USS Baham (AK-122)

Evidence

11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).

1. [1]DANFS, 'Baham (AG-71)' entry, Naval History and Heritage Command (Raymond A. Mann, updated 2 Dec 2005; live URL returned 404 on 2026-09-20 - verbatim text verified via Internet Archive Wayback capture of 2020-01-13); print-era DANFS 'Baham (AK-122)' via hazegray mirror [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS Baham (AG-71) entry - narrative and spec block (Wayback capture 20200113173215; canonical live URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/baham.html currently 404); print-era AK-122 text at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ak122.htm

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS online entry documents the hull's full service history: laid down 10 Nov 1943 as Elizabeth C. Bellamy under a Maritime Commission contract (M.C.E. Hull 1217) at Jacksonville, Fla., by the St. John's River Shipbuilding Co.; renamed Baham and designated AK-122 on 13 Nov 1943; launched 21 Dec 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Walter F. Rogers; delivered to the Navy 31 Dec 1943 under a bare-boat charter; reduced commission 1 Jan 1944 for the voyage to the Charleston Navy Yard; decommissioned there 6 Jan 1944 for conversion to a combination repair, distilling, and stores-issue ship; redesignated AG-71 14 Mar 1944; placed in commission 18 Aug 1944, Lt. Gavin L. Field, USNR. Stood out of Charleston 1 Sep 1944; ~1 month Chesapeake Bay shakedown; underway 8 Oct via Guantanamo Bay to the Canal Zone; transited the Panama Canal; reached Pearl Harbor Armistice Day 1944. Second conversion at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard - equipment to serve as a maintenance headquarters to repair electronic equipment and issue stores - completed first week of Jan 1945; put to sea 10 Jan; via Eniwetok to Ulithi Atoll, arriving 30 Jan [1945 - DANFS prints '1944', a typo], beginning repair duties as a unit of ServRon 10; assisted repairs on Randolph (CV-15) after her 11 Mar 1945 kamikaze damage at Ulithi. Departed 20 May 1945 for Leyte (anchored Leyte Gulf 25 May; mostly typhoon-damage repair); Eniwetok 10 Jul; on 6 Sep the repair force disembarked and spaces were converted for the staff of Commander ServDiv 102; departed 8 Sep for Japan; typhoon off Honshu; anchored Tokyo Bay 20 Sep 1945. Station ship and staff duty in Japan until 8 Mar 1946; home with returning servicemen; San Francisco 24 Mar 1946; steamed to Pearl Harbor and placed out of commission 19 Jul 1946; reserve at Pearl Harbor until Mar 1947, then towed to San Francisco; stricken from the Navy Register 22 May 1947; transferred to the Maritime Commission and laid up NDRF Suisun Bay 30 Jun 1947; sold 9 Jun 1972 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York; removed from MARAD custody 22 Jun 1972 for scrapping. Spec block: displacement 14,350 (trial); 441'6" x 56'11" x 23'0" limiting; 12.5 kt trial; complement 927; armament 1 5-inch, 4 40mm, 12 20mm; class Basilan; type EC2-S-C1. The companion print-era DANFS (AK-122 entry, hazegray mirror) adds base-by-base dates (San Pedro Bay, Leyte 25 May-30 Jun 1945; Eniwetok 11 Jul-8 Sep 1945; Tokyo Bay 20 Sep 1945-8 Mar 1946) and 'Conversion was completed 10 January 1945' but carries three defects (see correction row).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   Ship's company plus embarked maintenance staff (cpl. 927 spec block); Charleston Navy Yard trades (Jan-Aug 1944 conversion); Pearl Harbor Navy Yard trades (Nov 1944-Jan 1945 upgrade)

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history for identity, milestones, and yard periods; contains no asbestos or insulation-material content. Both yard conversions are documented as events only - scope and materials unrecorded. Entry carries two internal defects: Ulithi arrival dated '30 January 1944' (contextually 1945) and the 13 Nov 1943 rename date conflicts with NavSource's 23 Nov (see correction row). Print-era text adds base-date detail but also its own defects (O. L. Field typo; '1 6-inch' armament; 'sold 30 June 1947' conflation; 'cl. Crater' spec block; dp 5,522 / 12.6 kt figures). Live NHHC page 404 - citation is the archived capture.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-01

