USS Aquarius (AKA-16)

Evidence

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

1. [1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ships, attack (AKA) section, per-hull rows for AQUARIUS AKA-16 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AKA tables, book pp. 112-117 (PDF pp. 131-136): dimensions row p. 112; limiting-displacement/personnel row p. 113; machinery row p. 114; reduction-gear/generator/fuel continuation p. 115; armament/cargo row p. 116; construction row p. 117; all row 11 'AQUARIUS (ex-AK65, ex-M.C. Hull 205) ... AKA 16'; index entries pp. 3-4 (PDF pp. 22-23)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for AQUARIUS (ex-AK65, ex-M.C. Hull 205) AKA 16, row 11 in each of the five attack-cargo-ship tables: dimensions 459'3" overall / 435'0" pp, beam 63'0", trial speed 16.5 knots, standard displacement 13,910 tons; limiting-displacement row 14,200 tons, 50 tons per inch immersion, limiting draft 26'4", accommodations 44 officers + 360 enlisted, largest boom 30 tons; machinery 1 propeller, De Laval turbine, 6,000 shp, 2 boilers ('do' ditto continuation = Combustion Engineering 'D' type per the Andromeda row above), 465 psi / 765 deg F; continuation row double De Laval reduction gears, ship's-service generators 3x 300 kW 120/240 V DC turbo-drive, fuel oil 11,010 bbls; armament 1 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 x 3"/50 cal (D.P.), cargo 394,108 cu ft non-refrigerated / 24,935 cu ft refrigerated, 7,445 / 4,895 tons; construction row Federal S.B. & D.D. Co., Kearny, N.J. (ditto), acquired 20 Aug 43, year built 1943, first commissioned 21 Aug 43. Index entries 'AK65 AQUARIUS (now AKA 16)' and 'AKA 16 AQUARIUS' confirm the designation consolidation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull across five data tables - confirms identity, machinery plant, manning, builder, acquisition, and commissioning dates, and documents the ex-AK65 alias in the row header itself. Boiler make ('C.E. D') is a 'do' ditto continuation from the ANDROMEDA row directly above - standard for this tabulation, read consistently with NavSource's independent 'Combustion Engineering D-type' listing. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-01

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Aquarius' (AKA-16) - canonical NHHC page 404s live (standing link-rot defect, BATCH-01-REPORT); verbatim HyperWar/ibiblio transcription cited [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Full entry text, HyperWar transcription of the printed DANFS entry

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Aquarius (AKA-16): 'A constellation and the eleventh sign of the zodiac.' Spec block: dp. 14,200; l. 459'3"; b. 63'; dr. 26'4"; s. 16.5 k.; clp. 404; a. 1 5", 4 3", 18 20mm., 2 dcp.; cl. Andromeda; T. C2-S-B1. 'Aquarius (AKA-16) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 205) on 28 April 1943 and Kearny, N.J., by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; launched on 23 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Edmund E. Brady, Jr.; acquired by the Navy on 20 August 1943; and commissioned on 21 August 1943, Capt. R.V. Marron, USCG, in command.' Manned by a Coast Guard crew; shakedown in Chesapeake Bay; arrived San Francisco 19 October 1943; reported to 5th Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, Transport Division 24. Combat operations: Kwajalein (Roi-Namur, 31 January-6 February 1944); Funafuti/3d Fleet; Emirau garrison lift (21 March 1944); 40th Division to Cape Gloucester (20-28 April); Marianas - TF 53 floating reserve off Saipan, Guam landings 21-26 July; Peleliu 15-22 September (receiving casualties from the beach); Leyte - TG 78.1, San Pedro Bay 20 October plus mid-November return run; Lingayen Gulf 9 January 1945; Zambales-Subic Bay 29 January; Okinawa 1-9 April with Transport Division 36. Seattle overhaul 4 May-12 July 1945; occupation lifts - Nagasaki 23 September; China service shuttling Chinese troops between Hong Kong, Chinwangtao, and Tsingtao through early December; Seattle 13 December 1945; proceeded to New York; 'placed out of commission on 2 May' (1946); 'turned over to the War Shipping Administration on 12 September'; 'her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1946.' Eight battle stars.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1946

