Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet mv-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-asphalt-ix153-pkt-mv-packet-md
-
[2]DANFS, 'Asphalt (IX-153) 1944-1945' - NHHC ship histories (Raymond A. Mann; updated Robert J. Cressman, 4 Aug 2022) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS page 'Asphalt (IX-153)' via Wayback capture 2024-04-14 (live NHHC URL returned 404 on 2026-09-29 - standing link-rot noted in batch-01)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS entry (NHHC, updated 2022-08-04, Mann/Cressman): Asphalt (IX-153), a non-self-propelled concrete barge, was laid down 6 Aug 1943 at South San Francisco, CA, by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyards, under Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 1327); launched 27 Oct 1943; delivered to the Maritime Commission and acquired by the Navy 30 Jun 1944 and placed in service that same day. Assigned to Service Force, Pacific Fleet, as a floating provisions storage facility, she spent her brief career at forward bases, mostly Saipan, as a unit of Service Squadron 10. A storm struck the anchorage 6 Oct 1944; her anchor chains parted and she was driven hard aground on a coral reef; declared a total loss; cargo and machinery salvaged; abandoned. Struck from the Navy Register 23 Feb 1945. Header data: displacement 10,960 (full load); length 366'0"; beam 54'0"; draft 33'0"; type B7-D1.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Limitations
- Authoritative for identity, construction, service, loss, and striking. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information whatsoever; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-01
-
[3]Shipscribe, 'USS Trefoil (IX-149) Class' - compiled Naval Vessel Register and CNO/MC acquisition records (Stephen S. Roberts, compiled 28 Aug 2010) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Class page: construction/disposition tables, class notes, and ship notes (IX-153 row, MC 1327)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Compiled Naval Vessel Register / Maritime Commission record (shipscribe, Stephen S. Roberts): ASPHALT (IX-153) is MC hull 1327 - launched under mercantile name QUARTZ, designated USS Quartz (IX-150), renamed Asphalt (IX-153) in the 15 Feb 1944 CNO name/hull-number correction (the former mercantile ASPHALT, MC 1330, became Quartz IX-150). One of two refrigerated conversions in the IX 149-154 group: reefer spaces at all levels of holds #5 and #6 plus special stowages; completion delayed waiting refrigeration equipment. Driven onto a coral reef at Saipan by typhoon 6 Oct 44; stripping completed and hulk abandoned 13 Feb 45; listed in later Navy records as destroyed effective 30 Nov 45. Class data: complement 54 (1944); class notes: crews rose from 16 (basic barge) to 53 (GSK conversion) and 61 (refrigerated conversion); all were placed in service, not in commission.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1942-1945
- Limitations
- Private compilation of official NVR/CNO/MC records - not itself a primary government source; internally consistent with DANFS on dates it covers. Its 'typhoon' wording for the 6 Oct 1944 event is stronger than DANFS's 'storm'; both recorded. Contains no asbestos or materials information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-02
-
[4]DANFS, 'Boreas' (AF-8) entry - NHHC ship histories [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- NHHC DANFS page 'Boreas' via Wayback capture 2024-06-13, paragraph covering late-1944 operations
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS Boreas entry provides independent ship-specific corroboration: 'Late in 1944, she [USS Boreas, AF-8] salvaged cargo from Asphalt (IX-153), a concrete storage barge that had grounded on a coral reef off Saipan during a severe storm.' Confirms the grounding, the salvage operation, and that the hull's cargo/machinery removal was performed by fleet units after the loss.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- USS Boreas salvage detail (personnel aboard the wreck during cargo salvage, late 1944)
- Limitations
- Confirms salvage activity aboard the wrecked hull (a disturbance/work-evolution fact, not a materials finding). No asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-03
-
[5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive, 'Asphalt (IX-153)' (page maint. Gary P. Priolo, updated 2014-03-07), via Wayback capture 2025-05-28 [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource IX-153 page - specifications block, event list, photo caption
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry for Asphalt (IX-153): specifications - displacement 5,678 t light / 10,960 t full; length 366'4"; beam 54'; draft 26'; complement 52; cargo capacity 3,000 DWT non-refrigerated / 292,000 cu ft; armament one single 40mm and four single 20mm AA mounts; machinery four diesel-driven 60 kW 120 V DC ship's-service generators, diesel fuel 610 bbls. Events: damaged beyond economical repair by storm at Saipan 6 Oct 1944; placed out of service 23 Feb 1945; 'struck from the Naval Register, 3 January 1946' (conflicts with DANFS 23 Feb 45 - see correction row). Photo record: wreck of ex-Asphalt extant at Saipan (contributor Phil Orr). Final disposition listed as abandoned, with a semi-submerged position consistent with 15 deg 13'N 145 deg 42'E.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1944-present (photo undated)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive reproducing NVR-type specifications and a contributed wreck photograph; useful as the only located spec sheet and the photographic confirmation the hulk remains at Saipan, but not a government primary source. Its 3 Jan 1946 strike date conflicts with DANFS and compiled NVR data (23 Feb 45) and matches sister Silica's strike date - treated as a transcription error pending NVR confirmation. No asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-04
-
[6]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); shipscribe class conversion notes (reefer spaces holds #5-6) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373; shipscribe Trefoil-class page class notes
