USS Ascella (AK-137)

Evidence

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

1. [1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Ascella (AK-137)' entry (DANFS Vol. I) - verbatim transcription at hazegray mirror losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ak137.htm (transcribed by Yves Hubert); canonical modern NHHC URLs returned 404 on 2026-09-20 (incl. the /content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/ascella.html slug linked from NavSource); HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' AK-137 page is a second compiled source for the spec block [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   hazegray DANFS transcription, full entry; canonical NHHC 404 variants: /research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/ascella.html and /content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/ascella.html; HyperWar table at ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AK/AK-137_Ascella.html (its outbound DANFS link targets the retired history.navy.mil/danfs/a12/ascella.htm); Internet Archive Wayback/CDX endpoints returned 'temporarily offline'/429 during the session, so a Wayback capture of the pre-redesign NHC page could not be verified this pass

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Ascella (AK-137): namesake 'a star of the third magnitude located in the constellation Sagittarius.' Spec block: dp. 4,023; l. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4" (lim.); s. 12.5 k. (tl.); cpl. 201; a. 1 5", 1 3", 2 20mm.; cl. Crater; T. EC2-S-Cl [sic]. 'SS George C. Yount was laid down on 7 January 1943 at Wilmington, Calif., by the California Shipbuilding Corp. under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 708); launched on 4 February 1943; sponsored by Mrs. E. Rickenbacker; delivered to the American President Lines, for operation by a civilian crew under a War Shipping Administration contract; acquired by the Navy on a bare-boat basis on 30 November 1943; modified by the Matson Navigation Co., at San Francisco, Calif., to prepare her for naval service; renamed Ascella and designated AK-137 on 14 December 1943; and commissioned at Hunters Point, Calif., on 7 January 1944, Lt. Comdr. Alexander Kusebach, USNR, in command.' Service narrative: loaded at Naval Supply Depot, Oakland; departed San Francisco 1944-01-21; Pearl Harbor arrival 1944-01-30; Kwajalein February-1944-03-03 (Army occupation garrison supplies); Oakland return 03-23; Pearl Harbor 04-10 (ammunition/armory equipment); Majuro - replenished TF 58 warships and berthed officer passengers; Roi Island, Kwajalein 06-06 to 06-21 (defective ammunition/empty shell cases); San Francisco 07-11; dry stores run: Pearl 08-01 to 08-03, Eniwetok 08-15 to 09-15 as station stores ship issuing supplies and berthing transient sailors; transferred remaining cargo to Silica (IX-151) 09-11; carried 53 hospital patients to Pearl (09-16 to 09-25); San Pedro 10-06; voyage repairs; departed 10-27 for the southwest Pacific: Finschhafen 11-23, Manus/Seeadler Harbor 11-25 to 12-15 provisioning duty, Kossol Passage and Ulithi, Auckland (Princess Dock) 1945-01-24 to 02-01, Noumea 02-05 to 02-09, Manus again 02-16, Ulithi 02-28 - station stores ship at Ulithi through the Okinawa campaign and the 3d/5th Fleet air assaults on Japan (one round-trip to Pearl late July-early August); ended Ulithi duty 1945-09-11; Okinawa 09-16 to 10-23; Samar 11-05 to 12-24; Shanghai accommodation ship from 12-30 through early April 1946 (departed 04-10); Guam 04-16 to 05-05; San Francisco arrival 05-22; Stockton provisions; arrived Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard 1946-07-06 for inactivation; out of commission 1946-08-13; towed to San Francisco spring 1947; struck from the Navy list 1947-05-22; transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay-up at NDRF Suisun Bay under merchant name George C. Yount.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1947

   Population

   Navy crew (cpl. 201 per spec block); embarked passengers and hospital patients carried in transport status (documented headcounts: 83 Navy men Mar 1944, 44 passengers Apr 1944, 47 marines Jun 1944, 51 Navy passengers Jun 1944, 53 hospital patients Sep 1944, 56 sailors Sep 1944); Matson conversion workers; Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard inactivation workers