   Population

   USCG ship's company (complement 404 per DANFS/BuShips); embarked troops and cargo on every lift listed; casualties received off Peleliu (15-22 Sep 1944)

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history for identity, construction, Coast Guard manning, the complete combat/occupation narrative, and disposal from naval custody. Decommission-date conflict inside the source set: this transcription reads '2 May' while NavSource ('23 May 1946, at Brooklyn Navy Yard') and the shipscribe disposal table ('23 May 46') concur on 23 May - the two-source concurrence controls; see correction row ev-09 and gaps. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-02

3. [3]shipscribe.com, USS Andromeda (AKA-15) class page - construction table, disposal table, and per-hull notes (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from official Navy/MC records) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Construction table row 16; disposal table row 16; hull note '16 AQU 205'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   shipscribe.com Andromeda (AKA-15) class page (Roberts compilation of official tables): construction row '16 AQUARIUS | 20 Aug 43 | Federal SB & DD, Kearny | 28 Apr 43 | 23 Jul 43 | 21 Aug 43' - all four dates agree with DANFS and BuShips. Disposal table row: '16 AQUARIUS | 23 May 46 | 13 Nov 46 | 12 Sep 46 | MC/D | 22 Dec 47' (decommission / struck / to MC / mercantile). Ship note: 'Ex AK-65 1 Feb 43. Stk. 19.7.46, reinstated 8.10.46. Merc. PIONEER LAKE 1947. In NDRF 1963-65 as AMERICAN TRAPPER. Sold by MA 17 Apr 67, to buyer 8 May 67, scrapped by 29 Feb 68.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Independently compiled from official sources; concurs with DANFS on construction and supplies details DANFS omits - the 19 July 1946 strike and 8 October 1946 reinstatement preceding the 13 November 1946 strike, the 17 April 1967 MA sale approval, and the 29 February 1968 scrapping completion. The '23 May 46' decommission date in its disposal table supports NavSource against the HyperWar transcription's '2 May'. No asbestos content in the source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - AQUARIUS (AKA-16), Ship History Detail 289 (data block, milestones, name history; status cards and document scans present but image-only) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Detail 289 data block, milestones table, vessel-name-history links (Details 289/12694/229); document scans /documents/253ddf1c-e2d4-4fde-94cf-ddf7aefd2474.pdf and /documents/dde856d0-9a8b-4264-b3e5-8447e2cb4288.pdf (JPEG2000, not text-extractable)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record AQUARIUS (AKA-16), Detail 289: U.S. Official No. 252678; type 'AKA Attack Cargo Ship', MARAD type C2-S-B1; year built 1943, shipyard Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock; length 460 ft, beam 63 ft, summer displacement 13,900 tons, light displacement 6,556 tons; fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Vessel name history links AQUARIUS (AKA-16), PIONEER LAKE, and AMERICAN TRAPPER as the same hull. Milestones: entry into Hudson River Reserve Fleet 9/12/1946; renamed Pioneer Lake 12/22/1947; renamed American Trapper 10/1/1956; MARAD acquisition 1/11/1961; sold as scrap to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. 5/8/1967. Two status-card scans and two document PDFs (AQUARIUS.pdf, AQUARIUS-1.pdf) are digitized for the hull - the PDFs are JPEG2000 image scans not text-extractable by automated fetch.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1946-1968

   Population

   Merchant marine crew (United States Lines, 1947-1965); reserve-fleet caretakers; scrapyard workers (Union Minerals & Alloys, Kearny, 1967-68)

   Limitations

   Primary federal custody record - establishes the post-navy chain (NDRF entry, merchant renames, MARAD reacquisition, scrap sale) and confirms the three names are one hull. The milestone table gives dates only; the accompanying document/status-card scans are image-only in automated fetch and their contents are unverified here - a live read of those cards is an open lead. Contains no asbestos or insulation information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-04