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- Era-level context only. Peer-reviewed scholarship documents that asbestos was used extensively as a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this B7-D1 concrete barge was built and converted (1943-44, refrigerated stores conversion). For this hull type the candidate asbestos locations are narrower than for powered vessels: no boilers, steam lines, or propulsion machinery existed aboard; plausible applications are confined to auxiliary-machinery insulation (diesel generators, refrigeration plant), gaskets/packing, and electrical insulation. No materials specification for the B7-D1 type or this hull has been located.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1945
- Population
- Barge crew (~52-61, unverified); Barrett & Hilp construction/conversion workforce (1943-44); salvage personnel (1944-45)
- Limitations
- Neither source documents asbestos aboard this hull or the B7-D1 type - Corn & Starr is program-era scholarship, shipscribe documents conversion scope without materials. Asbestos presence aboard is era-level presumption; does not establish presence, quantity, condition, individual exposure, or causation. The absence of a propulsion plant materially narrows the inferred exposure profile relative to steam-powered hulls.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-05
-
[7]CourtListener API v4 opinion search, queries "IX-153" and "USS Asphalt" [court_record]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-asphalt-ix153-07, -08, -09
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- CourtListener sweep (authenticated API v4): opinion search '"IX-153"' returned 2 hits, both classified as non-vessel name collisions - an untitled Texas Attorney General opinion and Rennie v. Klein (D.N.J., civil-rights/psychiatric-medication litigation; 'IX-153' appears as an internal identifier, not the ship). Opinion search '"USS Asphalt"' returned 0 results. No qualifying asbestos litigation - or any litigation - naming this vessel was located. Supplementary queries ('Asphalt' + barge/vessel terms; docket-type search) were blocked by the fleet-wide pacing budget at session end - see ledger.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Sweep covers indexed opinions only; unindexed filings, district-court records outside RECAP, and settled/unreported matters are not captured. The hull's ~3.5-month service ending Oct 1944 and remote forward-area loss make named-vessel asbestos litigation unlikely but not impossible; a docket-level sweep remains pending (blocked at session end).
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-06
-
[8]Batch-4723 search ledger (this record): DANFS Asphalt + Boreas entries; shipscribe compiled NVR/MC record; NavSource spec/photo archive; HyperWar IX table; MARAD ShipHistory public search; NOAA 2023 Saipan submerged-resources cruise report; CourtListener name/hull searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-asphalt-ix153-01 through sl-uss-asphalt-ix153-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, archaeological-site materials assessment, or docketed case naming Asphalt (IX-153), MC hull 1327, or the hull's Quartz-era designations was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a refrigerated stores conversion of 1943-44 would era-consistently have carried some asbestos-containing materials in auxiliary machinery and insulation. The hulk was stripped and abandoned in 1945 and remains submerged; present-day material condition is undocumented and irrelevant to crew-era exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-07
-
[9]Cross-source comparison: DANFS Asphalt entry; shipscribe compiled NVR; NavSource IX-153 page; Wikipedia infobox (rejected values) [other_primary]
- Locator
- DANFS entry header/body; shipscribe construction & disposition tables; NavSource spec block
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Source discrepancies resolved: (a) strike date - NavSource reports 'struck from the Naval Register 3 January 1946'; DANFS and the compiled NVR record give 23 Feb 1945 (3 Jan 1946 is sister Silica's strike date - treated as a NavSource transpose; DANFS adopted). (b) Launch date - Wikipedia infobox gives 29 Oct 1943; DANFS and the compiled record give 27 Oct 1943 (adopted). (c) Draft - DANFS header 33'0" vs NavSource 26' vs compiled record 26.25' full load - likely light vs loaded figures; not resolved, schema carries no draft field. (d) Displacement light - 5,636 (compiled) vs 5,678 (NavSource); DANFS gives only 10,960 full load. (e) Complement - 52 (NavSource) vs 54 class table vs ~61 refrigerated-conversion notes - unverified, carried to gaps.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1946 records
- Limitations
- Resolves publication-level discrepancies in secondary compilations against the DANFS primary record; the strike-date conflict is adjudicated in favor of DANFS+compiled-NVR but not verified against the NVR itself. None of these sources contains asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-08
-
[10]NARA guidance: Navy deck logs 1941-1959 (RG 24); Guide to Federal Records RG 178 (US Maritime Commission) and RG 313 (naval operating forces) [other_primary]
- Locator
- archives.gov logbook guidance; RG 178/313 record-group guides
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): (a) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for IX-153 covering June 1944 through the February 1945 stripping/abandonment - digitization status unknown, the Navy deck-log digitization project is ongoing; (b) NARA RG 178 Maritime Commission records - construction and conversion files for MC hull 1327 at Belair Shipyard, the most likely repository of any outfitting/materials specification for the refrigerated conversion; (c) NARA RG 313 records of Service Squadron 10 / Service Force Pacific Fleet - war diaries and salvage correspondence for the October 1944 grounding and Boreas salvage operation.
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1946 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed. Whether these holdings contain materials or asbestos-relevant documents for MC hull 1327 / IX-153 is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-asphalt-ix153-09