USS Bellona (ARL-32)

Evidence

12 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-12).

1. [1]research packet bh-packet.md (6 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-bellona-arl32-pkt-bh-packet-md

2. [2]DANFS entry 'Bellona' (ARL-32), NHHC (entry authored 2006-02-24, Raymond A. Mann) - via Wayback capture 2024-08-13; live NHHC URL returns 404 as of 2026-09-26 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS full entry text; Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20240813063946/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/bellona-i.html

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS (NHHC): Bellona (ARL-32) laid down as LST-1136 on 1944-12-27 at Seneca, Ill., by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Works; launched 1945-03-26; sponsored by Miss Huberta Jean Malsie; placed in reduced commission 1945-04-06 for the voyage to Baltimore for conversion to a landing craft repair ship (ARL); decommissioned at Baltimore 1945-04-27; converted by the Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard; placed in full commission 1945-07-28, Lt. W. P. Sullivan, USNR, in command. Departed Baltimore 1945-08-06 for shakedown training in Chesapeake Bay; post-shakedown repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard; underway for the Pacific 1945-09-05; Canal Zone 09-12, transited the canal, San Diego bound 09-14; stood out of San Diego 10-11, brief Pearl Harbor stop, headed for the Bonins 10-31; arrived Iwo Jima 1945-11-14 and began duty as station repair ship. Went hard aground on the north side of Kama Rocks 1945-12-01; refloat attempts failed, ship proved unsalvageable; after all salvageable equipment was removed she was destroyed with explosives 1946-05-14; name struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1946-06-05. Class data line: dp. 3,960 (fl.); l. 328'0"; b. 50'0"; dr. 11'2" (lim.); s. 11.6 k; cpl. 253; a. 1 3", 8 40mm; cl. Achelous. Entry authored Raymond A. Mann, 2006-02-24.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy history establishing identity, construction, conversion, service, loss, and disposal. Contains no asbestos or insulation-material statement; supports no asbestos claim. Does not state a ferry-commission designation (shipscribe records it as LST-1136) and gives no decommissioning date - NavSource supplies 1946-02-04, shipscribe 1946-05-15 (see correction row).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-01

3. [3]NavSource Naval History, Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Bellona (ARL-32) page (archives/10/19/1932.htm) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Page header data block, awards/ribbons list, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive page for USS Bellona (ARL-32) ex USS LST-1136: redesignated ARL-32 1944-08-14; laid down 1944-12-27 as LST-1136 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL; launched 1945-03-26; placed in reduced commission as USS LST-1136 1945-04-06 for transit to the conversion yard at Baltimore, LT. Perry P. Wynn USN (Ferry Crew No. 20) in command; header records 'Decommissioned, 13 April 1945, at Bethlehem Steel Co., Key Highway Plant, Baltimore, MD' while the page's own commanding-officer table shows LT Sullivan in command 04-13 to 04-27 and 'Decommissioned 27 April 1945 - 28 July 1945' (internal conflict logged); recommissioned USS Bellona (ARL-32) 1945-07-28, LT Walter P. Sullivan USNR; assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; lost due to grounding 1945-12-01 near Iwo Jima at Kama Rocks; decommissioned 1946-02-04 at Iwo Jima; final disposition destroyed 1946-05-14; struck from the Naval Register 1946-06-05. Awards: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal (no battle stars). Specs: 3,900 t lt / 4,100 t fl; 328' x 50' x 11'2" lim; 11.6 kts; complement 22 officers + 233 enlisted; armament 1x 3"/50 DP, 2x quad 40mm w/ Mk 51 directors, 6x twin 20mm; largest boom 60 t; diesel fuel 4,715 bbls; 2x GM 12-567A diesels, Falk main reduction gear, 2 props 1,800 shp, twin rudders; generators 3x100kW DC + 2x100kW AC. Commissioning-ceremony photo (Bethlehem Steel Co. photo via USS LST Ship Memorial collection) names ship's sponsor 'Miss. Malise' and officers Cummings, Kimball, Farnell, Sullivan, Wolhuter, Russell.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Limitations

