USS Brookings (APA-140)

Evidence

14 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-14).

1. [1]research packet k-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Evidence ID

   uss-brookings-apa140-pkt-k-packet-md

2. [2]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, 'Brookings (APA-140)' entry (Brookings I), Naval History and Heritage Command (live URL 404s 2026-09-25; verbatim text via Internet Archive Wayback capture 20251209185856 of the live NHHC page) [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   DANFS entry body text + stats line; Wayback capture 20251209185856

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   DANFS entry for Brookings (APA-140), named for Brookings County, South Dakota (established 5 April 1862, named for Wilmot W. Brookings): '(APA-140: dp. 14,837; l. 455'0"; b. 62'0"; dr. 24'0"; s. 19 k.; cpl. 536; trp. 1,561; a. 1 5", 12 40mm., 10 20mm.; cl. Haskell; T. VC2-S-AP5)'. Laid down 5 September 1944 at Wilmington, Calif., by California Shipbuilding Corp. under a Maritime Commission contract ('MCV hull 24' - flagged in correction row); launched 20 November 1944, sponsored by Mrs. T. C. Johnson; commissioned 6 January 1945, Capt. Herbert C. Berger in command. Shakedown, post-shakedown availability at San Pedro to 17 February; sailed through the Golden Gate 22 March 1945 and reached Pearl Harbor 28 March with a cargo of ammunition. Four months carrying troops and cargo to Hilo, Pearl Harbor, Guam, Ulithi, Manus, Hollandia, Manila, and Leyte; en route Tacloban to Guam at war's end. Occupation duty: transported elements of the Army's 43d Division to the Tokyo-Yokohama area, in Tokyo Bay 7-13 September 1945; via Guam and Saipan to North China, landing elements of the 29th Regimental Combat Team, 6th Marine Division, at Tsingtao in October. Operation Magic Carpet from 15 November: two voyages returning servicemen from Jinsen, Korea, and Sasebo, Japan, to Seattle between late November 1945 and early March 1946. Departed San Francisco 3 April 1946; Canal Zone 12-16 April; Norfolk 21 April; decommissioned Norfolk 25 July 1946 and laid up in the York River berthing area; struck from the Navy list 1 October 1958 and transferred to the Maritime Commission; moved to Wilmington, N.C. later that year into the NDRF; later shifted to the James River berthing area; in MARAD hands into 1984. Entry by Robert J. Cressman, dated 1 December 2005.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1984

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked troops (43d Division, 29th RCT embarkations), 1945-1946

   Limitations

   Authoritative Navy historical entry naming this hull - the controlling source for identity, wartime employment, decommissioning, and disposal milestones through 1984. Entry ends in 1984 and does not cover the 1987 target withdrawal, 1989 grounding, or 1992 disposal. Contains no asbestos, materials, or insulation information - supports no asbestos claim. 'MCV hull 24' conflicts with BuShips/MARAD/NavSource/Colton 'MCV-56' (flagged); 'Capt. Herbert C. Berger' conflicts with NavSource 'Herbert E./Herbert Everett Berger' (flagged); York River lay-up conflicts with NavSource's Wilmington, N.C. (flagged).

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-01

3. [3]U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command, Supervisor of Salvage, 'EX-USS BROOKINGS Wreck Removal Operations,' report S0300-MN-RPT-0010/SUPSALV, publication no. 0910-LP-576-9200 (July 1992), 125 pp. (live navsea.navy.mil PDF 403s to automated fetch; retrieved via Wayback capture 20251226213244) [other_primary]

   Locator

   Executive Summary; ch. 1 (stranding 18 Sep 1989, tasking); ch. 3 para. 3-1.2 (asbestos disposition plan - plastic bags, entombment in hulk); ch. 5 para. 5-2/5-2.1 (asbestos 'used extensively for pipe and bulkhead lagging and ceiling tiles'; Clean Ventures 8-man team; refrigeration-space stowage; PPE); para. 5-5.4 (turbines lifted after asbestos insulation removed; boilers left in place); Appendix A exhibits (USDI and EPA letters; PR DNR request); Appendix D chronology