2. [2]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - BAHAM (AK-122/AG-71), Ship History Detail 392 (three status-card scans read directly 2026-09-20) and ELIZABETH C. BELLAMY, Ship History Detail 7789 (custody card 218_01.png read directly; custody-table PDF) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 392 characteristics/milestones + card scans /cards/392_732AF.jpg, /cards/392_732AB.jpg, /cards/392_AF.jpg; Detail 7789 + /cards/218_01.png; custody PDF https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/d08a2364-7e44-4d9a-b9e7-7de59c23f664.pdf

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory records for this hull (tracked under both names) read at document level, including the digitized status-card scans: BAHAM (AK-122/AG-71), Detail 392 - Year Built 1943, Official No. 244874, Naval Auxiliary AG Miscellaneous, MARAD type EC2-S-C1, milestones Entry/Acquisition 30 Jun 1947 (ex-ELIZABETH BELLAMY) and Disposition/Withdrawal 22 Jun 1972. Reserve-fleet vessel-data card (392_732AF): 'Navy Operated' BAHAM (AG 71), former Elizabeth C. Bellamy, type Mil. Aux. EC2(S) (hand-annotated 'XAG Miscellaneous Service Ship' and 'Evaporator'), fleet SUISUN E-15, entered fleet 6-30-47 (1230), ownership WSA, built St. Johns 1943, MCE hull 1217, fuel on entry 390 bbls Bunker C + 733 diesel, sea chest filled; red-ink note 'Sold for Nontransportation use under PD-X-938, 6-9-72 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. for $45,235.54'; 'DELIVERED TO ... 0900 PDT 6-22-72.' Card back (392_732AB): 'Gross 7240.' MA-20 Record of Ship Sales (392_AF): awarded to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. 6-9-72, $45,235.54, contract MA-6708, year built 1943, LOA 441'6" beam 56'11", gross 7,176, DWT 5,000, draft 23', location Suisun Bay resflt.; remarks: advertised under PD-X-938 dated 5-4-72, opened 6-1-72, under two conditions '(1) NTU (2) Scrap Hull - U.S.', award under condition (1) NTU. Merchant-name record ELIZABETH C. BELLAMY (Detail 7789): St. John's River Shipbuilding Co., general cargo/break bulk, 7,240 GRT / 4,390 NRT, bale 499,573 cu ft / grain 562,608 cu ft, Official No. 244874, 'Completed 12-31-43'; its custody card (218_01.png) records 'Basis to W.S.A. 12-31-43 2:20PM EWT @ Jacksonville, Fla.', allocation to 'Navy Dept. (BAHAM (AG-71))' under 'BB Purch.' delivered 12-31-43 2:20PM EWT Jacksonville, 'RENAMED: BAHAM', allocation 3-28-47 to Reserve Fleet delivered Suisun Bay 6-30-47 12:30PM PST, then Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. (Nontransportation Use) purchase 6-9-72, physical delivery 6-22-72 9:00am PDT. The merchant card's D.W.T. field is overwritten (10,500 struck through, 10,800 substituted; a '10,350' figure also present).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   NDRF Suisun Bay custody workforce (1947-1972); 1972 sale/delivery handling

   Limitations

   Authoritative for government custody milestones; card handwriting partially hand-interpreted. Documents the 1943 bareboat-charter acquisition, the 1947 NDRF entry at Suisun Bay, and the 1972 nontransportation-use sale ($45,235.54, contract MA-6708, PD-X-938) - the primary record resolving the print-DANFS 'sold ... 30 June 1947' conflation. Tonnage figures conflict across MARAD's own records (gross 7,240 vs 7,176; DWT 10,500 fleet card vs 5,000 MA-20 vs overwritten merchant-card field) - unreconciled. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation-condition information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-02

3. [3]ShipScribe, U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships - 'USS Basilan (AG-68) Class' data page (Stephen S. Roberts compilation, compiled 7 Sep 2009) [other_primary]