   Secondary transcription archive (Navy-compiled data + contributed photos), not a primary document. Internally inconsistent on the April 1945 ferry-commission end date (header 04-13 vs CO-table decommissioned 04-27) and conflicts with shipscribe (ferry commission to 04-28) and DANFS (decommissioned at Baltimore 04-27) - see correction row. Sponsor name rendered 'Malise' vs DANFS 'Malsie'. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-02

4. [4]shipscribe.com, 'USS Coronis (ARL-10) Class' register page (usnaux.shipscribe.com/ARL/ARL10.html), compiled 2007 from BuShips Ships' Data and OpNav records [other_primary]

   Locator

   Construction table row ARL-32; Disposition table row ARL-32; Ship Notes row 'BELLONA'; Class Notes paragraphs

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   shipscribe.com U.S. Navy auxiliary register (S.S. Roberts, compiled from BuShips/OpNav records), CORONIS (ARL-10) class page covering ARL 10-39 and 42-47: construction table lists '32 BELLONA | 14 Aug 44 | Chicago Bridge, Seneca | 27 Dec 44 | 26 Mar 45 | 28 Jul 45'; disposition table lists '32 BELLONA | 15 May 46 | 5 Jun 46 | 1 Dec 45 | Lost'. Ship note: 'Ex LST-1136 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-1136 6-28 Apr 45 (arrived at New Orleans 14 Apr 45). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md. Wrecked 1 Dec 45 on the Kama Rocks, Iwo Jima, wreck destroyed 14 May 46.' Class notes: Navy listed ARL 1-39 as a single class but the ARL-10-onward design added elimination of the 3"/50 DP gun, retention of bow doors and operating mechanism, and facilities to embark and repair LVTs; many ARL 10-39 hulls were converted at Bethlehem-Key Highway with Gibbs & Cox as design agent for all LST conversions; the ARL 25-39 group (incl. this hull) was authorized under the 1945 landing craft program (Auxiliary Vessels Board, 1944-05-02).

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Limitations

   Independent authoritative register reconciling BuShips/OpNav records; supplies the New Orleans arrival date (1945-04-14) and the ferry-commission window under the LST-1136 designation. Disposition-table 'Decomm. 15 May 46' conflicts with NavSource's 1946-02-04 decommissioning and sits one day after the ship note's 'wreck destroyed 14 May 46' - logged, not merged. No asbestos content; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-03

5. [5]Consolidated era inference - BuShips Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 2 (Jan 1945) LST/ARL machinery and class data (shipscribe scan); NavSource spec block for this hull; shipscribe class notes on ARL-10-group conversion scope [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB-1945 v2 LST/ARL design tables; NavSource archives/10/19/1932.htm specifications block; usnaux ARL10.html class notes

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design inference for a diesel-powered LST-hull auxiliary: the ship had no boilers (2x GM 12-567A diesels, 1,800 shp, Falk reduction gear, twin screws). Asbestos-relevant applications typical of the type and era: diesel exhaust lagging and manifold gaskets, engine-room thermal/acoustic insulation, deck coverings/tile, bulkhead and accommodation-space insulation, machinery packing - plus the ARL conversion's repair-shop outfit (machine, welding, fitting shops, with the ARL-10 group adding LVT embark/repair facilities) contemporaneously stocked with asbestos-containing consumables such as welding blankets, insulation cement, and gasket sheet stock. Construction (Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca, Dec 1944-Mar 1945) and conversion (Bethlehem Steel Key Highway, Baltimore, Apr-Jul 1945) both fell inside the window when the federal government had reserved asbestos supply for shipbuilding. Because the hull went to total loss 1945-12-01 and was demolished in place 1946-05-14, no post-service survey, abatement, or scrapping-yard record for this hull can exist - any era-typical material aboard was destroyed or remains on site.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1944-1946