5. [5]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Aquarius (AKA-16) page - reclassification note, command/force assignments, campaign/award tables, decommission/disposal lines, merchant-service chronology, spec block [other_primary]

   Locator

   Full page - header chronology, campaign table, 'Merchant Service' block, 'Specifications' block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource AKA-16 page (volunteer-compiled): records the reclassification 'Attack Cargo Ship, (AKA-16), 1 February 1943' (the mass AK-to-AKA reclassification, before the 28 April 1943 keel-laying - AK-65 was a contract/paper designation only); USCG manning; call sign NXLW; Asiatic-Pacific assignments TransRon Twelve (COMO H.B. Knowles) / TransDiv Thirty-Six (CAPT G.W. Johnson); campaign table (Marshall Islands Kwajalein 31 Jan-8 Feb 1944; Bismarck Archipelago Admiralty Islands 11-12 Apr 1944; Marianas Saipan 15-25 Jun + Guam 21-26 Jul; Western Carolines Peleliu 6 Sep-14 Oct; Leyte 13-27 Oct + 5-20 Nov; Luzon Lingayen 4-10 Jan 1945; Manila Bay-Bicol Zambales-Subic 29-31 Jan; Okinawa 1-19 Apr); occupation/China periods (Navy Occupation Service Medal 10-25 + 25-27 Sep 1945; China Service Medal extended 21-23 Nov 1945); awards incl. Philippines Presidential Unit Citation and Philippines Liberation Medal (2); 'Decommissioned, 23 May 1946, at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y.'; struck 13 November 1946. Merchant timeline detail: custody transfer to United States Lines under GAA 24 February 1947; entered US Shipbuilding Corp. yard, Yonkers, NY 24 March 1947 for merchant reconversion; sold 23 December 1947 to United States Lines, renamed SS Pioneer Lake; renamed SS American Trapper October 1956; title transfer to MARAD 11 January 1961; bareboat charter same day back to United States Lines; laid up James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall VA 24 July 1965; leased under GAA to United States Lines for MSTS operation 28 August 1965; laid up Hudson River Reserve Fleet 16 March 1967; sold for scrapping 8 May 1967 to Union Minerals & Alloys, Kearny NJ.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1967

   Population

   USCG crew; embarked troops; merchant crews 1947-1965; MSTS-era crew; reserve-fleet caretakers

   Limitations

   Secondary volunteer-compiled archive - used for detail not in DANFS/MARAD/BuShips; its propulsion and personnel figures are now independently corroborated by the BuShips 1945 per-hull rows (ev-01). Its '23 May 1946' decommission date is supported by the shipscribe disposal table against the HyperWar transcription's '2 May'. Typo '24 Mary 1947' read as 24 March 1947. No asbestos content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-05

6. [6]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (1945) machinery rows for AQUARIUS AKA-16 (ev-01); era-insulation-practice inference per WWII shipbuilding scholarship [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AKA machinery table, book p. 114 (PDF p. 133), row 11

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   The hull was built in 1943 as a Maritime Commission C2-S-B1 steam-powered attack cargo ship with a BuShips-documented high-pressure superheated steam plant (two Combustion Engineering 'D' boilers at 465 psi / 765 deg F feeding a De Laval turbine on double reduction gears, single screw, 6,000 shp - ev-01). Navy and Maritime Commission specifications of the era required thermal insulation of boilers, steam piping, turbines, and auxiliaries, and insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber. Typical applications for the type: boiler and steam-drum insulation; main and auxiliary steam-line lagging; turbine casing lagging; valve and flange gaskets; machinery packing; accommodation and galley insulation; brake linings on winches and windlass.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Population

   Construction trades (Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, 1943); USCG engine-room crew; reconversion/repair yard workers (Seattle 1945; Yonkers 1947); breakers (Kearny 1967-68)

