USS Ara (AK-136)

Evidence

15 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-15).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Ara' entry (NHHC online edition, published 2015-06-18) - live canonical URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20; text verified via Wayback capture 2024-12-09 (web.archive.org/web/20241209045023); the hazegray DANFS transcription mirror has no ak136 file (gap in the mirror's coverage) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS > A > 'Ara' full entry incl. spec block; Wayback capture 20241209045023; canonical slug danfs/a/ara.html (404 live)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Ara (AK-136), NHHC online edition (published 2015-06-18) verified via Wayback capture 2024-12-09; live NHHC URL 404s as of 2026-09-20 and the hazegray DANFS mirror has no ak136 transcription file. Spec block: '(AK-136: dp. 14,550; l. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4"; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 225; a. 1 5", 1 3", 8 20mm.; cl. Crater; T. EC2-S-C1).' Namesake line: 'The Greek goddess of vengeance and destruction.' Construction: 'Daniel Boone (MCE hull 69) was laid down on 17 July 1941 by the California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Calif.; launched on 14 January 1942; sponsored by Mrs. J. K. Doolan; acquired by the Navy under a bare-boat charter on 3 December 1943; renamed Ara (AK-136); and commissioned on 4 January 1944, Lt. Comdr. W. B. Hudgins in command.' Service narrative: sailed 7 February [1944] for Hawaii and reported to Service Squadron 8 at Pearl Harbor; 4 March convoy to the Marshalls, discharging cargo at Majuro and Kwajalein; left the Marshalls 14 April, Pearl Harbor 28 April, then Port Hueneme; back at Pearl Harbor 29 May; sailed 7 June with TG 51.6 for Eniwetok, anchored 18 June - 23 July; ordered to Guam 23 July to deliver Army personnel, disembarked troops and unloaded equipment 3 August; got underway for Eniwetok 20 August, arriving four days later; Pearl Harbor 9 September; sailed 19 September for the Marshalls, working Majuro and Kwajalein 4 October - 20 November; headed for Ulithi 25 November, arriving five days later; sailed 8 December for the Marianas, unloading at Guam and Saipan; Eniwetok 23 December; Tarawa, refilled holds; sailed 4 January 1945 for Makin Island; January-February 1945 shuttle ports Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Ulithi, Guam, Tinian, Saipan; Pearl Harbor 20 March; San Pedro repairs from 1 April; trials, then Tacoma 6-23 May to load cargo; independently for the Philippines; discharging at Samar from 25 June; ordered to New Zealand 6 July; Auckland 21-27 July loading supplies for Marines on Saipan; Saipan 14 August; departed 21 August after the Japanese capitulation; San Francisco Bay 9 September, voyage repairs; departed 6 October via the Panama Canal for Norfolk, arriving 27 October; decommissioned 26 November and turned over to the War Shipping Administration, resuming the name Daniel Boone; Ara struck from the Navy list 5 December; Daniel Boone listed in registers of American merchant vessels until the early 1970s. 'Ara won one battle star for her World War II service.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1941-1971

   Population

   Ship's complement (225 per DANFS spec block); Army personnel embarked at Guam (Aug 1944); yard workers during documented availabilities

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction milestones, service chronology, and disposal outline; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information. Namesake reads 'The Greek goddess of vengeance and destruction' - secondary sources (Wikipedia, NavSource) frame the namesake as the constellation Ara; flagged in the correction row, not adjudicated. Does not name the conversion yard or state the conversion period's material scope.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, Vessel History Database - DANIEL BOONE, ShipHistory Detail 1177 (registry block, milestone table, three digitized status-card scans, five digitized document scans) + ARA (AK-136) name-history stub Detail 12568 [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 1177 registry block + milestone table; card scans /cards/0978d87f-3acb-4dda-a76f-4392163bc3c9.png (main status card), /cards/1177_2137AF.jpg and /cards/1177_2137AB.jpg (reserve-fleet vessel-data card front/back); document scans /documents/DanielBoone_1177_001.pdf, _003.pdf, _004.pdf, _005.pdf, _006.pdf (see ev-07); name-history stub /ShipHistory/Detail/12568

