USS Baxter (APA-94)

Evidence

13 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-13).

1. [1]research packet ae-packet.md (21 sources cited) [nhhc_danfs]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-baxter-apa94-pkt-ae-packet-md

2. [2]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), auxiliaries - transports, attack (APA) tables, per-hull row 17 for BAXTER APA-94 (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA tables, row 17: hull index ('APA94 BAXTER', front index p. 3 area); dimensions table printed p. 222; personnel table printed p. 223 (limiting displ. 12,370; TPI 50; 23'3"; 56+498; troops 95+1,422; boom 15); machinery table printed p. 224 ('1 G.E. turb. 6,000 2 B. & W. hdr 450 750'); armament/cargo table printed p. 226; construction table printed p. 227 ('Gulf S. B. Co., Chickasaw, Ala. 30 Nov 43 1943 30 Nov 43 BAXTER APA94 17')

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Official BuShips Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 carries a per-hull row for BAXTER APA-94 (ex-Antinous, ex-M.C. Hull 483): 468'8" overall / 445'0" waterline; beam 63'0"; speed 16.5 knots; displacement 13,910 tons; limiting displacement 12,370 tons; tons per inch immersion 50; limiting draft 23'3"; accommodations 56 officers + 498 enlisted, troop capacity 95 officers + 1,422 enlisted, no flag accommodations; largest boom 15 t; machinery 1 G.E. turbine, 6,000 shp, 1 propeller, 2 Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750F; armament 2 x 5"/38 cal (D.P.) + 4 twin 40mm (authorized fit); cargo 170,000 cu ft non-refrigerated, 4,600 t total / 1,400 t DWT; built by Gulf S.B. Co., Chickasaw, Ala.; acquired 30 Nov 1943; year built 1943; date of first commission 30 Nov 1943.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945

   Limitations

   Authoritative wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, machinery plant, manning, builder, and key dates. Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim. Armament figure is the authorized fit; shipscribe class tables record the later actual 40mm/20mm fit differently (see ev-06).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-01

