USS Auburn (AGC-10)

Evidence

10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).

1. [1]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - amphibious force flagships (AGC) section, per-hull rows for AUBURN AGC-10 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AGC section - dimensions, machinery, armament, and construction tables (approx. pp. 54-58); index entry p. ~349

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official wartime BuShips publication carries per-hull rows for AUBURN AGC-10 (index: 'Auburn (ex-Kathay, ex-M.C. Hull 1351)'): dimensions 459'2" overall / 435'0" pp, beam 63'0", 16.4 knots, 13,910 tons limiting; machinery 1 General Electric turbine, 6,000 shp, 1 propeller, 2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F; armament 2 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm; built by N.C.S.B. Corp., Wilmington; acquired 31 Jan 44; first commission 20 Jul 44.

   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, builder, and commissioning. OCR of the scanned table is columnar and partially garbled; values cross-verified against DANFS, NavSource, and shipscribe. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-01

2. [2]DANFS, 'Auburn II (AGC-10)' entry, Naval History Division (verbatim transcription via HyperWar/ibiblio - live NHHC page returns 404) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block + Mount McKinley class-statistics block (HyperWar/ibiblio transcription)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS records: Kathay laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1351) 14 Aug 1943 at Wilmington, N.C., by North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp.; launched 19 Oct 1943, sponsored by Miss Julia Raney; acquired by the Navy 31 Jan 1944; converted at Hoboken, N.J., by Bethlehem Steel Co. as an amphibious force flagship; renamed Auburn, designated AGC-10; commissioned at Hoboken 20 Jul 1944, Capt. Ralph Orsen Myers in command. Shakedown Chesapeake Bay; departed Norfolk 17 Aug 1944, transited Panama Canal 23 Aug, Pearl Harbor 6 Sep; flagship for Commander Amphibious Group 2, Pacific Fleet from 9 Sep. Pearl Harbor Navy Yard availability from 29 Sep (flag-bridge alterations, additional evaporators). Maui training Nov; departed 27 Jan 1945 via Eniwetok/Saipan to Tinian; Iwo Jima assault coordination 19 Feb-27 Mar 1945. Returned Pearl Harbor; departed 15 May; flagship 5th Amphibious Forces at Okinawa 31 May-21 Jun. Pearl Harbor drydock repairs Jul-Aug (Japan capitulated 15 Aug while in drydock). Manila ~1 month; Sasebo 20 Sep; Nagasaki 23 Sep (ship-to-shore communications, occupation facilities); Wakayama 25 Sep (Osaka/Kyoto occupation support); Yokohama early Oct; departed Japan 12 Oct. San Francisco Bay 31 Oct; Pearl Harbor 14 Nov (passengers to Norfolk); retransited canal 29 Nov; Norfolk 7 Dec. Flagship, Commander Training Command, Atlantic Fleet from ~10 Dec 1945 to Jan 1947; inactivation at Norfolk Naval Shipyard; out of commission in reserve 7 May 1947; stricken from the Navy list 1 Jul 1960; transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal Nov 1960; sold 1961 and scrapped.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1961

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history, identity, and disposal outline. Contains no asbestos, insulation-material, survey, or hazmat statement; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the HyperWar transcription is the verbatim DANFS text. The DANFS spec line reads 'cl. Catoctin' while its own class-statistics block is headed MOUNT McKINLEY (AGC 7-14) - Mount McKinley carried, consistent with NavSource/shipscribe/MARAD.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-02

3. [3]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Auburn (AGC-10), file 10/01/0110 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 0110.htm - specifications block, campaign/awards table, occupation-service line, commanding-officer table, disposal entries

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource file corroborates DANFS milestones and adds detail: campaign table - Iwo Jima operation, assault and occupation 19 Feb-27 Mar 1945, and Okinawa Gunto operation 31 May-21 Jun 1945 (2 battle stars); occupation service 18 Sep-12 Oct 1945; decommissioned 7 May 1947 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA; Atlantic Reserve Fleet; stricken 1 Jul 1960; transferred to MARAD for disposal Nov 1960; final disposition 'sold for scrapping, 17 February 1961, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD (PD-X-597) for $211,666.66'. Spec block: 7,500 t light / 12,580 t full; 459'3" x 63' x 24'; 16.4 kt; complement 54 officers + 632 enlisted; staff accommodations 71 officers + 132 enlisted; armament 2 x 5"/38 DP + 4 twin 40mm + 14 single 20mm; propulsion 1 GE geared turbine drive, 2 B&W header-type boilers 450 psi/750 deg F, double GE main reduction gears, single propeller 6,000 shp; generators 3 turbo-drive 300kW DC + 1 diesel-drive 100kW AC. CO table: Myers 20 Jul 44-31 May 45; Welker 31 May 45-Jul 46; Pleasants Jul 46-1 Apr 47; LCDR Seward 1 Apr-7 May 47.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1961