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Official U.S. Navy wreck-removal report documents asbestos aboard this hull and its removal. 'EX-USS BROOKINGS Wreck Removal Operations' (S0300-MN-RPT-0010/SUPSALV, publication 0910-LP-576-9200, July 1992): on 18 September 1989 Hurricane Hugo broke ex-Brookings free of her moorings at NAVSTA Roosevelt Roads and stranded her on Isla Cabras; USS Preserver (ARS-8) surveyed January 1990 (~3,000 tons aground); CNO tasked SUPSALV 9 September 1991; DONJON Marine (SUPSALV East Coast Zone contractor) mobilized 26 December 1991. Section 5-2 'Occupational Health and Safety' states: 'In keeping with practices standard when BROOKINGS was built, asbestos was used extensively for pipe and bulkhead lagging and ceiling tiles. Gaskets in the ventilation system contained a significant percentage (up to 30 percent) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).' Section 5-2.1 'Asbestos and PCB Removal': DONJON subcontracted Clean Ventures Incorporated (Camden, NJ), which dispatched an eight-man asbestos removal team arriving 16 January 1992; 'Materials containing asbestos were completely removed from all structure and machinery designated for removal to ensure that all scrap sold was asbestos-free. After removal, asbestos lagging and insulation were sealed in plastic bags and stowed in the ship's refrigeration storage spaces for disposal by sinking with the hulk.' Removal areas were cordoned and placarded, asbestos kept wet, workers in full-face respirators with combination dust/asbestos/metal-fume cartridges, Tyvek coveralls, hoods, boot covers, gloves; a change room was established aboard. A U.S. Department of Interior letter (Exhibit A-4) endorses 'the removal of the asbestos covering the majority of the piping'; an EPA letter (Exhibit A-10A) notes Puerto Rico DNR's 4 December 1991 request that asbestos be removed. The main-engine HP and LP turbines and condenser were lifted out 'after all asbestos insulation was removed'; the main boilers were left in place (cutting access would weaken the hull girder). Over 2,000 long tons of steel (over 50 percent of the structure) were removed; the hulk refloated 28 March 1992 and was scuttled 1 April 1992 at 17-11 N / 65-37 W in 14,000 ft with the bagged asbestos aboard.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1989-1992 (stranding and removal); insulation installed 1944

   Population

   DONJON Marine/Clean Ventures removal workers and SUPSALV/Navy personnel on the wreck (Dec 1991-Apr 1992); by extension, crews and shipyard workers who disturbed the same insulation in service (not individually documented)

   Limitations

   Primary government record that directly documents asbestos installed aboard this hull (pipe and bulkhead lagging, ceiling tiles, machinery insulation) and its 1992 removal - a disposal-phase record, not a construction-era materials schedule. The report gives no asbestos quantities, product names, or manufacturers; removal covered only 'structure and machinery designated for removal,' and the residual hulk (with remaining material plus the bagged asbestos in refrigeration spaces) was sunk. Does not establish any individual's exposure, dose, or legal eligibility. Report's own text carries minor errors (class hull count '111'; 'last saw service during the Korean War'; target service 'began in 1986' vs the MARAD card's 16 Nov 1987 withdrawal) - flagged in the correction row.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-02

4. [4]Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, 1945), APA tables + ship index (shipscribe.com scan of the official BuShips publication) [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 APA section, table sequence no. 38: index, dimensions, personnel, machinery, electrical, armament, and construction rows naming APA-140 / ex-M.C.V. Hull 56

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   Bureau of Ships, Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels Vol. 3 (NAVSHIPS 250-012, January 1945), attack-transport (APA) tables, carries per-hull rows for this ship at table sequence no. 38: index 'BROOKINGS (ex-M.C.V. Hull 56) - APA 140' and 'M.C.V. Hull 56 (now Brookings) - APA140'; dimensions row 455'0" oa / 436'6" pp, beam 62'0", 17.7 knots, 14,837 tons; personnel row prints 99 officers / 593 enlisted with troop accommodations 86 officers / 1,475 enlisted (vs class-typical 56/480 - consistent with a division-flagship fit; cells OCR-degraded); machinery row '1 Joshua-Hendy turb. ... 8,500 [shp], 2 B.&W. hdr. [header-type boilers], 465 [psi], 750 [F]'; electrical row three turbo-driven 300 kW 120/240 V DC generators; armament row 1 5"/38cal (D.P.), 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, cargo 150,000 cu ft, 2,900 DWT; construction row builder 'California S.B. Corp., Wilmington, Calif.', acquired 5 Jan 45, year built 1944, first commission 6 Jan 45.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1945

   Population

   Ship's company and embarked flag staff (as fitted 1944-45)

   Limitations

   Official wartime BuShips publication naming this hull - confirms identity, the correct 'M.C.V. Hull 56' (against DANFS's 'MCV hull 24'), machinery plant (Joshua Hendy turbine + 2 B&W header boilers at 465 psi/750 F), builder, acquisition/commissioning dates, and a flagship-fit personnel figure (99/593). Contains no materials, insulation, or asbestos information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-03