3. [3]DANFS, 'Baxter' entry (APA-94), Naval History and Heritage Command (live NHHC URL returns 404 - verbatim text retrieved via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20210320120341 of baxter-i.html; older DANFS edition text mirrored at losthistory.net/hazegray amphibious archive apa94.htm) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + spec block (Wayback capture 20210320120341 of baxter-i.html)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NHHC records: laid down 18 Mar 1943 at Chickasaw, Ala., by Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 483); launched 19 Sep 1943 as Antinous, sponsored by Mrs. R. S. Hendry; acquired by the Navy 30 Nov 1943; placed in reduced commission the same day for the trip to New York; decommissioned at Brooklyn, N.Y., 14 Dec 1943 for conversion to an attack transport by Atlantic Basin Iron Works; commissioned 15 May 1944, Capt. Valvin R. Sinclair in command. Shakedown Chesapeake Bay; Norfolk 9 Jun 1944; embarked Marine Corps 61st Replacement Battalion; departed 20 Jun escorted by Bearss (DD-654) and Shelton (DE-406); Panama Canal; Pearl Harbor 11 Jul; two San Diego-Hilo round trips to 20 Aug; Maui maneuvers with TransDiv 10 for projected Yap invasion; TG 33.2 (Transport Group 'Baker', Southern Attack Force, VADM T. S. Wilkinson); Manus 14 Oct; anchored off Dulag 20 Oct; weighed anchor 24 Oct for Hollandia and Biak to lift Bomber, Fighter, and Headquarters Command, Fifth Air Force; Leyte Gulf approach attacked by Japanese aircraft 18 Nov (no damage/casualties); unloaded three LCMs for boat pool; lifted 3d Bn 185th Regt, 40th Div at Bergen Bay, New Britain; Manus 11 Dec; Huon Gulf staging; departed Admiralties 31 Dec 1944; kamikaze struck Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) 8 Jan 1945; Lingayen Gulf entry under air attack 9 Jan; Leyte Gulf 12 Jan (Abuyog/Dulag); embarked 8th Army 38th Div elements; San Felipe, Zambales 29 Jan (first wave met by Filipinos already in control); San Pedro Bay February; embarked 3d Bn 184th Regt 7th Inf Div 4 Mar; trained 14-21 Mar; departed 27 Mar in TransDiv 37, Transport Group 'Dog', Southern Attack Force (RADM John L. Hall); off Purple/Orange beaches 1 Apr (own troops ashore 1348; retired 1908); five days at anchor as POW ship (three Japanese airmen, nine civilians); departed 6 Apr via Saipan/Pearl Harbor to San Francisco 30 Apr; lifted 1,300 Seabees to Pearl; escorted kamikaze-damaged Pinkney (APH-2) to California departing 1 Jun (without radar, radio, or gyro); Jun-Aug shuttle San Diego/Portland/Seattle to Pearl/Eniwetok/Saipan; Seattle 18 Aug completing third circuit; post-surrender repatriation incl. CINCPAC staff (ADM Nimitz) embarked Guam; San Francisco 9 Oct; two Japan round-trips repatriating 6,000 veterans; final transpacific voyage ended San Diego 10 Feb 1946; Mobile, Ala.; decommissioned 22 Mar 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission; struck from the Navy list 12 Apr 1946; operated by Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, as La Salle - 'a name that did not disappear from merchant registers until 1969'. Four battle stars for World War II. Spec block: dp. 8,591; l. 468'8"; b. 63'0"; dr. 23'3"; s. 16.5 k. (tl.); cpl. 554; trp. 1,517; a. 2 5", 8 40mm., 20 20mm.; cl. Sumter; T. C2-S-E1.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Primary Navy historical entry - authoritative for service history and dates. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim. Live NHHC page 404s (standing link rot, cf. BATCH-01); the Wayback capture is the verbatim NHHC text. Older DANFS edition (hazegray/losthistory mirror) carries the same construction/service skeleton with 'transferred to the Navy 30 November 1943' wording and no keel/strike dates.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-02

4. [4]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Baxter (APA-94), file 10/03/03094 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03094.htm - timeline, campaign table, occupation-service table, merchant-service block, spec block, commanding-officer table

