Evidence
7 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-7).
-
[1]research packet j-packet.md (3 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Evidence ID
- uss-bowie-apa137-pkt-j-packet-md
-
[2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), 'Bowie (APA-137)' entry - verbatim transcription via HyperWar/ibiblio mirror, corroborated word-for-word by the independent hazegray (losthistory.net) transcription; live NHHC page (history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/bowie.html) returned HTTP 404 at time of access - known NHHC link rot, consistent with Batch-01 standing note [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS 'Bowie (APA-137)' entry, full text; identical transcription at losthistory.net/hazegray/danfs/amphib/apa137.htm
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS documents the ship's identity and service: named for Bowie County, Texas; launched 31 October 1944 by California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Calif., under Maritime Commission contract (sponsor Mrs. J. Shaw); transferred to the Navy 22 December 1944; commissioned 23 December 1944 (Cmdr. F. L. Durnell in command); reported to the Pacific Fleet; 20 February - 27 July 1945 operated out of Pearl Harbor on troop and cargo runs to Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan, Ulithi, and Okinawa, with one San Francisco - Eniwetok - Ulithi - Leyte voyage 17 June - 14 July 1945; at Pearl Harbor 27 July - 1 September; supported the occupation in Japanese waters 22 September - 22 October; decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 8 March 1946; returned to the Maritime Commission 14 March 1946; one battle star for the Okinawa operation (10-16 May 1945). Header data: dp. 6,873; l. 455'; b. 62'; dr. 24'; s. 17.5 k.; cpl. 536; a. 1 5"; cl. Haskell.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1946
- Population
- Ship's company 536 + embarked troops (WWII)
- Limitations
- Authoritative Navy history text; contains no asbestos, insulation-material, or survey statement. The short entry omits laid-down and strike dates (carried from other sources). Does not establish any asbestos fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bowie-apa137-01
-
[3]MARAD Vessel History Database, BOWIE (APA-137) detail page (vessel ID 580) with digitized custody/status card PDF (45e08671-1984-48cc-a323-e3aff44110e4.pdf) and Reserve Fleet Division vessel-data card front/reverse (580_1073AF.jpg / 580_1073AB.jpg) plus Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales (580_AF.jpg) [marad_nrc]
- Locator
- vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov Detail/580 - custody card PDF and 'Status Cards' panel images (580_1073AF.jpg front; 580_1073AB.jpg reverse incl. ballast report and 'alongside Kittson'; 580_AF.jpg Form MA-20); milestones (Disposition/Withdrawal 7/24/1972 - typo for 1973); Fate 'Sold - Scrap'
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- MARAD primary custody record for this hull, read directly from the digitized cards: hull MCV 53, type VC2-S-AP5, built by California S.B. Corp. 1944; ownership WSA; fleet JR (James River); date entered fleet 3-14-46 - the custody card records Navy Department to War Shipping Admin. at 1:40 PM EST 3-14-46 at Lee Hall, Va. ('Surplus') and WSA to Reserve Fleet same day for lay-up; 'Repair Program FY 1955' red-entry: withdrawn June 8, 1955 11:45 hrs EST under GAA to South Atlantic (Steamship Line per custody card rows), returned James River September 8, 1955 12:00 hrs EST under GAA; permanent-ballast report of 1-4-49 on card reverse (poured concrete #2 and #4 lower holds 60'x40' each, evaporator room 17'x13'x2' with steel-siding sheathing, generator room 21'x21', dry stores 18'x9'x2' with ship-skin sheathing; print-note tank-top billet/block ballast topped with 4" concrete - #3 tank top 560 tons, #1 tank top 560 tons, #5 tank top 110 tons, engine room 93 tons, generator room 93 tons); handwritten annotation 'alongside Kittson' (the Haskell-class USS Kittson, APA-123) on card reverse; fuel oil at fleet entry 3,431 bbls Bunker C; termination port of last voyage Norfolk; card dimensions molded 436'6" x 62' x 38'. Form MA-20 Record of Ship Sales: PD-X-956, advertised 3-5-73, opened 4-4-73 under two conditions - '(1) NTU (2) Scrap Hull - U.S.' - 'Award under condition (2) Scrap Hull - U.S. 24 months', awarded to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. 4-9-73 for $111,560.00, contract MA-6927, location James River Resflt.; withdrawn/delivered from fleet 1335 EDT 7-24-73. Stripping-of-vessel fields (deck/engine/steward equipment) blank.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- NDRF caretakers, Lee Hall/James River (1946-1973); South Atlantic S.S. Line repair-program workforce (June-Sept 1955); shipbreaking workforce (1973-1975, yard not named)
- Limitations
- Authoritative custody/disposal record; no asbestos, insulation, or hazardous-material field or annotation appears anywhere on the cards. The stripping-equipment fields are blank - records no stripping scope, not proof none occurred. The 1955 repair-program withdrawal is documented as a custody event only; its work scope is not recorded. The database milestone table lists 'Disposition/Withdrawal 7/24/1972' - a year typo; the card reads 7-24-73, consistent with the 4-9-73 award. The actual breaking yard is not named. Does not establish any asbestos fact.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bowie-apa137-02
-
[4]NavSource Online Amphibious Photo Archive, USS Bowie (APA-137) entry 10/03/03137 - reproduces DANFS text plus ship milestones, commanding-officer listing, and MARAD status-card-derived movements [other_primary]
- Locator