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; every overlapping milestone agrees with DANFS, SDB, and MARAD. Its per-hull framing of the $211,666.66 price omits that the award covered two ships (MARAD sale card: 'for two ships'; shipscribe shows Panamint AGC-13 on the same sale date) - correction carried on the MARAD row. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-03

4. [4]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - AUBURN (AGC-10), Ship History Detail 5684, incl. scanned Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales card, Form MA-199 Vessel Status Card, and AUBURN.pdf delivery/transfer document [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 5684 registry block, milestones table, status-card scans (/cards/5684_AF.jpg Record of Ship Sales; /cards/4a935e5e...png Vessel Status Card MA-199; /cards/18ae3d7c...jpg cross-reference card), document /documents/183b4923-...pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD registry and scanned primary documents for this hull: registry fields - Year Built 1944; Shipyard 'North Carolina Shipbuilding Company'; General Type Naval Auxiliary; Specific Type 'AGC Amphibious Force Flagship'; MARAD Type C2-S-AJ1; length 459 ft; beam 63 ft; light displacement ~7,510 t; draft 25 ft; fate 'Sold - Scrap'; milestones - Acquisition 3/7/1961 'Vessel transferred from US Navy', Sale 3/7/1961 'Vessel sold for scrap to Boston Metals Co.' The scanned Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales card reads: awarded to The Boston Metals Co. under contract PD-X-597 on 2/17/61, purchase price '$211,666.66 for two ships', contract no. MA-2591, 'Former C2-S-AJ1 MC-1351' (handwritten), vessel location 'Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va.', 'Built for MA by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.', remarks '1/25/61 - Advertised under PD-X-597, opened 2-14/61 - Scrap Hull-US'. The Form MA-199 status card records vessel no. 3000070, type C2-S-AJ1, MC hull 1351, builder's hull no. 96, and the operating-history entries: Navy Dept. delivered to Maritime Adm. at Portsmouth, Va., 3-7-61 2:30 PM EST (Title); Maritime Adm. delivered to The Boston Metals Co. same date/time (Purchased), remark 'Scrap'. AUBURN.pdf confirms delivery/transfer 3-7-61 2:30 PM EST at Portsmouth.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1960-1961 (disposal documents); registry covering 1943/44-1961

   Population

   Breaking-yard workers at Boston Metals Co., Baltimore (1961-1963)

   Limitations

   Authoritative disposal-chain primary record (scanned federal forms). Corrects the per-hull framing in secondary sources: the $211,666.66 award price was 'for two ships' under PD-X-597, not Auburn alone (shipscribe disposition table shows Panamint AGC-13 with the same 17 Feb 61 MA-sale date). MARAD milestone table's 3/7/1961 dates are custody-transfer dates; the sale award was 2/17/61. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-04

5. [5]Shipscribe U.S. Navy auxiliary ships data sheets, 'USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) Class' page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation from Navy registers, BuShips/SCB design records, and MARAD files) [other_primary]

   Locator

   AGC-7 class page: characteristics block, construction table, disposition table, class notes (AGC 10-14 Task Group HQ configuration; TRINIDAD HEAD tow; Philadelphia design agent), ship notes (AGC-10 row)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the class tables and ship notes: AUBURN (AGC-10), MC hull 1351 - 'Ex merc. KATHAY. Delivered 89.9% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 31 Jan-8 Feb 44. Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Hoboken, N.J. In USN reserve 1946-60. To buyer 7 Mar 61, scrapped by 8 May 63.' Construction row: acquired 31 Jan 44, North Carolina SB, keel 14 Aug 43, launched 19 Oct 43, commissioned 20 Jul 44. Disposition row: decommissioned 7 May 47, struck 1 Jul 60, disposal 7 Mar 61, MA sale 17 Feb 61. Class notes: AGC 10-14 (incl. this hull) were converted as Task Group Headquarters Ships - photographic reproduction and some communications equipment deleted and the space allocated to troop and cargo lift, unlike the Task Force Headquarters Ship configuration of AGC 7-9; Philadelphia Navy Yard was design agent for all eight conversions; AGC 10-13 were towed north from Wilmington to New York-area conversion yards by the WSA tug TRINIDAD HEAD. Class design: MC C2-S-AJ1; machinery 'G.E. turbine, 1 screw', 6,000 hp, 16.4 kts.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1963

   Population

   North Carolina Shipbuilding construction workforce (1943-44); Bethlehem Steel Hoboken conversion workforce (1944); NDRF/reserve-fleet caretakers (1947-1960); 1961-63 breaking-yard workers

