USS Baya (SS-318)

Name
USS Baya
Hull designation
SS-318
Vessel class
Balao
Evidence tier
Tier 2
Evidence entries
5
Record ID
uss-baya-ss318
Dataset version
2026.10.12-rc.1
Canonical URL
https://asbestosatlas.org/ships/uss-baya-ss318

Evidence

5 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-5).

  1. [1]NavSource Submarine Photo Archive, USS Baya (SS/AGSS-318) data block (navsource.net/archives/08/08318.htm via search text) [other_primary]
    Locator
    navsource.net/archives/08/08318.htm data block (search-text capture)
    Finding type
    vessel_history
    Finding
    NavSource data block (search-text capture) records: laid down 8 April 1943 at Electric Boat; launched 2 January 1944; commissioned 20 May 1944; decommissioned 14 May 1946; recommissioned 10 February 1948; redesignated AGSS-318 in 1949; decommissioned and struck 30 October 1972; sold for scrapping 12 October 1973; four WWII battle stars; machinery listed as General Motors diesel engines and General Electric motors.
    Verification
    partial
    Role
    archival_lead
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Study period
    1943-1972
    Population
    EB construction trades (1943-44); crew (1944-1972); research-program personnel (AGSS era 1949-1972)
    Limitations
    Structured volunteer-compiled historical data, not a federal primary source - used for the chronology chain and labeled accordingly. No verbatim DANFS entry was located for Baya. Direct navsource.net fetch is Mod_Security-blocked; content captured via search-result text.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-baya-ss318-01
  2. [2]Balao-class profile (ships-worktrees class-f/balao-class.class.json) - class-level propulsion and asbestos-relevant pathway context [other_primary]
    Locator
    class-f/balao-class.class.json (house class profile)
    Finding type
    asbestos_application
    Finding
    Balao-class context: diesel-electric fleet submarines with no boilers or steam plant; era-consistent asbestos pathways for the class include diesel-exhaust lagging, engine gaskets and packing, acoustic/thermal hull insulation, galley and refrigeration materials, and battery/electrical materials. Construction (1943-44, Electric Boat), the 1948 reactivation, and AGSS conversion availabilities fall inside the Navy's peak asbestos-use era.
    Verification
    inferred
    Role
    supporting
    Documentation level
    class_or_era
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Study period
    1943-1972 (era)
    Population
    Balao-class construction and maintenance trades (era context)
    Limitations
    Class/era inference only - does not name this hull and does not establish that any particular asbestos-containing material was installed aboard SS-318. Hull scrapped 1973; no survey possible.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-baya-ss318-02
  3. [3]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
    Locator
    GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
    Finding type
    gov_survey
    Finding
    GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - covering Baya's construction (1943-44), 1948 reactivation, and AGSS-era availabilities through 1972.
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    context
    Documentation level
    context_only
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Study period
    1979
    Population
    Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
    Limitations
    Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-baya-ss318-03
  4. [4]CourtListener API v4 (2026-09-18): sweeps for "USS Baya" / "Baya" and "SS-318" could not be executed - anonymous quota exhausted (HTTP 429) [court_record]
    Locator
    search_ledger rows sl-uss-baya-ss318-04 through sl-uss-baya-ss318-05
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    CourtListener litigation sweep NOT COMPLETED for this hull: the shared anonymous API quota (125 requests/day) was exhausted before this vessel's queries ran; every request returned HTTP 429 ('Expected available in ~69,771 seconds' at last check). No qualifying asbestos litigation was located in the other sources searched, but CourtListener coverage is absent rather than negative for this hull.
    Verification
    partial
    Role
    negative_finding
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Study period
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    CourtListener gap is an absence of coverage, not a negative finding - no docket data of any kind was retrieved for this hull. State-court and non-digitized records are also uncovered. Sweep should be re-run under an authenticated API token in a future pass.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-baya-ss318-04
  5. [5]Batch-23 search ledger (this record): NavSource data block; GAO; CourtListener sweeps [other_primary]
    Locator
    search_ledger rows sl-uss-baya-ss318-01 through sl-uss-baya-ss318-06
    Finding type
    historical_record
    Finding
    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record (survey, abatement contract, industrial-hygiene report, or docketed case) naming this hull was found in the public sources searched; CourtListener coverage was unavailable due to quota exhaustion (see search_ledger).
    Verification
    verified
    Role
    negative_finding
    Documentation level
    ship_specific
    Accessed
    2026-09-18
    Study period
    2026-09-18
    Limitations
    Does not establish absence of asbestos aboard - only absence of located public documentation. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
    Atlas source
    true
    Evidence ID
    ev-uss-baya-ss318-05

Attribution

Compiled by
Paul Danziger; Rod de Llano
Publisher
Danziger & De Llano, LLP
License
CC-BY-4.0
Citation
Danziger, P., and De Llano, R. (2026). AsbestosAtlas Navy Vessel Asbestos Exposure Dataset. Danziger & De Llano, LLP. DOI: not yet assigned
Dataset version
asbestosatlas-ships-2026.10.12-rc.1
DOI
not yet assigned