   Limitations

   Authoritative for identity, chronology, and operations. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or hazardous-material statement - the Matson Navigation Co. conversion (Nov 1943-Jan 1944) and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard inactivation (Jul-Aug 1946) are documented as events only; their materials scope is not described. DANFS spec block omits the 40mm mounts NavSource lists and shows only '2 20mm' - variance logged in the correction row. The merchant window (Feb-Nov 1943, APL under WSA) is one sentence in DANFS - voyage detail undocumented except for the MARAD-file Port Hueneme radio-seal report (ev-02).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - ASCELLA (AK-137) Detail 339 and GEORGE C. YOUNT Detail 8231 (vessel status card 2ON_01.png; NDRF vessel-data card 339_640AF.jpg; Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales 339_AF.jpg; documents ASCELLA.pdf and GeorgeCYount_8231_001.pdf read directly) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 339 (milestones: Entry + Acquisition 5/28/1947 'ex-GEORGE C. YOUNT', Disposition + Withdrawl 7/27/1964 'ex-GEORGE C. YOUNT'; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; cards /cards/339_640AF.jpg, /cards/339_AF.jpg; document /documents/609e6f45-a918-49c4-a046-558813ca8f4f.pdf) and Detail 8231 (card /cards/2ON_01.png; document /documents/GeorgeCYount_8231_001.pdf)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull (Detail 339 'ASCELLA (AK-137)' and Detail 8231 'GEORGE C. YOUNT', same U.S. Official No. 242930): MARAD type EC2-S-C1; built 1943 by California Shipbuilding Corporation; 7,176 gross / 4,380 net tons; bale capacity 499,573 cu ft and grain 562,608 cu ft (status card); DWT 10,800 (Form MA-20 sale card) vs '10572c' (status card); registered dimensions 417'8" x 56'10" x 37'4" LWT 3385 (MA-20) vs length 441.60 ft (Detail 339) / 441.50 ft (Detail 8231) vs 441'6" overall elsewhere - measure-type difference; draft 27'8" (MA-20) / 27.60 (Detail 339) vs 28'4" (DANFS). Vessel status card for GEORGE C. YOUNT: 'MCE Hull No. 708', 'Built by CALIFORNIA S.B. CO. At LOS ANGELES, Completed 2-21-43', 'Basis to W.S.A. 2-21-43 11:00AM PWT @ Los Angeles, Cal. Owned'; allocation rows: 'American President Lines, Ltd.' GAA at Los Angeles 2-21-43 11:00 AM; 'Navy Dept. (Ascella) (AK-137)' form 'Purch BB' at San Francisco 11-30-43 4:xx PM; 'Reserve Fleet' at Suisun Bay 5-28-47 2:30 PM PST ('NOW: ASCELLA'); 'National Metal & Steel Corp. (Scrap)' Purchased at Suisun Bay 7-27-64 11:00 AM PDST. NDRF vessel-data card (fleet SUISUN F-19): type 'EC2 / Mil. Aux. AK', built 'CALIF. S/B 1943', entered fleet 5-28-47 1430, hull no. MCE-708, 556 bbls Bunker C fuel at entry, 'Sold Scrap - PD-X-670 dated June 11, 1964 - Awarded to Nat'l Metal & Steel Corp. $49,653.18 Steward 7/7/64', withdrawn 'July 27, 1964 - 1100 hrs PDST' delivered to purchaser. Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales: contract no. MA-3666, year built 2-21-43, awarded to National Metal & Steel Corp. 7-7-64 for $49,653.18, remarks '6-11-64 Advertised under PD-X-670 Opened 7-2-64 - Dismantle Hull U.S.' Digitized document ASCELLA.pdf: redelivery/transfer ledger shows Maritime Administration -> National Metal & Steel Corp. at Suisun Bay, 'LU/Purch. Sale Dismantling Scrap', typed '7/27/65' with handwritten 'Correction' - all other records read 1964 (typo noted, 1964 carried). Digitized document GeorgeCYount_8231_001.pdf: 'Report of Radio Sealed by the Captain of the Port,' Port Hueneme, Calif., 21 October 1943 - master 'Dumouchelle, E. C.' (U.S. national), vessel GEORGE C. YOUNT; Mackay 150 AY transmitter (350-500 kc, 300 W), Mackay 168-B portable (5 W), Westinghouse TBY-2 emergency set (28-80 mc); inspection per VCNO ltr ser 3001020 of 17 July 1943 re physical security of radio transmitters; signed Oscar G. Toombs, CRM - the only located artifact of the nine-month APL merchant window.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964

