USS Barataria (AVP-33)

Evidence

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

1. [1]Naval History and Heritage Command, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Barataria II (AVP-33),' updated 22 May 2024 (Robert J. Cressman) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Header specifications block and opening paragraph

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Barataria II (AVP-33), a Barnegat-class small seaplane tender named for Barataria Bay on the Louisiana coast, was laid down on 19 April 1943 at Houghton, Washington, by the Lake Washington Shipyard; launched on 2 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. L. J. Stetcher; and commissioned at her builder's yard on 13 August 1944, Cmdr. Garrett S. Coleman in command. The DANFS header lists displacement 2,592 tons; length 310'9"; beam 41'2"; draft 13'6"; speed 18.2 knots; complement 367; armament three 5-inch, eight 40-millimeter, and eight 20-millimeter guns.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1944

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked aviation unit (construction-era workforce: Lake Washington Shipyard)

   Limitations

   Establishes hull identity, construction dates, builder, and stated complement. The specifications identify no construction materials and no asbestos. Note: the live NHHC site rejected plain automated requests but served the page to a standard browser user agent; content was captured directly from the official page.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-01

2. [2]NHHC, DANFS, 'Barataria II (AVP-33)' [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Final two paragraphs, inactivation, transfer, disposal

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Barataria was placed out of commission in reserve on 24 July 1946 and laid up at Alameda, California, until loaned to the U.S. Coast Guard on 17 September 1948. As Barataria (WAVP-381) she was classified as a medium endurance cutter and operated under the Coast Guard flag into the 1960s. On 26 September 1966 her name was stricken from the Navy List and she was transferred to permanent Coast Guard custody. DANFS states she was sold in October 1970 to N. W. Kennedy of Vancouver, British Columbia, and scrapped.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1946-1970

   Limitations

   Establishes inactivation, loan/transfer chronology, and disposal. DANFS does not describe conversion scope, scrapping yard practices, or any material content; no asbestos conclusion follows. Sale month conflicts with an NHC Online Library summary (September 1970) - discrepancy carried in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-03

3. [3]U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, 'Barataria, 1944, USCG 1948 (WAVP / WHEC-381)' cutter history page (citing the Barataria Cutter Subject File, USCG Historian's Office; DANFS Vol. I (1959) pp. 92-93; and LCDR J. P. Smith's 'Listings: AVP's') [other_primary]

   Locator

   Cutter history narrative and specification block

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   The U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office cutter history for 'Barataria, 1944, USCG 1948 (WAVP / WHEC-381)' records the ship accepted on loan 17 September 1948 and commissioned into Coast Guard service on 10 January 1949; homeported at Portland, Maine, from 1 August 1949 to January 1968 on ocean-station, law-enforcement, and search-and-rescue duty; Navy Expeditionary Medal for the 'Cuban operation' for services 11-26 January 1961; America's Cup Race patrol at Newport September 1962; Cuban Missile Crisis duty on Ocean Station Echo October 1962, shadowing a Soviet freighter carrying missiles until a Navy warship boarded it; Commander Eastern Area Gunnery Excellence Award 1963 and Military Readiness Award 1965; departure 1 April 1967 for Vietnam service with U.S. Coast Guard Squadron Three in Operation Market Time, patrolling the South Vietnamese coast with 163 officers and men, underway 83 percent of the time and cruising over 67,000 miles; return to the United States 12 January 1968 and reassignment to San Francisco; an engine-room explosion off Unimak Island on 24 March 1968; rescue of the crew of Peruvian M/V Yavari 960 miles southwest of San Francisco, 21-27 May 1969; decommissioned 29 August 1969 and sold for scrap to N. W. Kennedy Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C. The document's specification block gives 1966 machinery as Fairbanks-Morse direct-reversing diesels of 6,000 BHP and complement of 10 officers, 3 warrant officers, and 138 enlisted.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1948-1970

   Population

   USCG crew (10 officers, 3 warrants, 138 enlisted in 1966; 163 on Vietnam deployment)

   Limitations

   Official Coast Guard history content; page content was read through a live browser session because history.uscg.mil returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches. The document contains no asbestos statement; the Vietnam-era complement figure (163) and 1966 spec figure (151) reflect cutter configuration, not the Navy complement. The day-precise '1 May 1966' WHEC redesignation date that secondary compilations attribute to this file is not stated in the retrieved text - flagged in gaps.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-04

4. [4]National Archives, Special List 44 Named Vessels; National Archives Catalog, RG 26 'Logbooks of Ships and Shore Installations' file units for Barataria (W381) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Special List 44, Barataria (AVP-33) row; catalog.archives.gov search 'barataria', RG 26 logbook file units

