USS Arkab (AK-130)

Evidence

9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Arkab (AK-130)' - verbatim NHHC page text (NHHC page published 2015-06-18; live URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20; text verified against Wayback capture 2019-08-22) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   NHHC DANFS 'Arkab (AK-130)' entry, full text; spec corroboration against NavSource Wayback capture and HyperWar Crater-class block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Arkab (AK-130): 'A star in the constellation Sagittarius.' Warren Stone, a freighter built under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2449) at New Orleans, La., by the Delta Shipbuilding Corp., was slated for Navy use, renamed Arkab, and designated AK-130 on 1 December 1943 - before the start of her construction. Keel laid 4 December 1943; launched 22 January 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Charles E. Williams; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 21 February 1944 for passage to Mobile, Ala.; decommissioned there 25 February 1944 for conversion by the Alabama Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; recommissioned 15 May 1944, Comdr. Finnan F. Knachel in command. Spec block: dp. 14,550; 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 12.5 k.; cpl. 230; a. 1x 5", 1x 3", 8x 20mm; cl. Crater, T. EC2-S-C1. Service narrative: shakedown in Chesapeake Bay through mid-June; sailed 30 June for the Pacific; Panama Canal transit; Pago Pago, Samoa 29 August; Noumea 10 September with New Caledonia cargo, then 200 military passengers embarked for the west coast; San Francisco voyage repairs; departed the west coast 10 November on the first of a series of supply runs to Pacific bases; by end of November 1945 steamed some 60,000 miles - ports included Pearl Harbor; Manus Island, Admiralty Islands; Milne Bay and Langemak, New Guinea; Saipan; Eniwetok. 'Although not equipped to accommodate troops, Arkab transported over 1,200 passengers during her career.' Final voyage terminated at Norfolk, Va., 16 December; decommissioned 2 January 1946; turned over to the War Shipping Administration for disposal; placed in the NDRF James River berthing area; struck from the Navy list 21 January 1946; sold 21 September 1971 to N. V. Intershitra, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and scrapped.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1971

   Population

   Wartime crew (complement 230 per spec block); ~1,200 passengers transported over career (not troop-equipped per DANFS)

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, construction milestones, service chronology, and disposal outline; contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information. Does not name the ferry-period commanding officer (NavSource supplies CDR Charles D. Schultz, USNR) and states no battle star. DANFS prints 'Comdr. Finnan F. Knachel' vs NavSource 'CDR. Firman Fillmore Knachel' - name conflict flagged, not resolved. 'Terminated the final voyage of her career at Norfolk on 16 December' - year unstated in the entry (1945 by chronology). Does not state where interim pre-shakedown work occurred between Mobile conversion and Chesapeake shakedown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - WARREN STONE Ship History Detail 5090 (incl. digitized vessel status card 7C0_01.png, record-of-sale card 5090_AF.jpg, reserve-fleet vessel-data card 5090_9375AF.jpg, card-edge fragment 5090_9375AB.jpg); ARKAB (AK-130) Detail 12563 (empty stub) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 5090 milestone table + status-card scans (cards/7C0_01.png, cards/5090_AF.jpg, cards/5090_9375AF.jpg, cards/5090_9375AB.jpg); Detail 12563

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records: WARREN STONE Detail 5090 carries the full record - U.S. Official No. 245081, built 1944 by Delta Ship Building Company, type EC2-S-C1, 7,176 gross / 4,380 net tons, bale capacity 499,573 cu ft; milestones Entry 1946-01-02, Acquisition 1946-01-02, Disposition 1971-10-08 'CUST 1946 NDRF 1946', Withdrawal 1971-10-08. Digitized status cards (read directly this session) document: MCE hull no. 2449; completed 1944-02-21 at New Orleans and delivered 'Basis to W.S.A. 2-21-44 3:56PM CWT @ New Orleans, La.'; same-instant allocation to 'Navy Dept.' on form of agreement 'BB' (bareboat charter), with a partially legible handwritten annotation in the Navy row; WSA Reserve Fleet entry Lee Hall, Va. 1946-01-02 4:00PM EST. Reserve-fleet vessel-data card types the hull 'Mil. Aux. / AK-130 / EC2', speed 11 k, fleet 'Jas. Riv.' unit 'S 3', DWT 10,440, ownership WSA, entered fleet January 2, 1946, fuel on entry 2,572 bbls Bunker C, termination port last voyage 'Hampton Roads', dimensions 422.8 x 57 x 34.8; red-ink note 'Sold scrap under PD-X-916 dated 9-21-71 to N. V. Intershitra for $71,500.00. Contract MA-6438'; withdrawn/delivered 1135 EDT 10-8-71. Card reverse (edge fragment) reads '2500 IHP / 2 WTB' (two water-tube boilers), draft 27'8-7/8", plus a partial berthing note naming fleet neighbors Matthew Lyon and Alcoa Prospector. Record-of-sale card (Form MA-20, PD-X-916): awarded N. V. Intershitra 9-21-71, purchase price $71,500.00, contract MA-6438, year built 1944, dims 417'8" x 56'10" x 37'4", DWT 10,800, location James River Reserve Fleet; remarks 'Advertised under PD-X-892 - no bid received. Advertised under PD-X-900 - bids rejected. Advertised under PD-X-916 - dated 8-19-71 - opened 9-16-71 - Dismantle Hull - Foreign - 24 months.' ARKAB (AK-130) Detail 12563 is a stub (labels 'Naval Auxiliary / AK Cargo Ship', EC2-S-C1, 442 ft x 57 ft, displacement 14,550/4,023, mission WWII, fate sold-scrap; no milestones or cards).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1944-1971

