II, College Park); RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) records; merchant-vessel logbooks RG 26 distributed by port [other_primary]

    Locator

    vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2 attachments; archives.gov/research/military/logbooks; archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html; catalog.archives.gov returns a JS application shell to text fetch - no digitized AK-226 log confirmed

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) MARAD status-card scans on A. J. CASSATT Detail 2 (cards 2_3AF.jpg, 2_3AB.jpg, plus a PNG) and document AJCassatt_2_001.pdf - raster scans that returned binary/no-text-layer to fetch; the card face may carry the 1947 sale and custody detail that the web fields only summarize. (b) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for AK-226 (Oct 1944 - Nov 1945, ~14 months in commission) at Archives II, College Park - the fitting-out, pontoon-assembly operations at Samar and Okinawa, and the San Francisco drydock availability would be logged there. (c) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) construction/contract records may hold the MCE hull 2662 file and EC2-S-C1 outfitting specifications for Bethlehem-Fairfield. (d) BuShips / Auxiliary Vessels Board conversion records behind the shipscribe compilation - the Maryland Drydock Co. conversion contract and the ComServPac Fleet Maintenance Office outrigger-platform correspondence (Nov 1944) are the likeliest surviving sources for materials actually installed. (e) Panamanian registry records for the Santa Ana owner chain (1947-1964) and Japanese shipbreaking records at Yokosuka (1964-65) would document sale terms and scrapping.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1944-1965 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and repository mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed and the MARAD card scans were not read; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-appanoose-ak226-11