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NARA Special List 44 (named-vessel logbook index) lists Barataria (AVP-33) with a Navy logbook span of 13 August 1944 to 30 June 1945. The NARA catalog separately indexes U.S. Coast Guard logbook file units for 'Barataria (W381)' in Record Group 26, 'Logbooks of Ships and Shore Installations,' with monthly files spanning at least 1963-1968 (e.g., NAIDs 250334293, 250334447, 250334733, 250335003, 250331787, 250332602, 250332702, 250332989, 250333087, 239187516, 239188977, 239190291).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1945; 1963-1968

   Limitations

   Holdings indexes, not reviewed logbooks; they identify record spans, not contents. The July 1945-July 1946 Navy interval and pre-1963 Coast Guard logs are not covered by the indexed spans seen. No asbestos information is implied.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-05

5. [5]National Archives, Ship Plan Index; NARA Catalog NAID 77618928; 'Researching Asbestos aboard US Naval Vessel up through 1961' guide [other_primary]

   Locator

   Ship Plan Index Barataria rows (NAIDs 153714269, 175668363, 175671407); catalog.archives.gov/id/77618928; asbestos guide https://www.archives.gov/research/military/navy/guided-topics/asbestos

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The NARA Ship Plan Index lists Barataria (AVP-33) in RG 19 'Hull Series of Ship Engineering Drawings' (NAID 153714269) and a RG 19 microfilm set (NAID 175668363), and lists Barataria (WHEC 381) under RG 26 'Cutter Plans After 1915' (NAID 175671407). The NARA catalog holds a digitized 39-image file unit 'USS BARATARIA - War History' (NAID 77618928, RG 38 World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories; microfilm roll A2029, scanned via Fold3, unrestricted). NARA's asbestos research guide identifies RG 19 S39 insulation-and-lagging drawings, ship general information books (Item S-68), and RG 38 Board of Inspection and Survey material-inspection reports as the series most responsive to shipboard asbestos research.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   archival_lead

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1943-1969 (holdings spans)

   Limitations

   Indexes and catalog descriptions only; no plan, drawing, information book, inspection report, or war-history page content was retrieved. The asbestos guide is generic research guidance, not ship-specific documentation. Whether the indexed records contain asbestos information is unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-06

6. [6]U.S. Government Accountability Office, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (18 October 1979), including Department of the Navy response [gao]

   Locator

   GAO product page, Highlights section (full report PDF blocked automated fetch with HTTP 403)

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   The 1979 GAO report 'Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (HRD-80-2, published 18 October 1979) documents Navy shipboard asbestos use and worker-protection efforts; the product page describes review of asbestos use in Navy ships, removal costs, and disability compensation, with Navy policy (1975) to remove and replace only damaged insulation, modified in 1979 to selectively replace asbestos insulation in high-maintenance areas. GAO fieldwork covered the Long Beach and Norfolk Naval Shipyards.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1975-1979 policy period described

   Population

   Navy and shipyard workers generally (program context)

   Limitations

   Navy-wide program-level context postdating Barataria's Navy service (1944-1946); it does not name AVP-33 or identify any product aboard her. gao.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches; product-page highlights were read via a live browser session. Not entered as documented hull products.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-07

7. [7]Naval Sea Systems Command, FOIA Reading Room: Asbestos (qualified-products list documents) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Asbestos related files table

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   NAVSEA's FOIA 'Asbestos' reading room lists Navy military-specification qualified-products documents for era asbestos materials, including thermal insulation (MIL-I-24244), asbestos-fiber insulation felt (QPL-15091), spiral-wound metallic-asbestos gaskets for boilers and piping (QPL-15342, QPL-16265, QPL-21022), compressed asbestos sheet gasket material (QPL-17472, QPL-46), asbestos packing rod (QPL-17340, QPL-17349, QPL-33-P-16), thermal-insulation pipe covering bedding and coating compounds (QPL-19564, QPL-19565, QPL-3316 series), thermal insulation block and pipe insulation (QPL-2619, QPL-2701, QPL-2781, QPL-2819), and magnesia-aggregate deck covering (QPL-16680, QPL-18873).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1949-1996 document date range

   Population

   Shipyard workers and crews of Navy ships generally (specification context)

   Limitations

   Specification-level evidence that asbestos material categories were specified and qualified for Navy shipboard use; none of the documents name AVP-33 or any Barnegat-class hull, and no inference of installation aboard this ship follows. Page content read via a live browser session because the site returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-08

