Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 662-packet.md [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-aristaeus-lst329-pkt-662-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, Aristaeus (ARB-1) - construction, ARB conversion, Pacific service, disposal, spec block (archived Wayback capture 22 Jul 2024 of the official NHHC page; live NHHC URL returns 404 - labeled archived per citation policy) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS entry 'Aristaeus (ARB-1)', service narrative and spec block (Wayback capture 2024-07-22)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: 'LST-329 was laid down on 12 November 1942 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard; reclassified ARB-1 on 25 January 1943 and named Aristaeus; launched on 1 February 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Arthur Taylor; converted at Fairfield, Md., by the Maryland Drydock Co., for service as a battle damage repair ship; and commissioned on 18 May 1943, Lt. Ralph M. G. Swany, Jr., in command.' Shakedown out of Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay June-July 1943; departed the east coast 23 July 1943, transited the Panama Canal, joined the Pacific Fleet 1 August, and proceeded via Bora Bora and Tutuila to Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving 14 September 1943. Operated at Noumea through the first half of 1944; upkeep at Sydney, Australia, early July 1944; battle damage repairs in the New Guinea area late September 1944 into April 1945; anchored at Kerama Retto 1 May 1945 and, as a member of Service Squadron 10, performed battle damage and voyage repairs; moved to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, 2 July 1945; from 13 August assisted in repairing the torpedoed Pennsylvania (BB-38), enabling the battleship to get underway for Pearl Harbor on 24 August. Left Okinawa 3 December 1945; reached San Francisco 27 December; remained until 22 May 1946, then reported to the San Diego Group, 19th Fleet, for inactivation. Decommissioned 15 January 1947 and placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; struck from the Navy list 1 July 1961; sold to Brown Industries, Inc., Oakland, Calif., on 14 March 1962 and subsequently scrapped. Earned one battle star for World War II service. Spec block: (ARB-1: dp. 4,100; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 11'2"; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 260; a. 1 3", 8 40mm., 8 20mm.; cl. Aristaeus).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1962
- Population
- Philadelphia Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); Maryland Drydock conversion workforce (1943); ship's company and repair ratings (1943-47)
- Limitations
- Ship-specific official history only; contains no asbestos or material content. DANFS simplifies the designation history as 'laid down ... as LST-329' - the NARA-derived shipscribe record carries the hull as LST-326 from 13 Jan 1943, renumbered LST-329 on 25 Jan 1943 (see ev-02 and gaps). Live NHHC page 404s (standing NHHC link-rot defect); verbatim official text cited via Wayback capture - the URL is an archive, labeled as such.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-01
-
[3]Shipscribe (Stephen S. Roberts), USS Aristaeus (ARB-1) Class page - compiled from BuShips/OpNav records and NARA auxiliary-vessel files; class program history, construction/disposition tables, and per-ship notes [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipscribe ARB-1 class page: Class Notes, Construction/Disposition tables, Ship Note ARB-1
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NARA/BuShips-derived record for this hull and class: the Navy directed conversion of LSTs to auxiliaries in December 1942 (COMINCH, 3 Dec 1942 - three LSTs to landing-craft repair ships; 18 Dec 1942 - three to Battle Damage Repair Ships and two to MTB tenders); the ARL/ARB/AGP type designations were approved by SecNav on 13 January 1943; on 25 January 1943 the hulls designated for ARB 1-2 and AGP-1 were renumbered from LST 326-328 to LST 328-330 'to minimize unnecessary work by the shipbuilder,' and that date is carried in BuShips records as the reclassification date for all three ARBs and both AGPs. Ship note for ARB-1: 'Ex LST-329 25 Jan 43, ex LST-326 13 Jan 43. Completed as LST 18 Feb 43. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. (arrived from Philadelphia, 24 Feb 43, no ferry commission being needed for this inland waterways transit). In USN reserve 1946-61. To buyer 16 Apr 62.' Construction table: keel 12 Nov 42, launch 1 Feb 43, commission 18 May 43; decommissioned 15 Jan 47, struck 1 Jul 61, disposed (sold) 14 Mar 62. The ships transited from building yard to conversion yard as LSTs and assumed ARB designations and numbers on entering the conversion yard. Conversion scope (class-level, from the ARB-3 crew history): the tank deck was covered with lathes, grinders, drills, metal cutters, welding machines, and other shop equipment; heavier armament; greater deck cargo-handling facilities; a much longer superstructure deck; bow ramp and bow-door control gear not installed and bow doors welded shut; two derricks each with a 10-ton boom plus a 50-ton 'A' frame; crew larger than an LST's with many specialized ship-repair ratings; Gibbs & Cox was design agent for all three LST conversion designs. All ARB-1-class units were converted by Maryland Drydock, Baltimore, except ARB-3 (Tampa SB).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1962
- Population
- Philadelphia Navy Yard construction trades (1942-43); Maryland Drydock Co. conversion workforce (1943); crew incl. specialized ship-repair ratings (1943-47)
- Limitations