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory record for DANIEL BOONE (Detail 1177) plus linked name-history record ARA (AK-136) (Detail 12568) and three digitized card images read directly. Web registry: U.S. Official No. 241519; built 1942 by California Shipbuilding Corporation; MARAD type EC2-S-C1; 7,176 gross / 4,380 net tons; length 441.50 ft, beam 57 ft; displacement 14,550 summer / 4,023 light; cargo capacity 499,573; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones Entry/Acquisition 11-26-45 and Disposition/Withdrawal 1-6-72. Main vessel status card (0978d87f png): 'O.N. 241,519'; DANIEL BOONE / flag American / type 'CARGO EC2' / former name handwritten 'ara AK136'; 'D.W.T. 10,809c', gross 7,176, net 4,380, bale 499,573 cu ft, grain 562,608 cu ft, speed field overprinted '12.5'/'11'; 'MCE Hull No. 69'; 'Built by Calif. S.B. Corp. #6 at Wilmington, Cal.'; 'Completed 4-15-42'; 'Basis to W.S.A. (Owners) 4-15-42 3-PM PWT'. Allocation rows: 'American Hawaiian SS Co. / GAA / San Pedro / 4-15-42 3-PM PWT' (merchant-phase general agency at completion); 'Navy Dept. (now ara AK136) / BB / Oakland / 12-3-43 4-PM PWT' (bareboat charter - DANFS concurs 'bare-boat charter'); 'WSA Reserve Fleet ... RENAMED: DANIEL BOONE / Lee Hall, Va. / 11-26-45 2:45PM EST'; 'Hierros Ardes S.A., Spain (Scrap) / Purch. / James River / 10-26-71'; 'Physical Delivery from Fleet / 1-6-72 12:45pm EST'. Reserve-fleet vessel-data card front (1177_2137AF.jpg): stamped 'NAVY OPERATED'; present name DANIEL BOONE, former ARA (AK-136); type 'Mil. Aux./EC2'; speed '11'; fleet 'JR'; DWT '10,975'; ownership WSA; built 'CALIFORNIA SB 1942'; entered fleet 11-26-45; status S; off. no. 241,519; hull no. 69; fuel '801 Bunker C' aboard at entry / '1872 Diesel' removed; red stamp 'Sold scrap under PD-X-919 for $71,520.00 10-26-71 to Hierros Ardes, S.A., Spain'; termination port of last voyage 'NORFOLK'; dimensions 422.8' x 57.0' x 34.8'; withdrawn/delivered '1245 EST 1-6-72'. Card reverse (1177_2137AB.jpg): typed '7176 Gr. / 4380 Net / Draft 27' 8-7/8" / 2500 IHP / 2 WTB' under header 'ALONGSIDE MELVILLE W. FULLER NAVY', with partially legible handwritten berthing notes including 'Alongside nonoperative Thomas A. McGinley' (the merchant name of sister AK-131 Melucta) and a berth row 'between A.J. Cassatt' (merchant name of AK-226 Appanoose) '...Wm. R. Da...' - transcription incomplete.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1942-1972

   Population

   Merchant crew under American-Hawaiian SS Co. (Apr 1942 - Dec 1943); Navy crew (Dec 1943 - Nov 1945); NDRF James River caretakers (1945-1972); Hierros Ardes breaking-yard workers (1972)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones, hull identity (ON 241519 = MCE 69 = ex-Ara AK-136 printed on the cards), the 1942 WSA ownership + American-Hawaiian GAA merchant phase, the 1943 Navy 'BB' bareboat allocation at Oakland, the 1945 Lee Hall/James River lay-up, and the 1971 PD-X-919 scrap sale ($71,520, Hierros Ardes S.A., Spain) with 1972-01-06 physical delivery; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information and supports no asbestos claim. Card-reading caveats carried to gaps: speed '11' fleet card vs '12.5'/'11' overprint on the main card vs 12.5 elsewhere; DWT 10,809c/10,975/10,550-total variants; the berthing annotations on the fleet-card reverse are partially legible. Detail 12568 (ARA AK-136) is a name-history stub with no cards or milestones.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-02