   Population

   Construction yard workers (Chicago Bridge & Iron, Seneca, Dec 1944-Mar 1945); conversion yard workers (Bethlehem Steel Key Highway, Baltimore, Apr-Jul 1945); ferry crew (LT Wynn, Ferry Crew No. 20); embarked repair-ship crew (~253 complement); serviced landing-craft crews at Iwo Jima (Nov-Dec 1945); salvage and demolition crews working the wreck (Dec 1945-May 1946)

   Limitations

   Class/era inference only - no document names this hull's materials. Diesel plant means no boiler insulation (the largest asbestos mass on steam ships); listed applications are era-typical, not ship-proven. Does not establish quantity, location, individual exposure, or causation. The wreck's in-place demolition means any ship-specific material evidence was destroyed with the hull or remains undocumented at Kama Rocks; no survey of the wreck site was located.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-04

6. [6]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 fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and program under which this LST-hull repair ship was built and converted - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization aboard naval and merchant-type hulls.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   1940s era documented; article 1987

   Population

   WWII shipyard workers and ship crews (class context)

   Limitations

   Program/era-level scholarship; does not name this vessel and does not establish that asbestos was aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, exposure, or causation.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-05

7. [7]CourtListener API v4 opinion search q='"Bellona"' (type=o), 73 results, first 25 screened 2026-09-26 [court_record]

   Locator

   First 25 results (page 1) screened at case-name/court/snippet level

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener opinion-index sweep on the exact ship name 'Bellona' (2026-09-26, authenticated API v4): 73 results returned; first page (25 results) screened at case-name, court, and snippet level - every hit is a name collision: 18th/19th-century admiralty cases on other vessels named Bellona (The Bellona, 3 F. Cas. 136, S.D.N.Y. 1871, a steamship cargo libel; Ellison v. The Bellona, D.S.C. 1798; Cross v. The Bellona, D.S.C. 1803), Bellona Company's Case (1831), a cluster of Maryland appellate decisions turning on Bellona as a Baltimore County place/avenue name (Lutherville Community Ass'n v. Wingard; Onderdonk v. Onderdonk; Sisters of Mercy v. Gaudreau; McBee v. Baltimore County; Vogel v. McCosh; Carey v. Martin; Burns v. Mayor of Baltimore; Buckley v. State; Gaywood Community Ass'n v. MTA; Swoboda v. Wilder), and unrelated international/sovereign and maritime-property matters (Carrasco v. City of El Paso; Odhiambo v. Republic of Kenya; Guevara v. Republic of Peru; Reiss v. ONE SCHAT-HARDING LIFEBOAT). Zero results reference USS Bellona, ARL-32, LST-1136, or naval service.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Sweep covers indexed opinions only - 48 deeper-ranked results were not individually screened (BM25-relevance ordering makes vessel hits progressively less likely, and all page-1 hits were collisions of the name, not the hull). Complaints/dockets not surfaced by opinion indexing, state-court unindexed decisions, and CAVC/BVA veterans' claims are outside this index. Absence of an indexed opinion does not prove no claim was ever filed.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-06

8. [8]CourtListener API v4 searches q='"ARL-32"' type=o (0 hits); q='"LST-1136"' type=o (0 hits); q='Bellona asbestos' type=r (13 hits, all screened), 2026-09-26 [court_record]

   Locator

   Opinion index (type=o) complete; RECAP docket index (type=r) all 13 results screened at case-name/party/snippet level