5. [5]U.S. Maritime Administration, ShipHistory database - BROOKINGS (APA-140), Ship History Detail 611 + custody document BROOKINGS.pdf [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   ShipHistory Detail 611 registry/spec block, milestones table, documents tab (BROOKINGS.pdf, /documents/22a3af0a-3541-4102-9679-168706a3efa2.pdf)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD ShipHistory database record for BROOKINGS (APA-140), Ship History Detail 611: Year Built 1944; Official Number 290740; Shipyard 'California Shipbuilding Corporation'; General Type 'Naval Auxiliary'; Specific Type 'APA Attack Transport'; MARAD Type VC2-S-AP5; length 455.00 ft; beam 62.00 ft; gross 7,750 tons; summer displacement 14,837 tons / lightweight 6,837 tons; fate field 'Still in Govt. Service' (stale - the hulk was scuttled 1992); milestone table shows Entry 10/6/1958 and Disposition + Withdrawal 11/16/1987; an attached custody PDF ('BROOKINGS (See ALENCON)') confirms delivery to the Wilmington Reserve Fleet 10/6/58 on permanent transfer and the Wilmington-to-James-River transfer 10/17/64.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992

   Limitations

   Authoritative MARAD registry for identity, type, dimensions, and reserve-fleet milestones. The 'Still in Govt. Service' fate field was never updated for the 1992 scuttling - stale, flagged. Lightweight displacement prints 6,837 t vs DANFS/NavSource 6,873 t - flagged. Contains no asbestos, materials, or condition-survey information; supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-04

6. [6]U.S. Maritime Administration, NDRF vessel status cards for BROOKINGS/APA-140 (digitized images 611_1138AF.jpg front, 611_1138AB.jpg back, 611_1138BF.jpg, 611_1138CF.jpg, MARAD ShipHistory attachments) [marad_nrc]

   Locator

   Status cards 611_1138AF (Wilmington entry 1958; FY59/FY60 reimbursable terms), 611_1138AB (1964 James River consolidation tow by SAGAMORE/UTINA through Hurricane Hilda), 611_1138BF (1982 defueling and 1984-86 stripping withdrawals/returns), 611_1138CF (1987 'Going out for Navy Target' withdrawal)

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   MARAD digitized Reserve Fleet vessel status cards for BROOKINGS (APA-140), type VC2-S-AP5, hull no. MCV-56, builder 'Calif.', ownership chain Navy permanent lay-up then 'USMA Perm. Transfer' with title 'Reimbursable': (card 1, MA-383, Dept. of Commerce) fleet 'Wilmington over James River', entered Wilmington Oct. 6, 1958 1240 hrs EST, arrival draft fwd 14'08" / aft 15'08"; 'Reimbursable - Navy agrees to bear costs of retention at rate of $118. per ship per month until Fiscal Year 1960' and to pay MARAD up to $16,000 per ship for FY-1959 preservation (Navy letter June 13, 1958 - MARAD reply June 20, 1958); withdrawn 10-13-64 1330 EST 'Being transferred to the James River Reserve Fleet'. Card reverse: 'Consolidation of Priority Ships from Wilmington to James River. BROOKINGS left Wilmington Oct. 13, 1964, 1330 hrs EST, towed by 1st SAGAMORE & then by UTINA, arrived James River Oct. 17, 1964, 6:35 pm EST (Trouble was encountered by both hurricane Hilda and SAGAMORE developed trouble.)' (card 2, MA-383) James River fleet entry 10-17-64 6:35 pm EST; withdrawn 10-6-82 1015 EDT 'Withdrawn for defueling', re-entered 10-14-82 0950 EDT; withdrawn 9-28-84 1145 EDT reason 'Stripping', re-entered 8-31-86 1520 EDT. (card 3, MA-383 rev. 7-83, Dept. of Transportation) withdrawn 11/16/87 1630 EDT reason 'Going out for Navy Target' - '(See attached cards for additional info)'.