   Limitations

   Authoritative government custody record for this hull; status-card handwriting and sale annotations read directly from scans. Documents the WSA-owned/APL-operated merchant window and the Navy bareboat allocation to the minute. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or condition-survey information - the 'Dismantle Hull U.S.' sale term is a location requirement, not a materials statement; the radio-seal report concerns transmitter security, not construction materials. Supports no asbestos claim. The ledger's typed '7/27/65' delivery year conflicts with every other record (1964) - handwritten 'Correction' on the card face; carried as 1964, discrepancy logged.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, USS Ascella (AK-137) page (compiled reference incl. DANFS transcription, awards table, occupation/China service dates, CO table, specifications block, captioned photo credits) [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/13/130137.htm - full page incl. specifications block, occupation/China service medal periods, commanding-officer table, photo captions (Mare Island 272-44/274-44/276-44/351-44; NHHC UA571.51 Auckland; Yangtze 1946-01-19)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Online (Service Ship Photo Archive, AK-137 page) records: laid down 1943-01-07 as SS George C. Yount (EC2-S-C1, MCE hull 708) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA; launched 1943-02-04; delivered to American President Lines; acquired by U.S. Navy 1943-11-30; modified for naval service at Matson Navigation Co., San Francisco; commissioned 1944-01-07 at Hunters Point Navy Yard, LCDR Alexander Kusebauch USNR in command; assigned Asiatic-Pacific Theater; post-war Occupation and China service - Navy Occupation Service Medal 1945-09-17 to 10-03, China Service Medal (extended) 1945-12-31 to 1946-04-10; decommissioned 1946-08-13 at Pearl Harbor; struck from the Naval Register 1947-05-22, name reverted to SS George C. Yount; laid up NDRF Suisun Bay 1947-05-28; sold for scrapping 1964-07-07 (PD-X-670) for $49,653.18 to National Metal & Steel Corp., removed from the fleet 1964-07-27. Spec block: 4,023 t (lt) / 14,550 t (fl); 441'6" x 56'11" x 28'4"; 12.5 kts; complement 21 officers + 180 enlisted; cargo 420,277 cu ft non-refrigerated / 7,800 DWT; largest boom 30 t; armament 1x 5"/38 DP + 1x 3"/50 DP + 2x 40mm AA + 6x 20mm AA; fuel NSFO 9,660 bbls + diesel 2,010 bbls; propulsion one Joshua-Hendy vertical triple-expansion engine, two Western Pipe & Steel header-type boilers (220 psi, 450 deg F), three recip-drive 20kW + one turbo-drive 60kW 120V DC ship's-service generators, single propeller, 2,500 shp; call sign NHDB. Commanding officers: LCDR Alexander Kusebauch (1944-01-07 to 1945-07-01), LT James Benjamin Blee (to 1945-09-01), LT Richard B. Middleton (to 1945-11-01), LT Warren S. Bell (to 1946-08-13). Photo captions: four Navy Yard Mare Island photos of Ascella off San Francisco (272-44, 274-44, 276-44 of 1944-01-13; 351-44 of 1944-01-15); NHHC photo UA571.51 panoramic officers-and-crew view at Auckland, New Zealand, circa 1944; Ascella at anchor on the Yangtze River, Shanghai, 1946-01-19 (contributed by USS LST-1040 veteran); Ascella probably in San Francisco Bay 1946 (Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum).

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964

   Population

   Ship's company (~201 per spec blocks); transient passengers, hospital patients, and berthed transient sailors at Majuro/Eniwetok/Ulithi

   Limitations

   Privately compiled standard reference, not a government publication - consistent with DANFS and the MARAD cards where they overlap (dates, dimensions, complement total 201, sale figure, call sign). The Joshua-Hendy engine and Western Pipe & Steel boiler attributions are NavSource-only and uncorroborated (no MARAD machinery card digitized for this hull); armament adds 2x 40mm and lists 6x 20mm vs DANFS '2 20mm'; CO surname 'Kusebauch' vs DANFS 'Kusebach' - variance logged. No asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-03

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 'T. EC2-S-Cl', the MARAD cards 'CARGO EC2'/'EC2', and the sale card's 'Liberty' type field) 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-type 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

   Population

   Construction trades (Calship, Terminal Island, Jan-Feb 1943); APL merchant crew (Feb-Nov 1943); Matson conversion workers (Nov 1943-Jan 1944); Navy engine-room and maintenance crew (1944-46); Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard inactivation workers (Jul-Aug 1946); NDRF caretakers (1947-64); National Metal & Steel scrapping workers (1964)

   Limitations

   Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual names the EC2-S-C1 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 Navy AK conversion at Matson Navigation Co. added armament and fittings whose material scope is undocumented. Asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, present-day presence (hull scrapped 1964), individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-04