8. [8]Batch 3065 public-source search ledger: NHHC DANFS; USCG Historian's Office; NARA Special List 44, Ship Plan Index, catalog; GAO HRD-80-2 product page; NAVSEA asbestos reading room [other_primary]

   Locator

   search_ledger sl-uss-barataria-avp33-01 through -08

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   No ship-specific asbestos material schedule, survey, abatement record, or asbestos statement was located in the reviewed NHHC DANFS entry, USCG Historian's Office cutter history, NARA public indexes and catalog, GAO report description, or NAVSEA asbestos reading room.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   A negative public-source search result is not proof that asbestos was absent aboard this hull. NARA holdings (S39 drawings, information books, inspection reports, war history, logbooks) were indexed but not retrieved. Presence, products, quantities, condition, and individual exposure remain unknown.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-09

9. [9]CourtListener API v4 authenticated searches via cl-auth-search.py, 26 September 2026 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion searches q=Barataria / "USS Barataria" / "AVP-33" / "Barataria" asbestos; docket search q="USS Barataria" (0 results); docket search q="AVP-33" attempted; search_ledger sl-uss-barataria-avp33-09 through -10

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Authenticated CourtListener searches returned: opinion search 'Barataria' = 245 results, the first page consisting entirely of name collisions (Louisiana entities and vessels named for Barataria Bay, e.g., Barataria Canning Co., Barataria & Lafourche Canal Co., tug Bayou Barataria); opinion search '"USS Barataria"' = 0 results; opinion search '"AVP-33"' = 0 results; opinion search '"Barataria" asbestos' = 2 results, both non-ship name collisions - Coastal Production Services Inc. v. Hudson, 555 F.3d 426 (5th Cir. 2009), a maritime employment case involving a Barataria Bay, Louisiana, worksite, and Entergy Texas, Inc. v. Public Utility Commission of Texas (Tex. App. 2015), a utility-rate case concerning Entergy's Barataria generating station; docket search '"USS Barataria"' = 0 results. The docket search for '"AVP-33"' could not be completed because the required fleet pacing helper repeatedly reported its shared request budget exhausted.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   context_only

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   No qualifying asbestos litigation naming this hull was identified in the completed opinion and exact-name docket searches; all hits are Louisiana place-name collisions. The sweep is incomplete: the '"AVP-33"' docket-level search remains pending because the required authenticated helper reported fleet-wide pacing exhaustion. No absence of litigation is inferred from the completed queries alone. No anonymous or unpaced request was made.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-barataria-avp33-10

10. [10]NHHC, DANFS, 'Barataria II (AVP-33)' [nhhc_danfs]

    Locator

    Narrative paragraphs, August 1944 - December 1945 service

    Finding type

    vessel_history

    Finding

    Barataria's DANFS-documented World War II service: shakedown including seaplane-tending training under Fleet Air Wing 6 at NAS Whidbey Island and exercises through 10 October 1944, then post-shakedown availability and alterations at Puget Sound Navy Yard; transit via San Francisco, Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Ulithi to the Philippines (arrived 22 December 1944); VPB-25 tending off Leyte; Lingayen Gulf operations January 1945 (seaplane-mooring planting south of Aringay Point 9 January; rescue of a VPB-17 crew after a landing sinking 10 January; nine 5-inch rounds silencing Japanese mortar fire the same day; a claimed 'sure assist' during a kamikaze attack on the convoy 8 January); 'Black Cat' night-strike support for VPB-71 and VPB-28 from Cabalitan Bay with a seaplane ramp established there; station-tender duty off Mactan Island, Cebu, April 1945 including 175 5-inch rounds fired at Army-designated targets on 11-12 April and coming under shore-battery fire on 14 April; Lingayen 'Dumbo' air-sea-rescue support covering Fifth Air Force strikes on Formosa and servicing of Royal Australian Air Force Catalinas on minelaying operations May-June 1945; tending at Puerto Princesa and out of Manila Bay through July; post-surrender operations at Buckner Bay and Chimu Wan, Okinawa (September 1945, including typhoon evasion on 16 September), Shanghai from 27 September, and Jinsen (Inchon), Korea; reached Seattle 29 December 1945. DANFS credits Barataria with one battle star for World War II operations.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    supporting

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944-1945

    Population

    Ship's company and squadron personnel, 1944-1945

    Limitations

    Operational history only. The post-shakedown availability at Puget Sound Navy Yard establishes a repair/alteration event, not its material scope; no asbestos finding or individual exposure evidence follows. Two incidental hull-number errors in the DANFS text (Young 'DD-510', San Carlos 'AVP-50'; correct DD-580 and AVP-51) were noted and are not carried into this record.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-barataria-avp33-02