3. [3]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Ara (AK-136) index page (volunteer-compiled index citing DANFS/NVR figures and NARA photo holdings) [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 130136.htm - timeline, specifications block, campaign table, awards line, commanding-officer table, photo captions (content retrieved via the navsource.net mirror of the same page)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive page for USS Ara (AK-136): Crater-class cargo ship; laid down 1941-07-17 as SS Daniel Boone (EC2-S-C1, MCE hull 69) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA; launched 1942-01-14; completed and delivered 1942-04-15 'to the War Shipping Administration for operation under GAA contract by American Hawaiian SS Co.'; acquired by the US Navy 1943-12-03; commissioned 1944-01-04 (LCDR William B. Hudgins); Asiatic-Pacific Theater; campaign table lists 'Marianas operation - Capture and occupation of Guam, 27 July to 15 August 1944'; decommissioned 1945-11-26 at Norfolk, VA and returned to the Maritime Commission for lay-up NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall, VA, name reverted to SS Daniel Boone; struck from the Naval Register 1945-12-05; sold for scrapping 1971-10-26, removed from the Reserve Fleet anchorage 1972-01-06 for delivery to Hierros Ardes S.A., Spain; 'USS Ara earned one battle star'; radio call sign NHEN. Spec block: 4,023 t light / 14,550 t full; 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 12.5 kts; complement 13 officers + 212 enlisted; cargo 420,277 cu ft non-refrigerated, 7,800 DWT; largest boom 30 t; armament 'one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount, one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount, two single 40mm AA gun mounts, six single 20mm AA gun mounts' (the post-Feb-1945 upgraded fit - see correction row); fuel NSFO 9,660 bbls / diesel 2,010 bbls; propulsion one General Machine Corp. vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers 220 psi 450 deg, generators three recip-drive 20 kW + one turbo-drive 60 kW 120 V DC, single propeller 2,500 shp. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1), WWII Victory Medal, Philippines Liberation Medal. CO table: LCDR William B. Hudgins USN 1944-01-04 to 1945-06-01; LT William H. Jacobs USN 1945-06-01 to 1945-11-26. Photos: SS Daniel Boone after launching 1942-01-14 at Calship; four views off San Francisco 1944-01-11 credited 'Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 267-44 / 269-44 / 270-44 / 271-44', photo 270-44 captioned 'now in the collections of the NARA San Francisco, Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ship Files.'

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1941-1972

   Population

   Ship's company (225 total per DANFS/SDB/NavSource)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation, not an official publication - consistent with DANFS, SDB 1945 v3, and the MARAD cards where they overlap (dates, complement total, machinery, fuel figures, disposal). Discrepancies logged in the correction row: cargo '420,277' cu ft vs SDB '398,150' for this hull (420,277 is the figure printed on ARIDED's SDB row - apparent transposition); armament listed is the post-Feb-1945 upgraded fit while DANFS prints the original 8-20mm fit - different dates, reconciled in the correction row. No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-03

