Evidence
4 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-4).
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[1]DANFS text transcribed by the HyperWar Foundation (ibiblio.org) from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships [nhhc_danfs]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- USS Appling (APA-58), Gilliam-class attack transport, named for Appling County, Georgia. Laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1851) at Wilmington, California, by the Consolidated Steel Corp.; launched 9 April 1944; sponsored by moving picture actress Claudette Colbert; simultaneously acquired by the Navy and placed in commission 22 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. Alexander Lunde Stuart in command. Particulars per DANFS: displacement 12,450; length 426 ft; beam 58 ft; draft 16 ft; speed 16.9 knots; complement 370; troop capacity 753; armament 1 five-inch, 8 40mm, 10 20mm; hull type S4-SE2-BD1. Service: following shakedown training off the California coast, sailed for Finschhafen, New Guinea, on 17 October; forced to stop at Purvis Bay, Florida Island, for engine repairs; reached Finschhafen 14 November; training exercises in Humboldt Bay. On 25 December embarked troops of the 6th Army at Hollandia; sortied for the Philippines 3 January 1945 with Task Group 77.9 (Luzon invasion force); anchored in the Lingayen Gulf transport area 11 January and began discharging troops east of San Fabian; later that evening joined other ships in splashing an enemy aircraft 2,000 yards off her starboard quarter; retired to Leyte Gulf the next day. During the next two months remained in Leyte Gulf waters carrying out training exercises. Late in March took on cargo and personnel earmarked for Operation 'Iceberg' (the assault on the Ryukyus); on 27 March left with Transport Squadron (TransRon) 13 of the Southern Assault Force, bound for Okinawa. Arrived off Okinawa early 1 April and at 0605 began lowering her boats (used by troops from other vessels); debarked her own troops 3-7 April; retired to Kerama Retto; served as a receiving ship there until the 12th, when she returned to Okinawa; on the 14th got underway for Hawaii. After a brief stop at Saipan, reached Pearl Harbor 2 May; the next day sailed for the United States; arrived San Pedro, California, 10 May and began voyage repairs; on 7 June proceeded to San Diego for refresher training. Set sail 16 June for Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, and continued to Guam in mid-July; reversed course and returned to the west coast, reaching San Francisco 29 July; after almost a month of repairs - during which hostilities ended - got underway 28 August and headed via Eniwetok for the Marianas; following a stop at Guam, moved to Saipan where she took on elements of the 2d Marine Division scheduled for occupation duties in Japan. On 23 September arrived at Nagasaki in company with other units of TransRon 12; five days later sailed to the Philippines and carried troops from Subic Bay and Manila to Sasebo, Japan; left Sasebo 19 October and set course back to the United States carrying homecoming veterans. Arrived Portland, Oregon, 27 November for upkeep; sailed back to the Philippines in early January 1946 to carry more troops home; left Philippine waters 4 February and transited to Pearl Harbor. Assigned to the target fleet for Operation 'Crossroads' (atomic-bomb tests at Bikini Atoll); arrived at Bikini 2 June and operated in the area of that atoll through 15 August, but was never utilized as a target. After touching at Pearl Harbor on the 15th, continued to the west coast for a series of radiological clearance tests held at San Francisco and San Pedro; touched at Port Hueneme, California, 26 September to take on cargo for transportation to Pearl Harbor; before loading, ordered to the east coast for deactivation. Transited the Panama Canal 22 November and arrived Norfolk, Virginia, 30 November. Decommissioned 20 December 1946 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia; struck from the Navy list 4 April 1947; transferred to the Maritime Commission 31 March 1948. Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet until 9 September 1954, when consigned to the Arrow Steamship Co.; returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet 12 December 1954 and berthed in the James River; ultimately sold for scrapping. Appling earned two battle stars for World War II service.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- Full DANFS transcription at ibiblio.org (HyperWar Foundation); official DANFS returning HTTP 500. Fate date sources conflict: the transcription says 'ultimately sold for scrapping' with no date; secondary sources disagree (scrapped 1969 vs sold September 1968 and scrapped by August 1970).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-appling-apa58-01
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[2]Negative search result across authoritative repositories (2026-09-25) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No ship-specific asbestos documentation located for USS Appling (APA-58) in any authoritative source searched (Navy, NARA, HAER, museum records). This is a negative finding, not an absence of exposure.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- Negative finding reflects search coverage, not proof of absence. No hull-specific asbestos survey located.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-appling-apa58-02
-
[3]CourtListener authenticated search (combined ship name + hull number) not completed - helper pipe broke after authenticated request on two attempts (2026-09-25) [court_record]
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener authenticated search for the combined ship name and hull number ("USS Appling" APA-58) could not be completed during the writing session. Two SSH attempts against the Mac Studio authenticated helper broke the pipe after the authenticated request and before any results returned; no further attempts were made to avoid tripping fleet-wide pacing limits. The search gap is logged; no litigation conclusion can be drawn and the search must be retried before any litigation finding can be claimed.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- Search not run; no litigation finding can be claimed. Retry required for complete coverage.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-appling-apa58-03
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[4]U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, asbestos exposure guidance for Navy veterans [other_primary]
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Era context: the Department of Veterans Affairs states that many WWII-era Navy ships contained asbestos products, with boiler and engine rooms of particular concern because asbestos was widely used as insulation during this period.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Limitations
- Era context only - does not establish asbestos presence aboard this specific hull. Not a finding about this ship.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-appling-apa58-04