- Strongest designation/conversion record located - compiled from named federal records (BuShips/OpNav; NARA) by a specialist compiler. Documents a major 1943 conversion event on this hull but says nothing about asbestos content of materials installed or removed. The reclassification date is itself internally layered (SecNav approval 13 Jan 43 vs BuShips reclassification date 25 Jan 43 vs NavSource 26 Jan 43) - see gaps. Conversion-scope description is class-level (ARB-3 crew history), applied to this hull as class context, not a ship-specific survey.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-02
-
[4]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Aristaeus (ARB-1) (09/26/2601) - designation timeline, specification block, campaign table, commanding-officer list, NHHC photo NH83855 (live page verified) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/26/2601.htm header block, Specifications block, campaign table, CO list
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 12 November 1942 as LST-329 at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA; redesignated Battle Damage Repair Ship ARB-1 on 26 January 1943; launched 11 February 1943; commissioned USS Aristaeus (ARB-1) 18 May 1943, Lt. Ralph M. G. Swany, Jr., USNR in command. Asiatic-Pacific campaign: Okinawa Gunto operation, assault and occupation 16 April - 30 June 1945. Occupation service in the Far East 2 September - 3 December 1945. Decommissioned 10 January 1947 at San Diego, CA; laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group; struck from the Naval Register, date unknown; final disposition 'fate unknown'; one battle star. Specification block: displacement 1,781 t (lt) / 4,100 t (fl); 328' x 50' x 11'2"; 11.6 kts trial; complement 20 officers / 234 enlisted; largest boom capacity 50 t.; armament one single 3"/50 DP mount, two quad 40mm AA mounts, eight single 20mm AA mounts; ship's service generators four 100kW 120/240V D.C. plus two 100kW 450V A.C.; fuel diesel 4,480 Bbls; propulsion two General Motors 12-567A diesel engines, single Falk main reduction gear, two propellers, 1,800 shp. Commanding officers: LCDR Ralph M. G. Swany, Jr., USNR (18 May 1943 - Mar 1945); LCDR John Kenneth Killen, USNR (Mar 1945 - Jan 1946); LT William Mark Forester, USN (Jan 1946 - Jun 1946). Photo credits include NHHC photo # NH83855.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1962
- Population
- Ship's company ~254 per spec block plus specialized repair ratings; Philadelphia NY construction trades
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry; its launch (11 Feb 1943), reclassification (26 Jan 1943), and decommissioning (10 Jan 1947) dates conflict with DANFS (1 Feb, 25 Jan, 15 Jan 1947 respectively), and it lacks DANFS's strike/disposal record - DANFS dates carried; variants logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos content; specifications are equipment descriptions only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-03
-
[5]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 2 (Jan 1945), LST design table (shipscribe.com scan) - consolidated with lst-1-class class-profile era analysis (class file, 2026-09-16) [other_primary]
- Locator
- SDB1945v2 LST design table; lst-1-class.class.json class analysis (BuShips design grouping); shipscribe ARB-1 class conversion-scope note (ev-02)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era/design inference for a diesel-powered amphibious hull built at Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1942-43 and converted to a battle damage repair ship at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore, in spring 1943: NO boilers or steam plant - the steam-lagging pathway does not apply; plausible asbestos applications for the type concentrate in diesel exhaust lagging, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, gaskets and packing throughout engineering spaces, electrical insulation/cable, deck coverings (incl. tank-deck surfaces), bulkhead and accommodation-space insulation, and brake/friction linings on winches, windlass, and the conversion's added workshop machinery and derricks. The ARB conversion added a heavy interior buildout (machine shops on the tank deck, longer superstructure, added power and accommodation spaces) at a peak-asbestos-era yard - conversion-era insulation practice makes ACM plausible in the added spaces as well, but no material schedule for the build or the conversion was located.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1962
- Population
- Philadelphia NY construction trades (1942-43); Maryland Drydock conversion workforce (1943); crew and repair ratings (1943-47); reserve-fleet and scrapping workers (1947-62)
- Limitations
- Class/era and design inference only - no hull-level material schedule, insulation spec, or survey exists in the public record for this ship under either designation. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials; establishes no quantity and no exposure for any individual.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-04
-
[6]Shipyard-level documentation (Atlas shipyards.json, philadelphia-naval-shipyard): asbestos products identified by workers at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in published Pennsylvania appellate litigation (Taylor v. Celotex Corp., 393 Pa. Super. 566 (1990); Junge v. Garlock, Inc., 427 Pa. Super. 592 (1993); Gross v. Johns-Manville Corp., 410 Pa. Super. 486 (1991); Taliferro), spanning 1941-1984 and covering the 1942-43 build window; yard product list incl. Eagle-Picher Super 60, Thermasil pipe covering/block, Unibestos, Kaylo, Garlock gaskets/packing, Johns-Manville pipe insulation; OSHA health inspection 17999079 (1989) with a 90-percent bulk asbestos sample [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipyards.json entry ev-philadelphia-naval-s-02 (litigation product ID) and ev-philadelphia-naval-shipyard-osha-1989-17999079; citations therein to Pa. Super. appellate opinions and OSHA inspection detail
- Finding type
- litigation_product_id
- Finding