4. [4]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Crater (AK-70) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, Auxiliary Vessels Board records, BuShips/SCB design files, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AK-70 class page: characteristics block, construction table (AK-136 row), disposition table (AK-136 row), class notes (AK 136-40 acquisition-group text; AK 109-113 conversion-scope text; armament lists naming AK 136-40 and the 136-38 upgrade range; crew-size note), ship notes (AK-136 row)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the Crater (AK-70) class tables and notes: construction row - AK-136 ARA, acquired 3 Dec 43, builder California SB, keel 17 Jul 41, launched 14 Jan 42, commissioned 4 Jan 44; disposition row - decommissioned 26 Nov 45, struck 5 Dec 45, disposal 26 Nov 45, fate MC/R (Maritime Commission/reserve), MA sale 26 Oct 71; ship note - 'Ex merc. DANIEL BOONE (completed 15 Apr 42). Converted by Moore DD Co, San Francisco. To NDRF 1945 as merc. DANIEL BOONE. To buyer 6 Jan 72' (MC hull column reads 69). Class-note acquisition context (AK 136-40 group): during November 1943 WSA agreed to supply five C-type cargo vessels for use as troop transports in place of five (AK 120-123 and 129) of the 11 Liberty ships to be provided to Com3rdFleet; on 15 Nov 43 CinCPac reaffirmed previous requests for ten cargo ships to be Navy-manned, five converted to AP's and five to AK's, stipulating that acquisition should not interfere with the AK 114-123/129 conversions then underway; on 23 Nov 43 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended that five more Liberty ships be acquired for conversion to cargo ships - 'to be converted similarly to AK 109-113 but with towing engines' (the AK 109-113 conversion scope was an additional heavy boom aft, cargo delivery boats with stowage for two LCM(3)s and four LCVs, fresh-water storage, and accommodations for 56 Construction Battalion personnel, with Navy crews including boatmen and stevedore gangs). Class notes also record 'Crew size in 1944 ranged from 133 to 207, with 255 for AK 136-40.' Armament notes: the original standard 1-5"/38 + 1-3"/50 + 8-20mm 'was fitted as the original armament in ... 136-40' naming AK-136's group; the revised standard (2 single 40mm substituting for two 20mm, giving 1-5"/38, 1-3"/50, 2-40mmS, 6-20mmS) authorized by CNO 24 Feb 45 'was fitted as an upgrade to AK-70, 75, 77, 92, 100, 103, 106, 113, 130-32, 134, 136-38, and 140' - AK-136 falls inside 136-38.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1941-1972

   Population

   CalShip construction workforce (1941-42); Moore Dry Dock conversion workforce (Dec 1943 - Jan 1944); wartime Navy crew; NDRF James River caretakers (1945-1972); 1972 breaking-yard workers

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy board, register, design, and MARAD records, not the underlying records themselves - used where consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD (all overlapping dates and values match). Documents the conversion yard (Moore Dry Dock Co.) and the AK 136-40 conversion scope (AK 109-113-type fit plus towing engines) as events; the material/insulation scope is not stated. The 255 crew figure is a group-level class-note number - the hull's own 225 is carried; flagged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-04

5. [5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - cargo ship (AK) section, per-hull rows for ARA AK-136 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AK tables - dimensions, accommodations/boom, machinery, generators/fuel, armament/cargo, and construction rows (ARA/AK-136, hull index no. 14); index entries (PDF text-verified via pdftotext; OCR columnar, cross-checked vs DANFS/NavSource/MARAD)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries per-hull rows for ARA AK-136 (ex-Daniel Boone, ex-M.C.E. Hull 69, hull index no. 14): dimensions row - 441'6" oa / 416'0" wl, beam 56'11", 12.5 kts, trailing displacement column 14,350; second table - limiting displacement 14,550 t, 49 t/inch immersion, limiting draft 28'4", total accommodations 13 officers + 212 enlisted, largest boom capacity 30 t; machinery row - 1 'Gen'l. Mach. Corp., vert., 3-exp.' engine, 2,500 shp, 2 boilers 'B. & W. hdr', 220 psi, 450 deg F; generator row - 1 turbo-drive 60 kW 120 V DC + 3 recip-drive 20 kW 120 V DC, fuel columns 9,660 / 2,010 bbls; armament row - '1 5", 38 cal. (D.P.); 1 3", 50 cal. (D.P.)' with '2 single' entered in the 40-mm A.A. mounts column (the post-Feb-1945 upgraded fit already reflected in the 1945 publication - see correction row), cargo capacity 398,150 cu ft non-refrigerated, deadweight 10,550 total / 7,800 cargo tons; construction row - 'California S. B. Corp., Wilmington, Calif.', date acquired '3 Dec 43', year built 1942, date of first commission '4 Jan 44'. Index entries: 'Ara (ex-Daniel Boone) - AK 136 - Auxiliary-Cargo Ship', 'Boone, Daniel (now Ara) - AK136', 'M.C.E. Hull 69 (now Ara) - AK 136', and the alphabetical index 'AK 136 ARA'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant (General Machine Corp. VTE; 2 B&W header-type water-tube boilers 220/450 - matching NavSource and the MARAD card's '2500 IHP, 2 WTB'), generators, fuel capacities, the upgraded armament (2 single 40mm already printed), cargo/deadweight figures, builder, and first commission. OCR of the scanned tables is columnar and partially garbled; values were cross-checked against DANFS, NavSource, MARAD, and shipscribe before adoption. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-05