   Locator

   shipscribe.com/usnaux/AG/AG68.html - class data table, class notes (conversion program), ship notes (AG-71 row, MCE 1217)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Ship-design compilation naming this hull in the class tables (compiled from Navy and shipyard records): Class BASILAN (AG-68), Design MC EC2-S-C1; Baham line - acquired 31 Dec 43, St. John's River SB, keel 10 Nov 43, launched 21 Dec 43, commissioned 18 Aug 44; decommissioned 19 Jul 46, struck 22 May 47, disposal 30 Jun 47 (MC), MA sale 9 Jun 72. Ship note: 'Ex AK-122 14 Mar 44. Ex merc. ELIZABETH C. BELLAMY. Ferry comm. as AK-122 1 Jan 44 to 6 Jan 44, taken to the Charlestown [sic - Charleston] Navy Yard for addition of troop carrying facilites and then converted to AG-71. Merc. ELIZABETH C. BELLAMY 1947 (MC). To buyer 22 Jun 72.' Class notes document the conversion program: CinCPOA's 2 Dec 43 request for self-propelled barracks/stores ships and two distilling ships; Auxiliary Vessels Board action 14 Mar 44 converting AK-120 and AK-122 to combined barracks-stores-distilling ships AG 70-71 (the two AKs had been accepted from WSA under bareboat charter in Dec 1943); AK-122 converted at the Charleston Navy Yard, lead yard and design agent for all four conversions; CNO-specified features included facilities for 20 officers, 80 CPOs, and 700 enlisted in addition to ship's company, two evaporators of 20,000 gal/day combined capacity, and 1,000-ton freshwater tankage, remaining cargo spaces fitted for repair-ship stores and spares; AG 70-71 further modified Nov-Dec 1944 at Pearl Harbor to add 'electronics repair and staff maintenance ship'/'maintenance headquarters ship' features - more extensive hull alterations plus multiple radar and radio types. Armament: AK-122 had embarked 1-3"/50 and 8-20mm in January 1944; as an AG she was listed 1-3"/50 4-40mmS 12-20mm until shortly after commissioning (class table gives 1-5"/38 4-40mmS 12-20mm original). Class figures: 5,371 t light / 14,350 t limiting; 441.5' oa x 56.9' x 23.0' limiting; complement 180 (1944); 12.5 kt; Albina vertical triple expansion, 1 screw, 2,500 HP.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   Charleston Navy Yard conversion workforce (Jan-Aug 1944); Pearl Harbor Navy Yard upgrade workforce (Nov 1944-Jan 1945)

   Limitations

   Compiled secondary transcription of Navy design and Board/correspondence records - internally consistent with DANFS and the MARAD cards on all major points. Documents the Charleston Navy Yard conversion and the Nov-Dec 1944 Pearl Harbor upgrade that DANFS describes only narratively, and names the conversion program rationale. Ship-note 'Charlestown' conflicts with the class note's 'Charleston Navy Yard' (see correction row; Charleston carried). Armament table vs ship-note inconsistency on the 3"/50 vs 5"/38 main gun resolved in favor of both phases existing (3"/50 at conversion, 5"/38 thereafter per SDB/DANFS). No asbestos or insulation-material content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-03

4. [4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), Auxiliaries - Miscellaneous (AG) section, BAHAM AG-71 row (ShipScribe PDF) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3.pdf pp. 42-47 - AG table rows 5 (BAHAM) across the dimensions, accommodations, machinery, armament, and construction spreads; index entries 'AG71 BAHAM' and 'AK122 BAHAM (now AG71)'

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Bureau of Ships Ships' Data Book per-hull row (wartime primary Navy specification): 'BAHAM (ex-AK122, ex-Elizabeth C. Bellamy, ex-M.C.E. Hull 1217), AG71' - length 441'6" oa / 416'0" wl, beam 56'11", trial speed 12.5 kt, trial displacement 14,350 t; limiting displacement 11,500 t, tons-per-inch immersion 47, limiting draft 23'0", total accommodations 899 (footnote: 'Includes staff of 13 officers and 733 enlisted men'), largest boom capacity 36 t; machinery: 1 propeller, Albina vertical triple-expansion engine, 2,500 shp, 2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 220 psi / 450 deg F; armament: 1x5"/38 cal (D.P.), 4 single 40mm A.A. mounts; built by St. Johns' River S.B. Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.; year built 1943; date acquired 31 Dec 43; date of first commission 1 Jan 44.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1944-1945 data

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked maintenance staff (accommodations 899 incl. staff of 746)