- Government/adjudicated documentation of asbestos products at this hull's builder: workers at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard identified multiple named asbestos products in published appellate opinions covering a 1941-1984 exposure window that includes this hull's 1942-43 construction; OSHA's 1989 health inspection of the yard recorded a 90-percent bulk asbestos sample. This documents asbestos presence and use at the building yard during the build era.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1941-1989 (documentation windows)
- Population
- Philadelphia Naval Shipyard workforce (1941-1984 litigation window; this hull's build 1942-43)
- Limitations
- Yard-level documentation, not a hull record - no source names this vessel, and yard-wide product identification does not establish that any specific material was installed aboard LST-329/ARB-1. The OSHA inspection (1989) postdates the ship's departure by decades. Does not establish shipboard presence, quantity, or any individual exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-05
-
[7]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1942-43) and service era (1943-47).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403, consistent with prior batches) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-06
-
[8]CourtListener API v4 sweeps, this hull (authenticated helper, fleet-paced; see search_ledger): opinion index "USS Aristaeus" 0, "Aristaeus" 0, "LST-329" 0, "LST 329" 0, "ARB-1" 176 hits all name collisions; docket index "Aristaeus" 2 collisions, "LST-329" 0, "ARB-1" 284 dockets all collisions; "LST 329" type=r pacing-blocked [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-aristaeus-lst329-07, -08
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CourtListener authenticated sweeps across opinion and RECAP docket indexes located no qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull under any designation. Opinion index: "USS Aristaeus" 0 results; "Aristaeus" 0 results; "LST-329" 0 results; "LST 329" 0 results; "ARB-1" 176 results, every reviewed hit a name collision (Appraisal Review Board decisions, arbitration exhibit labels, part/model numbers) with zero asbestos, vessel, or Navy references in the returned set. Docket index: "Aristaeus" 2 dockets, both collisions (a trademark case and an ATF administrative-record filing); "LST-329" 0 dockets; "ARB-1" 284 dockets / 544 documents, returned set all collisions (arbitration-exhibit labels, e-commerce defendant schedules, FOIA) with no asbestos or vessel reference. The only unrun query is "LST 329" type=r (spaced variant, docket index) - pacing-blocked at end of session. The class-level 'USS LST' asbestos sweep of 2026-09-16 (lst-1-class profile) located no asbestos docket naming any specific LST hull - its only document-level hit was an incidental reunion-notice mention of LST-579 in Gitto v. A.W. Chesterton, S.D.N.Y. 1:07-cv-04771.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Near-complete negative: all name strings and the hyphenated hull number were swept on both indexes with no qualifying hit; the "ARB-1" strings are collision-saturated (not vessel-usable) and the single unrun variant ("LST 329" docket) is a coverage gap, not a finding of absence on that query. No hit at any stage of litigation - no pleading, discovery record, or opinion names this hull. Class-level sweep coverage is a class finding, not hull-specific.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-07
-
[9]Batch-6866 search ledger (this record): DANFS/NHHC (Wayback capture of official page); shipscribe NARA/BuShips-derived class record; NavSource (live navsource.net); NARA deck-log index; NVR; MARAD ShipHistory; CourtListener API; secondary-web litigation/marketing sweep [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-aristaeus-lst329-01 through sl-uss-aristaeus-lst329-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or verified litigation naming this hull under LST-329 or ARB-1 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Secondary web sweeps surfaced only law-firm marketing content (asbestos-ships.com page asserting 'Areas With Asbestos Exposure' on USS Aristaeus, gorilaw.com repair-ships listicle) - excluded by source policy for lack of primary sourcing; no qualifying case surfaced.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 2026-10-02
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - 1943 construction at Philadelphia NY plus a peak-era conversion at Maryland Drydock are era-consistent with ACM, but that is inference, not a hull finding. The litigation sweep is partially complete (see ev-07). Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-aristaeus-lst329-08
-
[10]NARA resources (record-group mapping and leads, not retrieved): RG 24 deck logs for LST-329/ARB-1 (1943-47) not in the digitized index; RG 19 Bureau of Ships records incl. conversion files (cf. Entry UD 1024-A, the shipscribe source family); RG 181 records of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and the Fourth Naval District; Maryland Drydock Co. contract records [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov Navy Deck Logs index (no hull entry); NARA Guide to Federal Records RG 19/RG 24/RG 181; shipscribe page-note source citation
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order): RG 24 deck logs for this hull's commissioned period (May 1943 - Jan 1947) exist in NARA custody but are not in the digitized Navy Deck Logs index (checked 2026-10-02 - no Aristaeus/ARB-1/LST-329 entry); BuShips conversion files of the RG 19 UD-series hold the ARB conversion documentation used by shipscribe and are the most likely seat of any material/insulation schedule for the 1943 conversion; RG 181 (naval districts/shore establishments) covers Philadelphia Navy Yard construction correspondence; the Maryland Drydock conversion contract records would document conversion materials.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-10-02
- Study period
- 1942-1962 records
- Limitations
- Record-location leads only - no box-level retrieval performed; 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-aristaeus-lst329-09