6. [6]ShipbuildingHistory.com, 'California Shipbuilding, Los Angeles CA' yard table (kcalifornia.htm); U.S. Merchant Marine (usmm.org), Liberty Ships built by California Shipbuilding Corp., Terminal Island table (l/calship.html) [other_primary]

   Locator

   kcalifornia.htm construction table row for MC hull 69 (yard hull 6, way 6, dates, AK-136 disposition); usmm.org/l/calship.html table row 69; yard-history header text

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Independent shipyard-table cross-checks: the ShipbuildingHistory California Shipbuilding (CalShip) yard table lists yard hull 6, MC hull 69, 'Daniel Boone' - 'EC2-S-C1' - way 6, keel 17-Jul-41, launched 14-Jan-42, delivered 15-Apr-42 (181 days on ways / 91 in water / 272 total), 'To USN as Ara (AK 136), scrapped 1972'; the usmm.org Calship Liberty table maps '69 | Daniel Boone | AK 136 Ara'. Yard context from shipbuildinghistory: CalShip was one of the original nine emergency yards, built with 8 ways in 1940 by Todd and Kaiser with $27mm invested by the USMC, expanded to 14 ways in the second wave, peak employment ~40,000; liquidated after the war, the site now roughly the Port of Los Angeles dry-bulk terminal at Berths 212-213.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1941-1972

   Population

   California Shipbuilding workforce (yard context)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary tables, not official records - used as an independent cross-check against MARAD/DANFS/SDB values, which they match (keel 17 Jul 41, launch 14 Jan 42, delivery 15 Apr 42, MCE 69 -> AK-136). 'Scrapped 1972' consistent with the MARAD card's January 1972 physical delivery and shipscribe's 'To buyer 6 Jan 72.' No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-06

7. [7]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory Detail 1177 digitized documents - USCG merchant-vessel war-action casualty report; US Embassy Brisbane dispatch (17 Jul 1943); USCG Captain-of-the-Port reports (New York 18 Apr 1943; San Francisco); index card (NARA Project NW 63684 declassification) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov documents DanielBoone_1177_001.pdf (war-action casualty report, pp. 1-2), _003.pdf (index card), _004.pdf (Brisbane dispatch), _005.pdf (New York port report), _006.pdf (San Francisco port report); scanned forms read visually/pdftotext - handwriting partially legible

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Digitized document scans in the MARAD vessel file (ShipHistory Detail 1177, declassified under NARA Project NW 63684) document the WSA merchant phase under American-Hawaiian Steamship Co.: (a) U.S. Coast Guard 'Report on U.S. Merchant Vessel War Action Casualty' (DanielBoone_1177_001.pdf, 2 pp.) - S/S Daniel Boone, service 'Ocean Freight,' owner U.S.M.C., operator 'American-Hawaiian Lines,' information furnished by the Master; the form records a MINE attack off Panama on 10/25/42 at 0832 in clear daylight, one hit at the stern ('1-STERN, SLIGHT'; effect 'EXTENSIVE DAMAGE'), no explosion/fire/deck rupture, ship not abandoned, brought in TOWED; 54 persons aboard (8 officers + 1 radioman + 34 unlicensed crew + 11 Armed Guard = 1 officer/10 enlisted military), zero injured and zero lost; report dated 29 August (year digit partially legible - reads as 1944, anomalously late; flagged in gaps). (b) U.S. Embassy Brisbane letter of 17 July 1943 (DanielBoone_1177_004.pdf, 7 pp.) transmitting a provost-marshal report on a stabbing incident aboard the S.S. Daniel Boone at that port on 9 May 1943, identifying the ship as registered at Los Angeles, official number 241519, owned by the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. (c) U.S. Coast Guard Captain-of-the-Port arrival/radio-seal reports for New York (18 April 1943, from Philadelphia; DanielBoone_1177_005.pdf - consistent with the file's USCG photo of the ship at New York dated 1943-04-18) and San Francisco (DanielBoone_1177_006.pdf). (d) A one-page index card 'DANIEL BOONE - American - SS - 7/71' (DanielBoone_1177_003.pdf).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1942-1943