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource timeline corroborates DANFS and adds detail: Sumter-class attack transport, MC type C2-S-E1, MC hull 483; laid down 18 Mar 1943 as SS Antinous at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, AL; launched 19 Sep 1943; name change to Baxter 'date unknown'; acquired 30 Nov 1943 and placed in commission 'in ordinary' for transit to conversion yard Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn, CDR Hans H. B. Olsen USNR (APA Ferry Crew #5); decommissioned at Brooklyn, date unknown; recommissioned 15 May 1944 CAPT Valvin R. Sinclair USN. Pacific assignment TransRon Thirteen (COMO M. O. Carlson USN), TransDiv Thirty-Nine (CAPT G. E. Maynard). Campaigns: Leyte operation - landings at Dulag 20 Oct and 18 Nov 1944; Luzon operation - Lingayen Gulf landings 9 Jan 1945; Manila Bay-Bicol operation - Zambales-Subic Bay 29-30 Jan 1945; Okinawa Gunto operation - assault and occupation 1-6 Apr 1945. Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 5-13 Nov 1945 and 31 Dec 1945-7 Jan 1946. Decommissioned 22 Mar 1946 at Mobile, AL; returned to Maritime Commission; struck 12 Apr 1946; four battle stars. Merchant service: transferred to MC 22 Mar 1946 for NDRF Mobile lay-up; withdrawn 12 Jul 1946 under GAA for towing to Gulf Shipbuilding Chickasaw; towed 22 Oct 1946 by Moran Towing Co. from Chickasaw to Hoboken, N.J.; arrived Todd Shipyard Hoboken 2 Nov 1946 for reconversion to merchant service; 'Bare Bottom charter, 10 November 1964, to Waterman Steamship Corp.'; sold 24 Mar 1947 to Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, renamed SS La Salle; returned to MARAD NDRF Mobile (trade-in) 17 Nov 1966; sold for scrapping 19 Mar 1968 to Pinto Island Metals Co. (PD-X-794 dated 9 Feb 1968) for $48,000, withdrawn from Mobile Reserve Fleet 18 Mar 1968. Spec block: 13,910 t (fl); 468'8" x 63' x 23'3"; 16.5 kt; complement 56 off + 498 enl; troop accom 95 off + 1,422 enl; cargo 1,400 DWT / 170,000 cu ft non-refrig; armament 2 x 5"/38 DP, 4 twin 40mm, 10 single 20mm; fuel NSFO 8,575 bbls + diesel 750 bbls; propulsion 1 G.E. geared turbine, 2 B&W 'D-type' boilers 450 psi/750F, double G.E. reduction gears, 3 x 300kW turbo-drive generators, 6,000 shp, single propeller. CO table: CDR Hans Bernard Olsen USNR (ferry) 30 Nov 1943-?; CAPT Valvin Robinson Sinclair 15 May 1944-11 Jul 1945; CAPT Upton Singluff Brady Jr. 11 Jul 1945-22 Mar 1946. Radio call sign NZUT.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation - detailed but non-official; consistent with DANFS/SDB/shipscribe on all overlapping data points except boiler label ('D-type' vs SDB 'hdr' header-type - SDB adopted), 20mm count (10 single vs DANFS/SDB/shipscribe higher), and Brooklyn decommission date ('date unknown' vs DANFS/shipscribe 14 Dec 1943). The 'Bare Bottom charter ... 1964' line sits out of chronological order (post-dates the 1947 sale in the same list) - likely a misplaced custody note; logged in gaps. Contains no asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - this hull registered under two detail records: Detail 10559 (headed 'RIVAL', O.N. 251504) and Detail 12706 (headed 'BAXTER (APA-94) (1943)') [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 10559 (RIVAL) registry block + dated Vessel Name History; Detail 12706 (BAXTER (APA-94)) registry block; reached via ShipList keyword 'BAXTER' and NavSource's outbound MARAD link

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory registry for this hull: Official Number 251504; Year Built 1943; Shipyard 'Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation'; MARAD Type C2-S-E1; length 445.30 ft, beam 63.00 ft, net 3,519 t / gross 6,165 t (Detail 10559; Detail 12706 shows 445.00 ft); fate 'Sold - Scrap'. Detail 10559 carries a dated Vessel Name History resolving the hull's naming sequence: Antinous 1943-1943; Baxter (APA-94) 1943-1946; Rival 1946-1947; La Salle 1947-1968 - i.e., the brief RIVAL name (shipscribe's 'Merc. RIVAL 1946 (MC)') fell in Maritime Commission custody between Navy return and the 1947 Waterman sale. Neither record has digitized status cards, documents, plans, images, or milestones, so the custody chain rests on NavSource/shipscribe rather than card-level MARAD documentation.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD registry; duplicate-detail records (10559/12706) for one hull are a database quirk - both retrieved and reconciled by O.N. 251504. 'Draft, Summer 27.60' is labeled 'tons' on the page - a units display error (feet intended). Mission tags 'World War II' and 'Vietnam War' on Detail 12706 are registry-era artifacts (hull lay in NDRF Mobile 1966-68); no vessel service in Vietnam is documented. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-04

6. [6]shipscribe.com U.S. Navy Auxiliary Ships - SUMTER (APA-52) class page, class data, construction/disposition tables, class notes, and per-ship notes (Stephen S. Roberts compilation) [other_primary]