   Verification

   verified

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1958-1987

   Population

   NDRF Wilmington and James River lay-up/maintenance workforce (1958-1987); defueling (1982) and stripping (1984-86) work crews; tow crews (1964 SAGAMORE/UTINA; 1987 UTINA)

   Limitations

   Primary custody record for the reserve-fleet period (1958-1987) - documents the reimbursable Navy-retention arrangement, the 1964 fleet consolidation tow (the same tug Utina that later towed her to Roosevelt Roads in 1987), a 1982 defueling withdrawal, a 1984-86 'Stripping' withdrawal (materials scope undocumented), and the final 16 Nov 1987 withdrawal for Navy target duty. Handwritten/stamped annotations partially legible (image-read, not OCR). Contains no asbestos or materials statement - supports no asbestos claim; the 'Stripping' scope is itself an undocumented disturbance event.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-05

7. [7]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - USS Brookings (APA-140), file 10/03/03140 [other_primary]

   Locator

   NavSource 03140.htm - chronology block, occupation/China medal tables, disposition entries, specifications block, commanding-officer table, photo captions citing the SUPSALV report

   Finding type

   vessel_history

   Finding

   NavSource Amphibious Photo Archive entry for USS Brookings (APA-140): laid down 5 September 1944 as Maritime Commission type VC2-S-AP5 under MC contract (MCV hull 56) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA; launched 20 November 1944; commissioned 6 January 1945, CAPT Herbert E. Berger USN in command; Asiatic-Pacific assignments TransRon Twenty-Four (COMO E.I. Short) and TransDiv Seventy-One (CAPT W.P. Davis); Navy Occupation Service Medal periods 13-19 September 1945, 29 October-27 November 1945, 28 November 1945, 14 January-15 February 1946, and China Service Medal (extended) 11-17 October 1945 and 29 October-27 November 1945; decommissioned 25 July 1946 at Norfolk, VA; laid up 26 July 1946 in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, N.C.; permanent custody transferred 10 June 1958 to MARAD for lay-up in the NDRF, Wilmington; struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1958; transferred 13 October 1964 to NDRF James River Group, Lee Hall, VA; withdrawn 16 November 1987 under tow to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, for use as a target by USS Utina (ATF-163); blown ashore at Roosevelt Roads by Hurricane Hugo '20 September 1989' (photo captions print '15 September 1989'; the NAVSEA report gives 18 September - flagged); refloat attempts failed and 'a contract was issued, 1 May 1992 to Resolve Marine Group, Jacksonville, FL. to dismantle her in-site' (uncorroborated by the official report, which credits DONJON Marine and records the scuttling 1 April 1992 - flagged); photo captions citing the SUPSALV report describe partial dismantling 5 January-28 March 1992, refloat, and scuttling south of Puerto Rico 1 April 1992. Spec block: 6,873 t light / 14,837 t full; 455' x 62' x 24'; 17.7 kt; complement 56 officers + 480 enlisted; troop accommodations 86 officers + 1,475 enlisted; 1 Joshua Hendy geared turbine, 2 B&W header-type boilers 465 psi/750 F, double Joshua Hendy main reduction gears, three 300 kW 120/240 V DC generators, single 8,500 shp propeller; armament 1x5"/38 DP, 4 twin + 1 quad 40mm, 10x20mm; call sign NDPH. Commanding officers: CAPT Herbert Everett Berger USN (USNA 1922), 6 Jan 1945-5 Nov 1945; CAPT Frank Chester Lane USN (USNA 1924), 5 Nov 1945-25 Jul 1946.

   Verification

   partial

   Role

   supporting

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992

   Population

   Wartime crew and embarked troops; 1982-1986 defueling/stripping workers; 1991-92 removal workforce

   Limitations

   Volunteer-maintained secondary compilation, not an official record - corroborated where official sources overlap (keel/launch/commissioning vs DANFS+SDB+Colton; MCV-56 vs MARAD card and SDB; the 1958 custody transfer, 1964 James River move, and 1987 target withdrawal vs the MARAD cards; grounding and 1992 disposal vs the SUPSALV report). Sole-source or conflicting items flagged: 'Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, N.C.' lay-up in 1946 (DANFS prints York River); 10 June 1958 custody transfer (card entered Wilmington 6 Oct 1958); Hurricane Hugo dates 15/20 September (report: 18 September); the 1 May 1992 'Resolve Marine Group' contract (postdates the documented 1 April 1992 scuttling; report credits DONJON Marine). Contains no asbestos information.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-06

8. [8]Cross-source comparison: NHHC DANFS (Wayback capture) + BuShips SDB 1945 v3 + MARAD ShipHistory Detail 611 and status cards + NavSource 03140 + shipscribe APA-117 class table + shipbuildinghistory.com Calship yard table + NAVSEA SUPSALV report S0300-MN-RPT-0010 [nhhc_danfs]