   Population

   Merchant crew and 11-man Naval Armed Guard detachment (Oct 1942 mining event, 54 aboard); repair workers wherever the post-mining tow-in repair was performed (yard not identified in the located sources)

   Limitations

   Primary government documents of the merchant phase, held in the official MARAD vessel file. The casualty report establishes a documented hull-damage event (mine, off Panama, 25 Oct 1942) and a tow-in repair event whose yard and material scope are undocumented in located sources - a disturbance-phase entry, not an asbestos record. Report's own date line is partially legible (29 August; year reads 1944, possibly a late filing or a misread digit). The Brisbane dispatch concerns a criminal incident aboard, not material condition. None of these documents contains asbestos, insulation, or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-07

8. [8]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 type documented for this hull by the DANFS spec block 'T. EC2-S-C1', the MARAD registry 'EC2-S-C1', and the status card 'CARGO EC2') 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.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1941-1945

   Population

   Construction trades (CalShip, 1941-42); conversion workers (Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Dec 1943 - Jan 1944); merchant engine crew (American-Hawaiian, 1942-43); Navy engine-room and maintenance crew (1944-45)

   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). This hull's documented disturbance events - the Dec 1943-Jan 1944 Navy conversion at Moore Dry Dock, the post-October 1942 mining repair, the April 1945 San Pedro and September 1945 San Francisco repair availabilities - added or disturbed material whose scope is undocumented. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence (hull scrapped in Spain 1972), individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ara-ak136-08

9. [9]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 program under which this EC2-S-C1 hull was produced at the CalShip yard (one of the original nine USMC emergency yards) and converted at a Navy contract yard - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   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-ara-ak136-09

10. [10]Fleischer, W.E., Viles, F.J. Jr., Gade, R.L., and Drinker, P., 'A health survey of pipe covering operations in constructing naval vessels,' J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28(1):9-16 (Jan 1946), PMID 21016030 [other_primary]

    Locator

    PubMed record PMID 21016030; article pp. 9-16 (pipe covering material section)

    Finding type

    gov_survey

    Finding

    The U.S. Maritime Commission-commissioned industrial-hygiene survey of WWII pipe-covering operations at two Navy yards and two Navy contract yards documented that 'an important ingredient of pipe covering material used on U. S. Navy vessels is amosite' - i.e., asbestos insulation was standard material in wartime naval-vessel construction and conversion of exactly this hull's era and type.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    survey ~1944-45; published 1946

    Population

    WWII pipe coverers and insulators at Navy and contract yards (era context)

    Limitations

    Era-level documentation of asbestos use in naval construction generally; does not name this vessel, class, builder yard, or conversion yard (whether CalShip or Moore Dry Dock was among the surveyed yards is unverified - the surveyed yards are anonymized A-D) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see the 2026 critique at DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-ara-ak136-10

11. [11]In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989), CourtListener opinion 533004 [court_record]

    Locator

    Opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109); reporter citation confirmed in batch-01

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    Robinson v. United States (In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989): Second Circuit ruling addressing mesothelioma claims by a mariner aboard War Shipping Administration vessels; the court considered jurisdiction over a personal-injury claim against the United States for asbestos exposure aboard the WWII government merchant fleet and held the claims barred on discretionary-function grounds. Relevant to this hull's first phase: the MARAD status card shows WSA ownership with operation by American-Hawaiian SS Co. under a GAA general-agency contract from completion (San Pedro, 4-15-42) until the Navy's 'BB' bareboat allocation at Oakland (12-3-43) - i.e., this hull DID have a WSA general-agent merchant phase (unlike sibling AK-131, whose card shows simultaneous WSA-ownership + Navy-BB at completion).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1989 (opinion); wartime exposure period