   Limitations

   Design/era inference, not a hull record - the BuShips tables document the plant but no insulation schedule, material list, or survey for this hull was located. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-06

7. [7]Owens-Illinois, Inc., Industrial Health Survey of Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ (Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 1944); introduced as Owens-Illinois interrogatory exhibit #20 in Heathman v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., Brazoria County TX (1990); also carried in Atlas yard record federal-shipbuilding-kearny [other_primary]

   Locator

   toxicdocs.org scan (HTTP 200 verified 2026-09-21); Atlas shipyards.json yard_id federal-shipbuilding-kearny

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   An industrial health survey conducted at the yard that built this hull (Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, NJ, 30 August-2 September 1944) documented insulator work with asbestos pipe covering (Johns-Manville Superex) and boiler insulation in confined shipyard spaces during wartime peak production, with dust counts measured during cutting and fitting operations.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1944

   Population

   Shipyard insulators and pipefitters at Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny NJ (wartime peak)

   Limitations

   Yard-level documentation, not a hull record - the survey does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was installed aboard AKA-16 specifically. The survey (Aug-Sep 1944) postdates this hull's construction (Apr-Aug 1943) by about a year, though within the same wartime peak-production period. Conducted by Owens-Illinois, a manufacturer with commercial interest in the findings; dust counts in mppcf (pre-fiber-count era). Does not establish individual exposure or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-07

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

   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 Maritime Commission emergency program under which this C2-S-B1 attack cargo ship was built at Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny, in 1943 - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   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 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-aquarius-aka16-08

9. [9]Cross-source reconciliation: shipscribe disposal table/hull note vs. HyperWar DANFS transcription (ev-02), NavSource chronology (ev-05), MARAD milestones (ev-04), BuShips personnel row (ev-01) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe disposal table row 16 + hull note; NavSource decommission line; MARAD milestone 'Renamed 12/22/1947'; BuShips p. 113 personnel row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved against the stronger sources: (1) Decommission date - the HyperWar DANFS transcription reads 'placed out of commission on 2 May' (1946) while NavSource reads 'Decommissioned, 23 May 1946, at Brooklyn Navy Yard' and the shipscribe disposal table gives '23 May 46'; the two-source concurrence controls - record carries 23 May 1946. (2) Strike sequence - DANFS records a single strike '13 November 1946'; shipscribe documents 'Stk. 19.7.46, reinstated 8.10.46' - an earlier strike 19 July 1946 and reinstatement 8 October 1946 preceding the 13 November strike; both are carried, the July-October strike-reinstate sequence attributed to shipscribe. (3) 1947 disposal - MARAD milestone 'renamed Pioneer Lake 12/22/1947' vs NavSource 'sold 23 December 1947' (after the 24 February 1947 GAA custody transfer); Wikipedia's 'sold 12 February 1947' is an apparent conflation with the February custody transfer - MARAD/shipscribe 22 December 1947 carried. (4) Complement - DANFS 'clp. 404' and the BuShips per-hull row (44 officers + 360 enlisted) control; shipscribe class-level 249 (1944) and a HyperWar ship-data page's 266 are class/variant figures, flagged in gaps. (5) NavSource typo '24 Mary 1947' read as 24 March 1947 (Yonkers yard entry).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-21

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Resolves secondary/transcription conflicts in favor of two-source concurrences and the primary custody record; does not affect identity or the service record materially. The printed DANFS could not be re-checked (live NHHC 404s), so '2 May' vs '23 May' is resolved on transcription-vs-two-source grounds, not against the original. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-09

10. [10]Air & Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 586 U.S. 175, 139 S. Ct. 986 (2019) (No. 17-1104, decided 2019-03-19) [court_record]

    Locator

    SCOTUS slip opinion syllabus and opinion of the Court (Kavanaugh, J.); CourtListener-hosted PDF mirror (storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2019/03/19/air__liquid_systems_corp._v._devries.pdf)