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 Calship, one of the original nine USMC emergency yards - 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 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-ascella-ak137-05

6. [6]O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012), CourtListener opinion 844228; 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

   O'Neil opinion, 53 Cal. 4th 335 (No. S177401; cluster verified in batch-01); Robinson opinion, 891 F.2d 31 (No. 1547, docket 89-6109; verified in batches 01/05)

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Doctrinal context for the two operating regimes this hull actually lived under: (a) Navy period - O'Neil v. Crane Co., 53 Cal. 4th 335 (2012), the California Supreme Court 'bare metal' decision arising from asbestos exposure aboard USS Oriskany (CV-34), holds a product manufacturer is not liable for harm caused by another manufacturer's asbestos product used with its equipment - the posture under which WWII-era Navy-ship product claims are litigated; (b) merchant window - this hull spent nine months (Feb-Nov 1943) as a War Shipping Administration vessel operated by an American President Lines civilian crew under a GAA, the fleet posture addressed in In re Joint Eastern and Southern Districts Asbestos Litigation (Robinson v. United States), 891 F.2d 31 (2d Cir. 1989), where mesothelioma claims against the United States for WSA-vessel exposure were barred on discretionary-function grounds. For this hull the governing structure is the WSA-owned / APL-operated then Navy-bareboat sequence documented on the MARAD status card.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   2012 and 1989 (opinions); wartime exposure period

   Population

   WWII-era Navy sailors and WSA merchant mariners (class context)

   Limitations

   Doctrinal context only - neither opinion names this hull, neither finds asbestos conditions aboard any specific vessel, and both establish legal framework rather than exposure. No docketed case naming Ascella, AK-137, or George C. Yount was located (see negative-finding row and search ledger); CourtListener direct 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-ascella-ak137-06

7. [7]Batch-828 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via hazegray transcription + HyperWar compiled table; MARAD ShipHistory Details 339/8231 + three digitized cards + two document PDFs; NavSource AK-137; shipbuildinghistory Calship yard table; usmm.org Calship table; NVR; CourtListener (blocked + Google-indexed check); web-wide litigation/name sweeps; NARA record-group guides; LA Maritime Museum/OAC Calship collection [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-ascella-ak137-01 through sl-uss-ascella-ak137-10

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, NDRF condition report, or docketed case naming USS Ascella, AK-137, or SS George C. Yount was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Direct CourtListener API queries were blocked by rate limiting on 2026-09-20 (shared machine quota, same outage logged by batches 788/796/824); a Google site:courtlistener.com check returned only name collisions ('Yount' surname litigation - an N.D. Ohio employment case, Taxotere and testosterone MDL filings) and nothing for 'Ascella' or 'AK-137' - no vessel or asbestos match. The hull appears on law-firm SEO ship lists (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list; duboselawfirm.com cargo-ship table row 'AK-137 Ascella 1944 Crater') - marketing compilations excluded per source rules; list presence is not documentation. The hull was scrapped in the U.S. in 1964 under a 'Dismantle Hull U.S.' sale term - before federal asbestos NESHAP enforcement on demolition - so no regulated abatement record was ever expected to exist.

   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 1943 EC2-S-C1 hull with a documented naval conversion 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: check is not a substitute.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-07

8. [8]NARA record-group guidance: RG 24 (Navy deck logs, post-1941 at Archives II College Park), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 248 (War Shipping Administration), RG 26 merchant-vessel logbook guidance; LA Maritime Museum Calship collection via OAC finding aid ark:/13030/c8v126j1; NHHC photo UA571.51 (indexed via NavSource) [other_primary]

   Locator

   archives.gov/research/military/logbooks + guide-fed-records/groups/178.html and /248.html + research/military/logbooks/merchant-vessels-pl.html; oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8v126j1 (CalShip collection summary: bi-weekly CalShip Log 1941-1945, CalShip Cavalcade, Labor Day program); catalog.archives.gov automated query not completed this pass