    Population

    WWII merchant mariners (class context)

    Limitations

    Fleet-level jurisdictional ruling; does not name this hull, finds no asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes only the litigation posture for WWII WSA-merchant-fleet claims - it bears on the Apr 1942 - Dec 1943 American-Hawaiian GAA phase of this hull's life, not on the Navy phase. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-ara-ak136-11

12. [12]O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012), CourtListener opinion 844228 [court_record]

    Locator

    Opinion, 53 Cal. 4th 335 (No. S177401); cluster verified in batch-01

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012): California Supreme Court 'bare metal' decision arising from a sailor's asbestos exposure aboard USS Oriskany (CV-34) - holds that a product manufacturer is not liable for harm caused by another manufacturer's asbestos-containing product used with its equipment. Establishes the doctrinal posture under which WWII-era Navy-ship asbestos product claims are litigated; for this hull's second phase the governing structure is the WSA-owned/Navy-operated bareboat arrangement documented on the MARAD status card ('Navy Dept. (now ara AK136) / BB / Oakland / 12-3-43 4-PM PWT') - sailors' claims proceed against product suppliers, not the government.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    2012 (opinion); wartime exposure period

    Population

    WWII-era Navy sailors (class context)

    Limitations

    Doctrinal context only - the opinion does not name this hull, finds no asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and establishes legal framework rather than exposure. No docketed case naming Ara, AK-136, or Daniel Boone (the vessel) was located (see negative-finding row and search ledger); CourtListener API coverage was rate-limited, so that absence is partial. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-ara-ak136-12

13. [13]Batch-827 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback capture; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 1177 + 12568 incl. three digitized status cards and five digitized document scans; NavSource 130136 via .net mirror; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe AK-70 class page; shipbuildinghistory + usmm.org CalShip yard tables; CourtListener API (blocked) + Google site: check; VA BVA index [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-ara-ak136-01 through sl-uss-ara-ak136-12

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Ara, AK-136, or Daniel Boone (the vessel, MCE 69, ON 241519) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Direct CourtListener API searches were blocked by rate limiting on 2026-09-20 (HTTP 429, shared 125/day machine quota, retry-after ~15,740s then ~15,327s - the same shared-quota outage logged by batches 788, 796, 800, 806, 813, and 822); a Google site:courtlistener.com check returned only unrelated matters (a MOSAT merchant-vessel mesothelioma suit naming other vessels, an Avondale shipyard case, an ARCO tanker case, an MDL-875 order, a Garlock trial exhibit) - no vessel match. The hull appears on law-firm SEO ship lists (asbestos-ships.com dedicated page; freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list; duboselawfirm.com cargo-ships list) - marketing compilations excluded per source rules; list presence is not documentation.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    2026-09-20

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1941-42 EC2-S-C1 hull operated through a 1972 breaking is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented disturbance phases (Dec 1943-Jan 1944 Moore Dry Dock conversion; post-October 1942 mining repair; April 1945 San Pedro and September 1945 San Francisco repairs; ~26 years in James River custody; the 1972 dismantling) all carry undocumented material scope. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility. Litigation coverage is partial: CourtListener opinion and RECAP docket searches could not run due to the shared rate limit; the site: check is not a substitute.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-ara-ak136-13

14. [14]DANFS (Wayback online edition) vs NavSource AK-136 vs shipscribe AK-70 class tables vs MARAD status cards vs BuShips SDB 1945 v3 vs HyperWar compiled ship page [other_primary]

    Locator

    Card scans /cards/0978d87f-3acb-4dda-a76f-4392163bc3c9.png, /cards/1177_2137AF.jpg, /cards/1177_2137AB.jpg; NavSource 130136.htm; SDB1945v3 AK tables rows for index 14; shipscribe AK-70 class notes; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AK/AK-136_Ara.html; NavSource 08/08629.htm (SSBN-629 lead)