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones, hull identity (ON 245081 = MCE 2449 = ex-AK-130, printed on the cards), the WSA->Navy bareboat structure, and the 1971 foreign scrap sale; contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information and supports no asbestos claim. Sale-card dimensions and DWT are sale-advertising figures differing from the status card (DWT 10,440 vs 10,800; length 422.8 vs 417'8") - treated as approximations, not specs. The 'Dismantle Hull - Foreign - 24 months' term records disposal condition, not the breaking yard or completion date.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-02

3. [3]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Arkab (AK-130) index page (volunteer-compiled index citing BuShips/DANFS figures), via Wayback capture 20240529050701 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource AK-130 page (Wayback 2024-05-29), specifications block, awards table, commanding-officer table, photo caption

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource service-ship archive page for Arkab (AK-130), via Wayback capture 2024-05-29 (live navsource.org fetch failed this session): Crater-class cargo ship; authorized by the Maritime Commission as SS Warren Stone (EC2-S-C1); renamed Arkab 1 December 1943; laid down 4 December 1943 under MC contract (MC hull 2449) at Delta Shipbuilding Corp., New Orleans, LA; launched 22 January 1944; acquired by the US Navy 21 February 1944; commissioned 21 February 1944 for transit to the conversion yard, CDR Charles D. Schultz USNR in command (Ferry Crew #7); decommissioned 25 February 1944 at Mobile AL; converted at Alabama Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Mobile; recommissioned 15 May 1944, CDR Firman F. Knachel in command; Asiatic-Pacific Theater; decommissioned 2 January 1946 at Norfolk, VA; struck from the Naval Register 21 January 1946; 'Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 January 1946' for layup NDRF James River, Lee Hall, VA; sold for scrapping 21 September 1971 to N. V. Intershitra, Rotterdam, removed from the Reserve Fleet 8 October 1971. Spec block: displacement 4,023 t. (lt) / 14,550 t. (fl); 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 12.8 kts trial; complement 19 officers + 211 enlisted; largest boom 37 t.; cargo 7,800 DWT, 408,604 cu ft non-refrigerated; armament 1x 5"/38 DP, 1x 3"/50 DP, 2x 40mm AA, 12x 20mm AA; fuel NSFO 9,960 bbls + diesel 2,010 bbls; propulsion one Iron Fireman vertical triple-expansion engine, two Vogt header-type boilers (220 psi, 450 deg), one turbo-drive and two recip-drive 60 kW 120 V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller, 2,500 shp. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal - no battle star. Radio call sign NHEB. CO table: Schultz 1944-02-21 to 1944-02-25; decommissioned to 1944-05-15; CDR Knachel, Firman Fillmore 1944-05-15 to 1946-01-02. Photo: underway, camouflage Measure 33 Design 9D, US Navy photo.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1971

   Population

   Ship's company (230 per DANFS/NavSource); passengers carried though not troop-equipped (DANFS: >1,200 over career)

   Limitations

   Secondary compilation, not an official publication - consistent with DANFS and the MARAD cards where they overlap (dates, hull identity, James River disposal). Discrepancies logged in the correction row: 'Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 January 1946' conflicts with the card's 1-2-46 fleet entry and DANFS's same-day WSA turnover; CO name 'Firman Fillmore Knachel' vs DANFS 'Finnan F. Knachel'; speed 12.8 kts trial vs DANFS 12.5 and reserve card 11; armament includes 40mm mounts absent from the DANFS spec block; ferry-CO detail and NHEB call sign are NavSource-only. No asbestos or materials information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-03

4. [4]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 'cl. Crater, T. EC2-S-C1' and the MARAD record 'EC2-S-C1') 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

   1943-1944

   Population

   Construction trades (Delta Shipbuilding, New Orleans, 1943-44); conversion workers (Alabama S.B. & Drydock, Mobile, 1944); Navy engine-room and maintenance crew

   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). The Feb-May 1944 Navy AK conversion at Alabama Shipbuilding & Drydock added armament, cargo-handling, and communications spaces whose material scope is undocumented. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence (hull scrapped after the 1971 foreign sale), individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-04