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of official Navy register, design, and MARAD records, not the registers themselves; figures used where consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD. Its class-level 'Complement: 544 (1944)' conflicts with the DANFS per-hull class-statistics row and NavSource spec block (54 off + 632 enl = 686) - discrepancy logged in gaps. 'In USN reserve 1946-60' is loose - DANFS documents reserve-fleet assignment Jan 1947 and decommissioning 7 May 1947. Contains no asbestos information; the conversion-tow and Task Group Headquarters configuration notes document events, not materials content.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-05

6. [6]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + DANFS/shipscribe-documented build and conversion timeline + MC C2-S-AJ1 type data [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table AGC section (AUBURN row); DANFS narrative; shipscribe AGC-7 class page ship note

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for this hull's documented configuration: a steam-turbine, single-screw amphibious flagship built on a Maritime Commission C2-S-AJ1 cargo hull at North Carolina Shipbuilding (Wilmington, N.C.) in 1943-44 and converted to an amphibious force flagship at Bethlehem Steel Hoboken in the first half of 1944 - entirely within the WWII asbestos-era construction program. Two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750 deg F feeding a General Electric geared turbine (SDB machinery row) is the plant type for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbo-generator lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. The command-ship conversion added extensive interior scope (combat information, radio central, flag quarters, additional accommodations) fitted with era-typical materials. Documented disturbance-phase events for this hull: the Sep-Oct 1944 Pearl Harbor Navy Yard availability (flag-bridge alterations, additional evaporators), the Jul-Aug 1945 Pearl Harbor drydock repairs, the 1947 Norfolk Naval Shipyard inactivation, ~13 years of Atlantic Reserve Fleet lay-up (1947-1960), and the 1961-63 breaking at Boston Metals.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1963

   Population

   Construction trades at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington (1943-44); Bethlehem Steel Hoboken conversion workforce (1944); Pearl Harbor NY availability/drydock workers (1944, 1945); Norfolk NY inactivation workers (1947); wartime crew and embarked flag staff; Atlantic Reserve Fleet caretakers (1947-1960); Boston Metals breaking-yard workers (1961-63)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and documented yard events - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, material schedule, or abatement record naming AGC-10 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. The asbestos scope of each listed yard event is inference, not record.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-06

7. [7]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 Maritime Commission emergency construction program under which this C2-S-AJ1 hull was built (1943-44) and Navy-converted (1944) - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard shipbuilding-program 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 class 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-auburn-agc10-07

8. [8]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 Navy and 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 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, or builder/conversion yard (whether North Carolina Shipbuilding or Bethlehem Hoboken was among surveyed yards is unverified) 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-auburn-agc10-08

9. [9]Batch-701 search ledger (this record): DANFS via HyperWar/ibiblio; NavSource 10/01/0110; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 5684 + scanned status cards + delivery document; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; shipscribe AGC-7 class page; CourtListener (blocked); site-scoped litigation sweeps; VA BVA index; NVR; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger rows sl-uss-auburn-agc10-01 through sl-uss-auburn-agc10-11

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, material schedule, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Auburn / AGC-10 / MC hull 1351 / Kathay was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Direct CourtListener API querying was rate-limit blocked on 2026-09-20 (HTTP 429, 125/day shared quota exhausted on this machine); site-scoped litigation checking surfaced only name collisions - 'Auburn' hits resolve to Auburn Pharmaceutical (opioid MDL), Auburn Technologies (defendant lists), Auburn, Maine counsel locations in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard asbestos cases - none naming this hull. Law-firm marketing pages (simmonsfirm.com navy ship list; asbestos-ships.com yard page for the builder) name the hull or builder without primary support - excluded source class. VA BVA index returned no decision naming the ship. NVR carries no record (hull disposed of pre-1987 coverage).

   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 1943-44 C2-S-AJ1 steam auxiliary built and converted at peak-era yards is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and the documented Pearl Harbor availabilities, the Norfolk inactivation, ~13 years of reserve-fleet lay-up, and the 1961-63 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. CourtListener name/hull sweeps could not be run via API this session (quota-exhausted; backed off per batch instruction) - litigation negative rests on indexed-web checking only.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-auburn-agc10-09

10. [10]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Records of the Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Records of the Maritime Administration) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Auburn 1944-1947 (RG 24, NARA College Park; WWII-era logs paper/microfilm); BuShips records including the AGC conversion program files - shipscribe documents that Philadelphia Navy Yard was design agent for all eight Mount McKinley-class conversions, so Philadelphia design records (RG 19 / RG 181 yard records) are the likeliest conversion-scope source; USMC construction-contract records for MC hull 1351 at North Carolina Shipbuilding (RG 178); MARAD custody and disposal files covering the 1947-1960 reserve-fleet period and the PD-X-597 sale to Boston Metals (RG 357) - the sale/disposal file is the most promising disposal-era hazmat lead, though pre-regulatory-era sales rarely carry materials documentation.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1943-1963 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-auburn-agc10-10