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   CourtListener designation sweeps on this hull (authenticated API v4, 2026-09-26): exact-string opinion queries '"ARL-32"' and '"LST-1136"' each returned 0 results - complete negatives. A RECAP docket-level search 'Bellona asbestos' (type=r) returned 13 hits (28 documents); all screened at case-name/party/snippet level - every hit is a collision: asbestos-era bankruptcy and mass-tort dockets (W.R. Grace, Motors Liquidation, Washington Mutual, Tribune Media, 21st Century Oncology, LeClairRyan, KServicing Wind Down, River City Renaissance) and unrelated civil matters matching 'Bellona' only in creditor-matrix/address fields (a Baltimore-area street name) with 'asbestos' from the docket context. No party named Bellona; zero results reference the vessel. Combined with ev-06: no qualifying asbestos litigation naming USS Bellona, ARL-32, or LST-1136 was located in the index.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Hull-number sweeps are exact-string and complete (zero hits). The docket sweep screened all 13 fuzzy-ranked hits - 'Bellona' surfaced only as a place/creditor name inside asbestos bankruptcy matrices, never as the vessel. RECAP dockets are incomplete coverage (unscraped PACER dockets, state courts, and CAVC/BVA are outside the index). No qualifying asbestos case names this hull in any index searched.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-07

9. [9]Web litigation + BVA-decision searches (web_search), 2026-09-26; mesothelioma.com Key Highway page excluded per source rules [other_primary]

   Locator

   Search-result sets screened at title/snippet level; mesothelioma.com excluded per source rules

   Finding type

   litigation_documented

   Finding

   Supplementary non-CourtListener litigation sweep (2026-09-26): web searches for asbestos/mesothelioma litigation naming the ship ('"USS Bellona" OR "ARL-32" OR "LST-1136" asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit'; '"Bellona" ARL veterans asbestos claim Board of Veterans Appeals') returned (a) a law-firm marketing page (mesothelioma.com, 'Key Highway Shipyard') naming USS Bellona among ships converted at that yard - generic exposure boilerplate, excluded as non-authoritative; (b) reference/history pages (Wikipedia, NavSource, NavalCoverMuseum, hullnumber.com, liquisearch) repeating the DANFS loss narrative; (c) no opinion, BVA decision, docketed case, or press report naming this hull in an asbestos claim.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   negative_finding

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-26

   Study period

   2026-09-26

   Limitations

   Web search is not exhaustive of state trial courts, settled cases, or unindexed BVA files. The marketing page's existence shows the hull appears on lawyer-side ship/jobsite lists, but such lists are generated boilerplate, not evidence of claims. No qualifying ship-specific litigation located by any channel searched.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-bellona-arl32-08

10. [10]Batch-2624 search ledger (this record): DANFS entry; NavSource 10/19/1932; shipscribe ARL-10 register; NavalCoverMuseum; CourtListener name/hull sweeps; web litigation/BVA searches; MARAD ShipHistory check [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-bellona-arl32-01 through -13

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or docketed case naming USS Bellona, ARL-32, or LST-1136 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). DANFS, NavSource, and the shipscribe register - the three documentary sources covering this hull - contain no asbestos or insulation-material statement. Because the hull was destroyed in place at Iwo Jima in 1946, no post-service survey, donation condition, or scrapping-yard hazmat record can exist; the only ship-specific material record that could ever have been generated is the 1945-46 salvage/demolition documentation (see archival-lead row).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    2026-09-26

    Limitations

    Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a hull built Dec 1944 and converted Apr-Jul 1945 inside the asbestos-supply-reservation window is era-consistent with asbestos-containing materials. Does not establish presence or absence; does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-bellona-arl32-09

11. [11]Cross-source reconciliation: NHHC DANFS entry; NavSource archives/10/19/1932.htm; shipscribe usnaux ARL-10 register (construction/disposition tables, ship note, class notes); NavalCoverMuseum BELLONA ARL 32 page; uboat.net LST-1136 page [other_primary]

    Locator

    As cited in ev-01/-02/-03 locators; https://www.navalcovermuseum.org/wiki/BELLONA_ARL_32 ; https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/12172.html