   Locator

   APA52.html class header (design/dimensions/armament tables), construction table row APA-94, disposition table row APA-94, class notes (Waterman/C2-S-E1 and 16 Jul 43 AVB paragraphs), ship notes table APA-94/MC#483

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   shipscribe class-page row for APA-94 BAXTER (MC# 483): builder Gulf SB; keel 18 Mar 43; launch 19 Sep 43; acquired 30 Nov 43; commissioned 15 May 44; decommissioned 22 Mar 46; struck 12 Apr 46; disposal 22 Mar 46 (MC/D); MA sale 24 Mar 47. Ship note: 'Ex merc. ANTINOUS. Delivered incomplete. Ferry commission 30 Nov-14 Dec 43. Converted by Atlantic Basin IW, Brooklyn, N.Y. Merc. RIVAL 1946 (MC), LA SALLE 1947. Sold by MA 6 Mar 68, to buyer 19 Mar 68.' Class data: C2-S-E1 design; 8,355 t light / 12,370 t limiting; 468.75' oa / 445.0' pp x 63.0' e x 23.25' lim.; original armament 2-5"/38 + 1-1.1"Q + 18-20mm (1943); later armaments 2-5"/38 2-40mmT 18-20mm (1944-45: APA 53, 94) then 2-5"/38 2-40mmT 10-20mmT (all, 1945); class complement 523 (1944); 16.5 kt; 6,000 HP; GE turbine, 1 screw. Class notes: the C2-S-E1 was a privately designed C2 variant developed by Waterman Steamship Co., somewhat longer than standard C2 (468.75' vs 459'); thirty built, all at the Gulf Shipbuilding yard at Chickasaw, Ala., 'which Waterman had bought and re-opened in 1940'; the 16 Jul 1943 Auxiliary Vessels Board group (APA 91-105) included 'APA-94 ... the only C2 in this group'; FY 1944 program.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Specialist secondary compilation (Roberts) consistent with DANFS, SDB, and MARAD on all overlapping data points; the 'Sold by MA 6 Mar 68' contract-award date complements NavSource's 19 Mar 68 delivery. Contains no asbestos or materials information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-05

7. [7]Source reconciliation - NHHC DANFS + BuShips SDB 1945 v3 + MARAD ShipHistory 10559/12706 + shipscribe vs NavSource vs Wikipedia/Encyclopedia of Arkansas [other_primary]

   Locator

   DANFS body/spec block (Wayback); SDB1945v3 row 17; MARAD Details 10559/12706; NavSource 03094.htm; shipscribe APA52.html; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Baxter_(APA-94); encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/uss-baxter-9226/

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies resolved in favor of the official/primary sources: (a) Strike date - DANFS 'struck from the Navy list on 12 April 1946', NavSource 'Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946', shipscribe disposition '12 Apr 46' agree; Wikipedia's infobox 'Stricken 17 April 1946' is wrong - 17 Apr 1946 is the sister ships' strike date (shipscribe shows APA-52/53/54 all struck 17 Apr 46). Adopted 12 Apr 1946. (b) Ferry-commission end / Brooklyn decommission - DANFS 14 Dec 1943 and shipscribe 'ferry commission 30 Nov-14 Dec 43' vs NavSource 'decommissioned at Brooklyn, date unknown'; adopted 14 Dec 1943. (c) Merchant name RIVAL - MARAD Detail 10559 dated name history (1946-1947, between Baxter and La Salle) confirms shipscribe's 'Merc. RIVAL 1946 (MC)'; NavSource omits RIVAL; Detail 12706's flat name list displays RIVAL after LA SALLE, a non-chronological display artifact. (d) Commanding officer - DANFS/NavSource 'Valvin R. Sinclair' vs Encyclopedia of Arkansas 'Calvin Sinclair' (typo in the state-encyclopedia entry; DANFS adopted). (e) Battle stars - DANFS/NavSource/shipscribe four; law-firm page asbestos-ships.com says three (error). (f) Boiler type - SDB machinery row 'B. & W. hdr' (header-type) and Wikipedia 'header-type' vs NavSource 'D-type'; adopted header-type per SDB. (g) 40mm/20mm fit - SDB '4 twin' 40mm authorized and DANFS 'a. 8 40mm., 20 20mm.' vs shipscribe class table later actual fit '2-40mmT 18-20mm (1944-45: APA 53, 94)' then '10-20mmT (all, 1945)' vs NavSource '10 single 20mm'; recorded as authorized vs actual-fit variants. (h) Light displacement - DANFS 8,591 t vs shipscribe class figure 8,355 t; unresolved, no schema field. (i) shipscribe class complement '523 (1944)' vs SDB/DANFS 554 for this hull; adopted the per-hull figure.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Limitations