   Limitations

   Primary wartime Navy data book; OCR is columnar - the row was reconstructed across five facing-page spreads and cross-checked against DANFS/NavSource/MARAD. Accommodations 899 (incl. staff 13 off + 733 enl) vs DANFS complement 927 vs NavSource 15+166 crew - different bases, carried separately. 'First commission 1 Jan 44' is the reduced ferry commission (full commission 18 Aug 44 per DANFS). No asbestos or materials content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-04

5. [5]NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Baham (AG-71) ex-USS Baham (AK-122), file 09/49/49071 [other_primary]

   Locator

   navsource.net/archives/09/49/49071.htm - chronology, spec block, photo captions (incl. NARA RG-19-LCM 19-N-70271), awards, CO table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Service Ship Photo Archive entry for this hull: chronology (laid down 10 Nov 1943 as SS Elizabeth C. Bellamy, MCE hull 1217, St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville; name changed to Baham and designated AK-122 23 Nov 1943; launched 21 Dec 1943; acquired 31 Dec 1943; reduced commission 1 Jan 1944 for transit to conversion yard; reclassified Basilan-class miscellaneous auxiliary 14 Mar 1944; full commission 18 Aug 1944, LT Gavin L. Field USNR; Asiatic-Pacific Theater; occupation service 16 Sep 1945-8 Mar 1946; decommissioned 19 Jul 1946 Pearl Harbor; Pacific Reserve Fleet; struck 22 May 1947; towed to Suisun Bay; transferred to the Maritime Commission 30 Jun 1947; sold for scrapping 9 Jun 1972 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York). Spec block: displacement 4,350 lt / 14,350 fl; 441'6" x 56'11" x 23'; 12.5 kt trial; complement officers 15 / enlisted 166, staff accommodations officers 13 / enlisted 733; boom 36 t; armament 1x5"/38 DP, 4x40mm, 12x20mm, 4x.50 cal MG; propulsion 1 Albina vertical triple-expansion, 2 B&W header-type boilers 220 psi/450 deg F, 3 turbo-drive 150 kW 120 V DC generators, single propeller 2,500 shp, NSFO 8,115 bbls + diesel 740 bbls. Awards: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, WWII Victory, Navy Occupation (Asia clasp), Philippines Liberation. Photos: USS Baham (AG-71) underway in the Cooper River off Charleston, S.C., 23 Aug 1944 (US Navy Yard Charleston photos 2363-44, 2364-44; NARA RG-19-LCM photo 19-N-70271, a BuShips photo); at anchor circa late 1945, Far East. CO table: LT Gavin Lewis Field USNR 18 Aug-8 Oct 1944; CDR Francis David Hurd 8 Oct 1944-19 Jul 1946. Call sign NHDP.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   Ship's company (181) plus embarked staff (746 accommodations)

   Limitations

   Volunteer-compiled secondary archive - consistent with DANFS/SDB/MARAD on all carried facts except the rename date (23 Nov vs DANFS's 13 Nov; see correction row) and the occupation-service start (16 Sep 1945 vs DANFS Tokyo Bay anchoring 20 Sep - minor, unreconciled). The complement breakdown resolves the DANFS '927' into ship's company 181 + staff accommodations 746. The cited photograph numbers (Navy Yard Charleston 2363-44/2364-44; RG-19-LCM 19-N-70271) are verifiable archival artifacts. No asbestos or insulation-material content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-05

6. [6]Machinery/yards documented by BuShips SDB 1945 v3 (this hull's row) and ShipScribe class notes (conversion scopes); EC2-S-C1 insulation description per the USMC operating manual (mirrored excerpt); era substitution timing per GAO HRD-80-2 product description [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 AG-71 row (machinery); shipscribe.com/usnaux/AG/AG68.html (conversion scopes); USMC EC2-S-C1 manual excerpt (engine-cylinder insulation section - 'The cylinders are covered with magnesia protected by sheet-iron lagging'); GAO product page HRD-80-2