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Cross-source reconciliation and name quarantine: (a) Namesake - DANFS reads 'The Greek goddess of vengeance and destruction'; secondary sources (Wikipedia, NavSource-derived text) read the constellation Ara - DANFS wording carried, alternative flagged. (b) Armament - DANFS spec block '1 5", 1 3", 8 20mm' is the original fit (shipscribe: original standard fitted to AK 136-40); NavSource lists 'two single 40mm AA gun mounts, six single 20mm' - the post-Feb-1945 upgraded fit (CNO 24 Feb 45 authorization; shipscribe upgrade list covers AK 136-38 and 140, including AK-136; SDB's own armament row already prints '2 single' in the 40-mm column) - both figures describe different dates; carried with explanation. (c) Commissioning date - DANFS/shipscribe/NavSource/SDB 'first commission' column all read 4 Jan 44; the HyperWar compiled ship-data page reads 'commissioned 2 January 1944' - flagged as a compiled-page typo. (d) Cargo volume - SDB '398,150' cu ft vs NavSource '420,277' - 420,277 is the figure printed on ARIDED's (AK-73) SDB row, an apparent transposition; SDB carried. (e) DWT - 10,809c (main card) / 10,975 (fleet card) / 10,550 total + 7,800 cargo (SDB) / 7,800 non-refrigerated (NavSource) - different measures, flagged not reconciled. (f) Speed - 12.5 kts (DANFS/SDB/NavSource, and overprinted on the main card) vs '11' (fleet card and main-card underprint) - flagged not reconciled. (g) Displacement - 14,550 limiting (DANFS/SDB/NavSource full) vs 14,350 (SDB first-table trailing column) vs 4,023 light (NavSource/MARAD registry) - flagged not reconciled. (h) Net tonnage - 4,380 (MARAD registry and both cards) vs '4375' as read on the casualty-report form - flagged. (i) Hull-quarantine - USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629), James Madison-class ballistic missile submarine in service 1964-1994, is a different hull sharing only this hull's merchant name; anything post-1964 under 'Daniel Boone' is presumptively the submarine - do not merge records (NavSource 08/08629.htm exists for the SSBN; lead only). 'Ara' is also a personal name in court indexes - name-only litigation hits are collisions until tied to the hull.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1941-1972

    Limitations

    Resolves or flags date-, armament-, tonnage-, speed-, and naming-level inconsistencies visible across primary and secondary sources; does not affect identity or the custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-ara-ak136-14

15. [15]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 26 (Coast Guard), RG 178 (US Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), RG 357 (Maritime Administration), RG 181 (naval districts and shore establishments); NavSource photo index for AK-136 (Mare Island photo credit lines) [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov record-group guides 024/026/178/248/357/181; NavSource 130136.htm photo captions (Navy Yard Mare Island photo #s 267-44, 269-44, 270-44, 271-44)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for USS Ara (Jan 1944 - Nov 1945); NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) and RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) files for MCE hull 69, the 1942-04-15 'Basis to W.S.A.' delivery, the American-Hawaiian GAA contract, and the 1943-12-03 'BB' bareboat allocation at Oakland; USCG RG 26 merchant-vessel casualty file underlying the digitized report (the full file may identify the repair yard and scope for the 25 Oct 1942 mining); RG 357 MARAD/NDRF custody records covering the 1945-1972 James River lay-up and the PD-X-919 sale file - the disposal-era hazmat lead; NARA San Francisco Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ship Files holding Navy Yard Mare Island photos 267-44, 269-44, 270-44, 271-44 (11 Jan 1944, off San Francisco) per the NavSource captions; Moore Dry Dock Co. conversion work orders for the Dec 1943-Jan 1944 job (BuShips/contract-yard records, RG 19 or RG 181).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1941-1972 records

    Limitations

    Record-group and file-annotation 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-ara-ak136-15