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Air & Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 586 U.S. 175, 139 S. Ct. 986 (2019): Supreme Court maritime-tort ruling arising from WWII-era Navy ships - manufacturers of equipment 'such as pumps, blowers, and turbines for three Navy ships' that 'required asbestos insulation or asbestos parts to function as intended' have a duty to warn when the integrated product is likely dangerous and users would not realize the danger. Establishes the doctrinal posture under which asbestos claims for WWII naval auxiliaries like this hull would be litigated.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    2019 (opinion); WWII-era exposure period

    Population

    Navy veterans exposed to asbestos aboard ships (doctrinal context)

    Limitations

    Doctrinal context only - the opinion does not name Aquarius or any AKA; the three underlying ships were different hulls. Establishes a legal rule, not any fact about asbestos aboard this vessel.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-10

11. [11]Batch-992 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS canonical 404 + HyperWar transcription; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 per-hull rows; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 289; shipscribe AKA-15 class page; NavSource; toxicdocs.org O-I yard survey; Atlas shipyards.json; CourtListener API v4 (throttled) + index-level fallback; VA BVA index; general web index; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-aquarius-aka16-01 through sl-uss-aquarius-aka16-14

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no hull insulation schedule, asbestos survey, abatement contract, donation/scrap hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Aquarius / AKA-16 / AK-65 / MC hull 205 / Pioneer Lake / American Trapper was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Litigation surface: the authenticated CourtListener API v4 pass could not be completed - HTTP 429 'Rate limit exceeded: 2800/day. Expected available in 7727 seconds' on 2026-09-21, the shared fleet key exhausted by parallel batch work for the second consecutive day; per batch rules no retry loop was run. Index-level fallback checks of CourtListener content returned name collisions only (Aquarius Aqua USA, Inc. v. M/Y Vogue/Jimbo, 1:20-cv-22281 S.D. Fla. - yacht quiet-title/arrest; Federal Insurance Co. v. M/V Ville D'Aquarius S.D.N.Y. marine insurance) and no qualifying case naming this hull. VA BVA index checks surfaced no decision naming Aquarius or AKA-16 (surfaced decisions named other ships). NVR carries no entry (pre-1987 disposals out of coverage). Law-firm marketing surfaces (asbestos-ships.com, simmonsfirm.com, freeasbestostesting.com) list the hull with unsourced claims - excluded per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the ledger.

    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 1943 Maritime Commission steam auxiliary is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her documented disturbance phases (construction at Federal Shipbuilding; combat service incl. casualty reception off Peleliu; the unidentified Seattle overhaul 4 May-12 July 1945; the 1947 merchant reconversion at US Shipbuilding Corp., Yonkers; NDRF layups; the 1967-68 breaking at Union Minerals & Alloys, Kearny) are undocumented for asbestos scope. The CourtListener pass is INCOMPLETE - authenticated API queries were throttled; index-level checking is not a substitute for the opinion/docket/RECAP surfaces. 'No qualifying case located on completed surfaces' is the claim, nothing more. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-aquarius-aka16-11

12. [12]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24, RG 26, RG 19, RG 178, RG 357 record-group pages; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 289 document scans [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/026.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/289

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - research-room or reproduction order required; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Aquarius August 1943-May 1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park - the complete DANFS narrative suggests a well-kept log series; deck logs would document the Seattle overhaul period and identify the overhaul yard); USCG personnel/muster records for the Coast Guard-manned crew (RG 26); Maritime Commission construction-contract records for MC hull 205 at Federal Shipbuilding (RG 178); BuShips records incl. C2-S-B1 contract plans and the class Booklet of General Plans (RG 19) - the most promising lead for any insulation or materials schedule; MARAD/NDRF custody files for the Hudson River/James River layups and the Union Minerals & Alloys sale file (RG 357) - the disposal-era hazmat lead; the two digitized-but-image-only MARAD document scans at Detail 289 (AQUARIUS.pdf, AQUARIUS-1.pdf) - a live read of those scans is the cheapest open lead.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-21

    Study period

    1943-1968 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and file 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-aquarius-aka16-12