5. [5]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 mass-produced at Delta Shipbuilding (one of the USMC emergency yards, 188 Liberty-type hulls per the usmm.org yard table) - 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 scholarship; does not name this vessel or the EC2-S-C1 type and does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-05

6. [6]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 the governing structure is the WSA-owned/Navy-operated bareboat arrangement documented on the MARAD status card (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 Arkab, AK-130, or Warren Stone was located (see negative-finding row and search ledger; direct CourtListener coverage was blocked this session). Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-06

7. [7]Batch-821 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback; MARAD ShipHistory details 5090/12563 + four digitized status cards read directly; NavSource via Wayback; CourtListener API/HTML (blocked) + Google site checks; usmm.org Delta/Jones yard table; HyperWar Ships of the U.S. Navy AK index; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-arkab-ak130-01 through sl-uss-arkab-ak130-09

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming Arkab, AK-130, or Warren Stone was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Direct CourtListener API and HTML searches were blocked on 2026-09-20 (API HTTP 429 - 'Request was throttled. Rate limit exceeded: 125/day'; HTML endpoint HTTP 403); Google site:courtlistener.com checks for 'Arkab' and 'AK-130' returned only name collisions (Erden Arkan criminal matter, United States v. Arabi, Arkad Holdings LLC; AK-rifle and unrelated '130'-numbered dockets) - no vessel match. The hull appears on law-firm SEO ship lists (asbestos-ships.com dedicated page; freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list) - marketing compilations excluded per source rules; the asbestos-ships.com page additionally carries fabricated details ('commissioned 20 February 1957, LCDR. Glen G. Heller') contradicted by every primary source. 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 1944 EC2-S-C1 hull operated to 1971 disposal is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. 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 were not run to completion due to the 125/day shared rate limit; the site: checks are not a substitute.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-07

8. [8]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 178 (US Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov record-group guides 24/178/248 + deck-log guidance

   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 Arkab (Feb 1944 - Jan 1946, covering both commissions); NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) and RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) files for MCE hull 2449 and the 1944-02-21 WSA->Navy bareboat ('BB') allocation; conversion-scope records for the Feb-May 1944 Alabama Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (Mobile) yard period - the ship's only major refit and the likeliest locus of Navy-specific material documentation.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1971 records

   Limitations

   Record-group 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-arkab-ak130-08

9. [9]MARAD status cards (Detail 5090) + DANFS (NHHC/Wayback) vs NavSource and HyperWar spec blocks; usmm.org Delta/Jones Liberty table; Wikipedia infobox cross-check [other_primary]

   Locator

   usmm.org/l/deltajones.html row 2449; NavSource Wayback 20240529050701 spec block; HyperWar ships-ak.html Crater-class block; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arkab infobox; MARAD Detail 5090 cards

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Cross-source reconciliation: (a) usmm.org's Delta/Jones yard table lists MCE 2449 'Warren Stone - Completed as AK 130 Arkab,' confirming the hull mapping; the table records Delta Shipbuilding at 188 Liberty-type hulls. (b) Turnover date - NavSource prints 'Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 January 1946' while DANFS records decommissioning and WSA turnover on 2 January 1946 and the MARAD status card shows WSA Reserve Fleet entry at Lee Hall, Va., 1-2-46 4:00PM EST; the card and DANFS control, NavSource's 11 January is flagged unresolved. (c) CO name - DANFS 'Comdr. Finnan F. Knachel' vs NavSource 'CDR. Firman Fillmore Knachel' (CO table 1944-05-15 to 1946-01-02); both carried, conflict flagged. (d) Spec conflicts across sources - speed 11 (reserve card) / 11.5 (HyperWar class block) / 12.5 (DANFS, status card) / 12.8 trial (NavSource); complement 230 (DANFS = NavSource 19+211) vs 206 (HyperWar class block); displacement 14,550 (DANFS single figure) / 4,023 lt + 14,550 fl (NavSource, MARAD stub) / 11,565 (HyperWar class block); armament 1x 5" + 1x 3" + 8x 20mm (DANFS) vs 1x 5"/38 + 1x 3"/50 + 2x 40mm + 12x 20mm (NavSource) vs class alternatives (HyperWar); DWT 7,800 (NavSource) / 10,440 (reserve card) / 10,800 (status card 'a' = approx., sale card); cargo 408,604 cu ft (NavSource) vs bale 499,573 cu ft (status card). (e) Propulsion - NavSource's Iron Fireman engine + Vogt header-type boilers + 2,500 shp is consistent with the card reverse '2500 IHP / 2 WTB'; HyperWar's class-level 1,950 shp conflicts and is flagged. (f) HyperWar's 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945' index lists AK-130 Arkab (comm. 1944) in the Crater-class section but hosts no per-hull page (guessed URL 404). (g) 'Arkab' is a single-hull name - DANFS 'A star in the constellation Sagittarius.'

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1971

   Limitations

   Resolves the hull identity across primary and secondary sources and flags the turnover-date and CO-name conflicts; does not affect the custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-arkab-ak130-09