- APA-137 entry: build/milestone block and commanding-officer list (navsource.org/archives/10/03/03137.htm; mirror navsource.net/archives/10/03/03137.htm)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Status-card-derived milestones for this hull consistent with the MARAD cards and DANFS: laid down 28 August 1944 as Maritime Commission type VC2-S-AP5 (MCV hull 53) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA; launched 31 October 1944; acquired from the Maritime Commission 22 December 1944; commissioned USS Bowie (APA-137) 23 December 1944 at Terminal Island, CA, CDR. Frank L. Durnell USN (USNA 1925) in command - sole commanding officer listed 23 December 1944 to 8 March 1946. Strike date 28 March 1946 carried in the record per this source family.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973
- Population
- Ship's company 536 + embarked troops (WWII)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive transcribing official sources; the full page was blocked to automated fetch this session (HTTP 406 mod_security) - milestone and CO content confirmed via search-index snippets of the entry, and every overlapping fact (launch, transfer, commissioning, commander name) matches DANFS verbatim; strike date not independently confirmed by a primary source in this session. Contains no asbestos statement.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bowie-apa137-03
-
[5]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), PMID 3555021; machinery data per Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data 1945 Vol. 3 class figures (shipscribe.com scan, Haskell-class profile ev-haskell-class-01) [other_primary]
- Locator
- AJIM 11(3):359-373; BuShips SDB 1945 v3 APA machinery table (Haskell row)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- The ship was a VC2-S-AP5 Victory-type hull built in 1944 with a geared-steam plant (two B&W boilers at 465 psi/750 deg F feeding a single Westinghouse geared turbine, 8,500 shp) - machinery of the exact type and era that peer-reviewed scholarship documents as extensively asbestos-insulated in WWII U.S. shipbuilding (boiler/turbine insulation, steam-line lagging, gaskets, packing, accommodation insulation, brake linings). The class was built at peak wartime asbestos consumption.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Study period
- 1944-1973; article 1987
- Population
- Construction trades (California Shipbuilding, Wilmington, 1944); ship's company 1944-46; NDRF caretakers 1946-73; 1955 repair-program workforce; 1973 shipbreakers
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no source names this hull's materials; the Corn & Starr article documents the WWII shipbuilding program generally, not this vessel. Does not establish that asbestos was or remains aboard this hull, nor quantity, location, condition, individual exposure, or causation.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bowie-apa137-04
-
[6]Batch-2207 search ledger (this record): DANFS via HyperWar/ibiblio + hazegray mirrors (live NHHC 404), MARAD Vessel History Database (status cards and Form MA-20 read directly), NavSource entry via search-index content (direct fetch blocked), NARA catalog, CourtListener opinion and docket searches [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-bowie-apa137-01 through sl-uss-bowie-apa137-10
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement or repair-scope record, hazmat disclosure, or docketed asbestos case naming USS Bowie or APA-137 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). CourtListener screens: '"USS Bowie"' quoted opinion search count=0; '"APA-137"' opinion search count=3 - all string collisions (Level 4 Yoga v. CorePower Yoga, Del. Ch. 2022 - internal code-string cite; Citizens to Save Spencer County v. EPA, D.C. Cir. 1979, two opinions - Administrative Procedure Act citation collisions); '"Bowie" AND asbestos' opinion search count=81 - page-1 screen all name collisions (person surnames incl. party 'Lisa Marie Bowie' in the maritime but non-asbestos guar-gum LHWCA case Senigar v. Waterman Steamship Corp.; Bowie, Maryland municipal-litigation references; Maine asbestos-case party names) - none involve the ship; RECAP docket search '"USS Bowie" OR "APA-137"' count=35 - all 'APA' token collisions (Administrative Procedure Act suits against federal agencies); neither 'Bowie' nor 'APA-137' appears as a vessel reference in any returned docket.
- 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 - 1944 construction era and steam plant are consistent with era-typical materials. Screens covered the first results page of each query; deeper pages were not exhaustively reviewed, but no page-1 hit referenced the vessel. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bowie-apa137-05
-
[7]NARA records for the hull (WWII-era deck logs 1942-1961, Textual Reference Branch, NARA II College Park; RG 19 Bureau of Ships and RG 178 Maritime Commission construction files for MCV hull 53); MARAD disposal-contract file PD-X-956 / MA-6927; FY1955 repair-program work-order file behind the South Atlantic Steamship Line GAA withdrawal [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-bowie-apa137-08, sl-uss-bowie-apa137-09; NARA deck-log guidance (Textual Reference Branch holds ship deck logs 1942-1961)
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Unretrieved primary records that could hold hull-level material detail: NARA deck logs and construction records for APA-137 / MCV hull 53 (catalog.archives.gov returned a JavaScript shell to automated fetch from this session - not reached); the PD-X-956 / MA-6927 scrapping-contract file (sales terms recorded on the status card, full contract not retrieved); and the FY1955 repair-program work-order file behind the June-September 1955 South Atlantic S.S. Line GAA withdrawal (not located).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-25
- Limitations
- Archival lead only - nothing retrieved beyond the MARAD cards; these records may contain no asbestos information at all.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-bowie-apa137-06