   Resolves secondary-source conflicts against primary sources (DANFS, BuShips, MARAD, shipscribe). The NavSource 'Bare Bottom charter, 10 November 1964, to Waterman' line remains unexplained (Waterman owned the hull from 1947; possible mis-dated or mis-ordered custody note) and is carried in gaps. None of the compared sources contains asbestos information; this row supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-06

8. [8]Consolidated era/design inference - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery row for this hull + C2-S-E1 type data + documented refit events (Atlantic Basin Iron Works APA conversion Nov 1943-May 1944; Todd Hoboken merchant reconversion Nov 1946; Waterman merchant service 1947-66; Mobile NDRF 1966-68; Pinto Island Metals breaking 1968) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery table row 17; shipscribe APA52 class notes + ship note; NavSource merchant-service block; MARAD Detail 10559

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference: this hull carried a single-screw geared-steam plant (one General Electric turbine, two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 450 psi / 750F superheat) built at the peak of WWII asbestos usage - the machinery configuration for which boiler and fireroom insulation, main and auxiliary steam-line lagging, turbine lagging, valve and flange gaskets, machinery packing, and accommodation joiner insulation of the period were commonly asbestos-containing. The documented work history concentrates the candidate disturbance points: hull built 1943 at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, Ala. (a wartime yard Waterman Steamship bought and reopened in 1940) and delivered incomplete; the November 1943-May 1944 attack-transport conversion at Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn; the November 1946 merchant reconversion at Todd Shipyard, Hoboken; nineteen years of Waterman merchant operation (1947-1966); and 1968 breaking at Pinto Island Metals, Mobile - each an era-typical disturbance pathway, none documented for asbestos content on this hull.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1943-1968

   Population

   Construction trades at Gulf Shipbuilding Chickasaw (1943); Atlantic Basin Iron Works conversion trades, Brooklyn (1943-44); wartime crew and embarked troops; Todd Hoboken reconversion workers (1946); Waterman merchant crews and repair yards (1947-66); Pinto Island Metals breaking-yard workers (1968)

   Limitations

   Inference from the documented machinery plant, construction era, and documented refit events - NOT a hull record. No survey, specification, or material schedule naming APA-94 or MC Hull 483 was located; establishes no asbestos content, quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-baxter-apa94-07

9. [9]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 construction program under which this C2-S-E1 hull was built and converted.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   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-baxter-apa94-08

10. [10]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 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 of exactly this hull's era and type.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    class_or_era

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    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 yard 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-baxter-apa94-09

11. [11]CourtListener API v4 litigation sweep (authenticated, fleet-paced via cl-auth-search.py): opinion queries 'USS Baxter', 'APA-94', 'Baxter' + asbestos (bare and ship-context-filtered); docket query 'USS Baxter'; merchant-alias query 'La Salle' + Waterman/asbestos [court_record]

    Locator

    CourtListener API v4 search, type=o and type=r; queries and counts recorded in search_ledger rows sl-uss-baxter-apa94-06 through -10