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Source discrepancies resolved/logged: (a) Ferry-commission end / decommissioning for conversion - 'decommissioned at Baltimore on 27 April 1945' (DANFS; NavalCoverMuseum ferry commission 'April 6-27 1945'; NavSource CO table 'Decommissioned 27 April 1945 - 28 July 1945') vs NavSource header 'Decommissioned, 13 April 1945' (contradicting its own CO table, which shows LT Wynn's ferry command ending 04-13 and LT Sullivan aboard 04-13 to 04-27 - consistent with a New Orleans crew change, arrival 04-14 per shipscribe) vs shipscribe 'Ferry commission as LST-1136 6-28 Apr 45'. DANFS 04-27 adopted in header; all variants recorded. (b) Full commissioning - 1945-07-28 (DANFS, NavSource header, shipscribe construction table, Wikipedia) vs 'July 26 1945' (NavalCoverMuseum) and '26 Jul 1945' (uboat.net). 07-28 adopted. (c) Decommissioning - 1946-02-04 at Iwo Jima (NavSource) vs shipscribe disposition-table 'Decomm. 15 May 46' (one day after its own 'wreck destroyed 14 May 46' note and DANFS's destruction date). Both carried; DANFS gives no decommissioning date. (d) Destruction date - 1946-05-14 (DANFS, NavSource, NavalCoverMuseum, shipscribe ship note) vs the shipscribe disposition table's adjacent 'Decomm. 15 May 46' - treated as a decommissioning/disposal conflation, logged. (e) Complement - 253 (DANFS header, shipscribe class table) vs 22 officers + 233 enlisted = 255 (NavSource itemization). (f) Armament - DANFS header '1 3", 8 40mm' vs NavSource spec block '1x 3"/50 DP, 2x quad 40mm w/ Mk 51 directors, 6x twin 20mm' vs shipscribe class original for ARL 10-39 '2-40mmQ 8-20mm' (3"/50 deleted in the modified design) vs Wikipedia '2 quad + 2 twin 40mm, 6 twin 20mm'. (g) Displacement - 3,960 fl (DANFS header) vs 3,900 lt / 4,100 fl (NavSource) vs 2,125 lt / 4,100 lim (shipscribe class) vs 2,220 lt / 3,960 fl (Wikipedia) - different measurement conventions, logged. (h) Sponsor - 'Miss Huberta Jean Malsie' (DANFS) vs 'Miss. Malise' (NavSource photo caption). (i) Struck date consistent: 1946-06-05 (all sources).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    correction

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944-1946

    Limitations

    Records each source's exact statement rather than merging into false consensus. None of the discrepancies affect identity (single physical hull: LST-1136 = ARL-32) or the asbestos posture. Wikipedia/uboat.net variants noted for conflict detection only - neither was used as a record source.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-bellona-arl32-10

12. [12]NARA record-group mapping per archives.gov guidance (RG 24 deck logs; RG 19 Bureau of Ships; RG 38 CNO) and shipscribe class notes on Gibbs & Cox design agency [other_primary]

    Locator

    NARA deck-log guidance page; shipscribe class notes paragraph (design agent)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized): NARA RG 24 deck logs (full-commission period 1945-07/1946-02, filed under Bellona/ARL-32; ferry-commission period possibly filed under LST-1136) and the ship's war diary (Nov-Dec 1945) would document the grounding and refloat attempts day-by-day. The constructive loss should have generated a Navy board of inquiry report and salvage/demolition reports (Bureau of Ships / CNO casualty records, RG 19/RG 38) - the likeliest ship-specific documentation of material conditions aboard, including what 'salvageable equipment' was removed before demolition. Bethlehem Steel Key Highway conversion work orders (Apr-Jul 1945) and Gibbs & Cox design-agent conversion specifications (the design agent for all LST-to-ARL conversions per shipscribe class notes) are the likeliest ship-specific materials schedules for the repair-shop outfit. Chicago Bridge & Iron hull records for Seneca hull construction.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-26

    Study period

    1944-1946 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether any asbestos-specific document exists for this hull is unknown until the loss/salvage file and conversion work orders are surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-bellona-arl32-11