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction orders; no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for USS Ascella (Jan 1944-Aug 1946) at Archives II, College Park - would document every cargo run, the Eniwetok/Ulithi station-ship periods, and the Shanghai accommodation-ship duty; (b) NARA RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission) Construction Division and West Coast regional files for the MCE hull 708 contract and Calship outfitting specifications; (c) NARA RG 248 (War Shipping Administration) vessel files for the APL general-agency period and the 1943-11-30 Navy bareboat allocation; (d) merchant logbooks for SS George C. Yount (Feb-Nov 1943) in RG 26 (U.S. Coast Guard), distributed by port of submission; (e) Bureau of Ships / supervisor-of-shipbuilding records for the Matson Navigation Co. San Francisco conversion (Nov 1943-Jan 1944) - the likeliest surviving source of any materials description for the naval conversion; (f) Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard inactivation work package (Jul-Aug 1946); (g) Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Papers of California Shipbuilding Corporation 1941-1945 (CalShip Log run, CalShip Cavalcade) per OAC finding aid ark:/13030/c8v126j1 - the builder's own archive for hull 133/MCE 708 construction records; (h) NHHC photographic archive for original prints behind NavSource captions (UA571.51 Auckland crew panorama; the four Mare Island views); (i) NDRF Suisun Bay preservation/custody records behind the 1947-1964 lay-up.

   Verification

   unverified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964 records

   Limitations

   Record-group and collection mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed in person. The OAC finding aid confirms the Calship collection exists but describes publications, not per-hull construction files. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-08

9. [9]Cross-source reconciliation: DANFS entry (hazegray transcription); NavSource AK-137 page; HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945' AK-137 table; MARAD Detail 339/8231 cards and documents; shipbuildinghistory Calship yard table; usmm.org Calship table; Wikipedia (secondary, elaborations not carried) [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS entry text; navsource.net/archives/09/13/130137.htm spec block and CO table; ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AK/AK-137_Ascella.html; MARAD cards 2ON_01.png / 339_640AF.jpg / 339_AF.jpg + ASCELLA.pdf; shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/kcalifornia.htm hull-133 row; usmm.org/l/calship.html hull-708 row

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Cross-source reconciliation (logged, not merged): (a) CO surname - DANFS 'Kusebach' vs NavSource 'Kusebauch' (Alexander K., USNR) for the first commanding officer; DANFS carried as primary. (b) Armament - DANFS 'a. 1 5", 1 3", 2 20mm.' (no 40mm, only two 20mm) vs NavSource and HyperWar '1x 5"/38 DP + 1x 3"/50 DP + 2x 40mm AA + 6x 20mm AA' - the fuller suite carried as the standard Crater fit, DANFS block noted as incomplete or early-config. (c) Speed - 12.5 kts (DANFS, NavSource) vs 11.5 max/10 econ (HyperWar table) vs an '11.x' notation on the MARAD status card; no reconciliation attempted. (d) Displacement - 4,023 t light consistent across DANFS/NavSource/MARAD; full-load 14,550 t (NavSource, MARAD Detail 339) vs 11,565 t (HyperWar table - probable transposition). (e) Power - 2,500 shp (NavSource, class standard) vs '1,950 HP' (HyperWar table); NavSource/class figure carried. (f) Draft - 28'4" (DANFS, NavSource) vs 27'8" (MA-20 card) / 27.60 (MARAD Detail 339) vs '130'' (HyperWar - obvious typo). (g) Delivery-year typo - MARAD transfer ledger types '7/27/65' for the National Metal & Steel delivery where both cards and the milestones table read 1964; handwritten 'Correction' on the ledger face; 1964 carried. (h) Builder location rendering - 'Wilmington, Calif.' (DANFS, NavSource) vs 'Terminal Island, Los Angeles' (shipbuildinghistory, usmm.org, Wikipedia) vs 'LOS ANGELES' (MARAD card) - the Calship yard sits on Terminal Island in the Wilmington/LA harbor district; one site, three renderings. (i) Length - 441'6" overall (DANFS/NavSource) vs 441.60/441.50 ft (MARAD detail pages) vs 417'8" registered (MA-20 card) - measure-type difference. (j) Sponsor detail - 'Mrs. E. Rickenbacker' (DANFS) is all that is documented; Wikipedia's 'Elizabeth Rickenbacker, mother of Eddie Rickenbacker' elaboration is secondary-only and is not asserted. (k) Acquisition form - MARAD card reads 'Purch BB' at the Navy Dept. row vs DANFS 'bare-boat basis'; DANFS phrasing carried. (l) DWT - 10,800 (MA-20) vs '10572c' (status card) vs cargo capacity 7,800 DWT (NavSource) / 7,220 DWT (HyperWar) - deadweight vs cargo-capacity measures plus card variance, disclosed not merged.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1964 (dates reconciled 2026-09-20)

   Limitations

   Resolves nothing by fiat - records which source says what so downstream consumers inherit the conflicts honestly. No asbestos content in any reconciled source.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-ascella-ak137-09