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    CourtListener sweep results: 'USS Baxter' opinion query - 0 results. 'APA-94' opinion query - 4 results, all token collisions (Administrative Procedure Act / statute-form references: ConocoPhillips v. EPA (5th Cir. 2010); Nat'l Assn. of Home Health Agencies (D.C. Cir. 1982); 3M Co. (Tax Ct. 2023); et al.) - none reference the ship. 'Baxter' + asbestos opinion query - 520 results dominated by Baxter Healthcare/International pharmaceutical litigation and Baxter surnames; ship-context-filtered variant (ship OR vessel OR Navy OR APA-94 OR transport) - 233 results, all non-ship collisions on review of returned pages. No docketed asbestos opinion naming USS Baxter, APA-94, MC Hull 483, Antinous, Rival, or the 1947-68 Waterman La Salle was located.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2026-09-25

    Limitations

    Sweep coverage at write time: exact-name opinion (0) and hull-number opinion (4 collisions) runs completed clean; the broad 'Baxter' + asbestos query returns hundreds of name collisions (Baxter International/Healthcare dominates) and cannot be exhaustively paged under the shared quota - absence of a ship hit is established for the result pages reviewed, not proven for all 520 rows. 'USS Baxter' docket (type=r) and 'La Salle'+Waterman/asbestos queries remained pace-blocked at write time - logged as residual coverage gaps in the search ledger. A negative sweep does not prove no filing exists in RECAP-unindexed state courts.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-baxter-apa94-10

12. [12]Batch-2394 search ledger (this record): NHHC/DANFS via Wayback capture 20210320120341; NavSource 03094; MARAD ShipHistory Details 10559 + 12706 (ShipList 'BAXTER' keyword); BuShips SDB 1945 v3 row 17; shipscribe APA-52 class page; CourtListener opinion sweeps; indexed-web litigation checks; NARA record-group guides; NVR hull page [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-baxter-apa94-01 through sl-uss-baxter-apa94-14

    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 Baxter / APA-94 / M.C. Hull 483 / Antinous / Rival / La Salle (1947-68 Waterman hull) was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener: 'USS Baxter' 0 opinion hits; 'APA-94' 4 token collisions; 'Baxter' + asbestos queries all name collisions. Law-firm marketing pages list the hull on generic Navy-ship and amphibious-transport lists (asbestos-ships.com ship page - which also misstates her battle-star count as three; lungcancergroup.com; simmonsfirm.com; mesotheliomaasbestoshelpcenter.com) without primary support - excluded as sources per the no-law-firm-sources rule.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2026-09-25

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1943 geared-steam transport converted at a Brooklyn iron works is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials, and her documented 1943-44 conversion, 1946 merchant reconversion, 19-year merchant career, and 1968 breaking are undocumented disturbance phases. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-baxter-apa94-11

13. [13]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); MARAD ShipHistory records 10559/12706 for this hull (no status cards or documents digitized) [other_primary]

    Locator

    https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html ; /groups/019.html ; /groups/178.html ; /groups/357.html ; MARAD Details 10559/12706 (cards/documents tabs empty)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - requires research-room or reproduction order; no spend authorized): Navy deck logs for USS Baxter 1943-1946 incl. the Nov-Dec 1943 ferry period and conversion lay-up (RG 24, NARA College Park); BuShips records incl. C2-S-E1 contract plans, Booklets of General Plans, and the Atlantic Basin Iron Works conversion file (RG 19); USMC construction-contract records for M.C. Hull 483 at Gulf Shipbuilding Chickasaw (RG 178); MARAD/NDRF custody files covering the 1946-47 'Rival' interlude, the 24 Mar 1947 sale to Waterman, the 17 Nov 1966 trade-in, and the PD-X-794 scrap sale to Pinto Island Metals (RG 357); and Atlantic Basin Iron Works conversion-yard records for the 1943-44 APA conversion (via RG 19 contract files or surviving ABIW collections).

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1943-1968 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-baxter-apa94-12