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull is a 1943 EC2-S-C1 (Liberty) steam ship - a type whose U.S. Maritime Commission operating manual documents cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging, built at a MARCOM emergency yard (St. Johns River, Jacksonville) at the peak of WWII asbestos usage - and was then twice rebuilt in Navy yards: the Jan-Aug 1944 Charleston Navy Yard conversion (accommodations for ~800 embarked staff, evaporators, freshwater tankage, stores spaces) and the Nov 1944-Jan 1945 Pearl Harbor Navy Yard maintenance-headquarters upgrade (additional hull alterations, radar/radio). The machinery configuration - 2 B&W header boilers at 220 psi/450 deg F feeding a vertical triple-expansion engine plus distilling plant - is the configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, evaporator/freshwater-system insulation, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and compartment/accommodation insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. Every insulation installation on this hull (1943 build; 1944 Charleston conversion; 1944-45 Pearl Harbor upgrade) predates the Navy's early-1970s substitution of alternative insulation materials. The 25-year Suisun Bay NDRF layup and the 1972 breaking are the undocumented disturbance-phase pathways.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1972

   Population

   Construction trades at St. Johns River SB (1943); Charleston NY and Pearl Harbor NY conversion trades (1944-45); ship's company and embarked maintenance staff; NDRF layup and 1972 breaking-yard workers

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, conversion events, and construction era - NOT a hull record. The USMC manual names the type, not this vessel, and does not itself state 'asbestos' content (magnesia lagging of the era was typically asbestos-fiber-reinforced). No survey, specification, or material schedule naming AK-122/AG-71 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. GAO HRD-80-2 full text remains fetch-blocked (HTTP 403, confirmed 2026-09-20); the substitution-timing claim rests on its product-page description.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-06

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 (DOI resolves to Wiley Online Library)

   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 and converted - 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, class, or builder yard 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-baham-ak122-07

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 (verified via NCBI eutils esummary); 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 two Navy yards and two Navy 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 and conversion work 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 either yard that worked on this hull (whether Charleston Navy Yard or Pearl Harbor Navy Yard was among the surveyed yards is unverified) and establishes nothing about this hull's materials, condition, or any individual exposure. PubMed indexes only Fleischer and Viles for this 1946 article; the print byline carries all four authors. (The study's exculpatory 'not a dangerous occupation' conclusion has since been heavily criticized - see DOI 10.1177/10482911261446696.)

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-08

9. [9]Cross-source reconciliation: NHHC DANFS online (Wayback 20200113173215); print-era DANFS via hazegray mirror (losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/auxil/ak122.htm); NavSource 09/49/49071; ShipScribe AG-68 class page; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; MARAD status cards (Details 392/7789); HyperWar AG-71 stub (ibiblio.org); Wikipedia (discovery only) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Each source as cited in rows ev-01 through ev-05 and search_ledger

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved or logged: (a) Rename date - NHHC DANFS online says 'renamed Baham and designated AK-122 on 13 November 1943'; NavSource and Wikipedia give 23 November 1943; both postdate the 10 Nov 1943 keel, unresolved, carried as November 1943. (b) Commanding officer - the print-era DANFS (AK-122 text) gives 'Lieutenant O. L. Field, USNR'; the NHHC online entry and the NavSource CO table give Gavin L. Field (Gavin Lewis Field), USNR - 'O. L.' is a print-era typo. (c) Disposal - print DANFS says 'declared surplus and sold by the Maritime Commission 30 June 1947,' but the online DANFS, NavSource, ShipScribe, and the MARAD cards agree she was transferred to MC custody at Suisun Bay on 30 Jun 1947 and actually sold 9 Jun 1972 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. (physical delivery 22 Jun 1972) - the 1947 date is the custody transfer, not a sale. (d) Armament - print-DANFS spec block lists '1 6-inch,' inconsistent with the NHHC online spec block (1 5-inch, 4 40mm, 12 20mm), the BuShips SDB row (1x5"/38 DP, 4 single 40mm), and ShipScribe (1-3"/50 embarked Jan 1944, then 1-3"/50 4-40mmS 12-20mm until shortly after commissioning; class table 1-5"/38) - a Liberty-hull auxiliary carried no 6-inch gun; the 5"/38 outfit per SDB/DANFS is carried. (e) Ulithi arrival - NHHC online prints '30 January 1944,' a year typo (1945 contextually; the ship was converting at Charleston in Jan 1944 and did not reach Pearl Harbor until 11 Nov 1944). (f) Conversion yard spelling - ShipScribe ship note 'Charlestown Navy Yard' vs the class note, DANFS, and NHHC photo captions 'Charleston Navy Yard,' S.C. - Charleston carried. (g) Tonnage conflicts inside MARAD's own records - gross 7,240 (fleet card back; Detail 7789) vs 7,176 (MA-20 sales record); deadweight 10,500 (fleet card) vs 5,000 (MA-20) vs the merchant card's overwritten D.W.T. field (10,500 struck, 10,800 substituted; '10,350' also present) - unreconciled. (h) Wikipedia body text 'launched 30 November 1943' contradicts its own infobox and all primary-derived sources (21 Dec 1943) - not carried; Wikipedia infobox 'Completed 10 December 1943' likewise contradicts the launch date and the MARAD custody card's 'Completed 12-31-43' (the delivery date). (i) HyperWar 'Ships of the U.S. Navy 1940-1945' AG-71 page is a class-level stub with discrepant figures (14,200 t full, 30-ft draft, 11.5 kt, 1,950 hp vs documented 14,350 trial, 23-ft draft, 12.5 kt, 2,500 shp) - not carried as a source.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-20

   Study period

   1943-1972 records

   Limitations

   Resolves publication-level discrepancies among sources; does not affect identity or the custody timeline materially. No asbestos content in any of these sources.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baham-ak122-09

10. [10]Batch-812 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback + hazegray print-era mirror; NavSource 49071; MARAD ShipHistory Details 392 + 7789 with status-card scans read directly; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; ShipScribe AG-68 class page; CourtListener (blocked - HTTP 429 on two probes); indexed-web litigation checks (incl. courtlistener.com-site-scoped query); HyperWar AG-71 stub; NARA record-group guides [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-baham-ak122-01 through sl-uss-baham-ak122-15

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, court finding, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Baham / AK-122 / AG-71 / Elizabeth C. Bellamy / MCE hull 1217 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). Indexed-web substitutes returned only surname-collision litigation (Lejo Baham LHWCA rig-injury cases, Nathan Baham motor-vehicle suit, Curtis Baham / Sarah Baham MDL plaintiffs, Stanley Bahm Xarelto MDL, Monteleone v. Bahama Cruise Line) and law-firm marketing pages asserting era-typical asbestos content for this hull without primary support (freeasbestostesting.com auxiliary-ships list includes 'USS Baham (AG-71)'; duboselawfirm.com and floridaasbestos.com Florida jobsites pages list 'BAHAM' and 'ELIZABETH C BELLAMY (USS)' as Jacksonville entries) - all excluded as sources per the no-law-firm-sources rule and logged in the batch report.

    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 Liberty-hull steam auxiliary twice converted in Navy yards is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her 25 years in NDRF custody plus the 1972 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility. The systematic CourtListener sweep could not be run (API v4 HTTP 429 on two probes 2026-09-20, 125/day shared quota exhausted by prior batch work on this machine this date, ~11.3 h backoff; not retried per batch rule) - negative litigation coverage rests on indexed-web checking only; 'Baham' is low-collision (all surfaced hits are surname cases) but 'Bellamy'/'Elizabeth C. Bellamy' remains unsearched in the docket index.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-baham-ak122-10

11. [11]NARA Guide to Federal Records: RG 24 (Bureau of Naval Personnel - Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 181 (Naval Districts and Shore Establishments), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357 (Maritime Administration); NARA deck-log digitization guidance [other_primary]

    Locator

    archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/181.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Baham Aug 1944-Jul 1946 (RG 24, NARA College Park - digitization status unverified; the NARA-VA digitization program prioritized Vietnam-era logs); BuShips conversion/alteration files and contract plans for the AK-122 to AG-71 conversion and the 1944-45 Pearl Harbor upgrade (RG 19 - the NavSource-cited BuShips photo 19-N-70271 in RG-19-LCM shows the series exists for this hull); Charleston Navy Yard and Pearl Harbor Navy Yard WWII records (RG 181) for the two conversion scopes; USMC construction-contract records for MCE hull 1217 at St. Johns River SB (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1947-1972 Suisun Bay layup and the PD-X-938/MA-6708 sale file (RG 357) - the sale file is the most promising disposal-era condition lead.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-20

    Study period

    1943-1972 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-baham-ak122-11