   Locator

   Same citations as ev-01 through ev-06

   Finding type

   historical_record

   Finding

   Source discrepancies documented, not silently reconciled: (a) MC hull number - DANFS prints 'MCV hull 24' while BuShips SDB ('ex-M.C.V. Hull 56'), the MARAD status cards ('MCV-56'), NavSource ('MCV hull 56'), and Colton's Calship yard table (yard hull 56, MC contract TR24) all print 56; '24' is adopted as a DANFS error (probably a contraction of contract no. TR24). (b) First commanding officer - DANFS 'Capt. Herbert C. Berger' vs NavSource 'Herbert E. Berger' / CO table 'Herbert Everett Berger, USNA 1922'; NavSource adopted (fuller identification). (c) 1946 lay-up location - DANFS 'York River berthing area' vs NavSource 'Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, N.C.' from 26 July 1946; the MARAD card begins coverage at the 6 Oct 1958 Wilmington NDRF entry and cannot arbitrate the 1946-58 Navy-custody location. (d) Hurricane Hugo grounding - SUPSALV report '18 September 1989' vs NavSource narrative '20 September 1989' vs NavSource photo captions '15 September 1989'; the official report adopted. (e) Disposal contractor - NavSource 'contract issued 1 May 1992 to Resolve Marine Group ... to dismantle her in-site' vs the SUPSALV report crediting DONJON Marine (mobilized 26 Dec 1991, scuttling 1 Apr 1992) - the Resolve claim postdates the documented scuttling and is uncorroborated; reported, not adopted. (f) SUPSALV report internal errors - 'VC2-S-APS' (typo for AP5); 'hull number 140 in a total of 111 built in her class' (117 completed per navypedia/shipscribe enumeration); 'BROOKINGS last saw service during the Korean War' (decommissioned 25 Jul 1946, never recommissioned); target service 'began in 1986' (MARAD card: withdrawn for target 16 Nov 1987). (g) Lightweight displacement - MARAD registry 6,837 t vs DANFS/NavSource 6,873 t. (h) Complement - DANFS 536 vs NavSource class block 56/480 vs SDB per-hull 99/593 (OCR-degraded, flagship-consistent). (i) Stricken/custody dates - DANFS+NavSource struck 1 Oct 1958; NavSource prints custody transfer 10 June 1958; MARAD card records Wilmington fleet entry 6 Oct 1958 on permanent transfer - sequence documented, not adjudicated.

   Verification

   disputed

   Role

   correction

   Documentation level

   ship_specific

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992

   Limitations

   Documents a genuine multi-source conflict family so a future pass does not silently pick one figure: MC hull 24 vs 56; CO middle initial; 1946-58 lay-up location; Hugo grounding date (15/18/20 Sep); the Resolve-vs-DONJON contractor question; the report's own class-count and Korean War errors; displacement and complement variances. None of the compared sources' differences affects the asbestos finding (which rests on the SUPSALV report text); this row itself supports no asbestos claim.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-07

9. [9]Consolidated era/design context - BuShips SDB 1945 v3 machinery and construction rows for APA-140 + shipscribe APA-117 class page machinery note ('Westinghouse, Joshua-Hendy, or Allis-Chalmers turbine' by hull) + MARAD card withdrawal entries [other_primary]

   Locator

   SDB1945v3 machinery/construction tables seq. no. 38; https://shipscribe.com/usnaux/APA/APA117.html class data; MARAD cards 611_1138BF/CF

   Finding type

   asbestos_application

   Finding

   Era/design context: this hull carried the documented VC2-S-AP5 single-screw geared-steam plant - one Joshua Hendy turbine of 8,500 shp fed by two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers at 465 psi/750 F superheat (BuShips SDB 1945 v3 per-hull row for APA-140) - built September-December 1944 at California Shipbuilding, Wilmington, at peak WWII emergency production. The SUPSALV report confirms the era-typical insulation load was in fact installed ('asbestos was used extensively for pipe and bulkhead lagging and ceiling tiles'), and documents disturbance/removal only at the 1991-92 disposal phase; construction-period and reserve-fleet-period disturbance events whose materials scope is undocumented include the 1982 defueling withdrawal, the 1984-86 'Stripping' withdrawal, and the 1987 target-preparation tow - in addition to the documented 1992 asbestos removal.

   Verification

   inferred

   Role

   context

   Documentation level

   class_or_era

   Accessed

   2026-09-25

   Study period

   1944-1992

   Population

   Construction trades at California SB, Wilmington (1944); wartime engineering crew; NDRF maintenance/defueling/stripping crews (1958-1986); DONJON/Clean Ventures removal workers (1992)

   Limitations

   Contextual row only - the ship-specific asbestos finding rests on ev-02 (SUPSALV report). This row notes where inference would once have stood and lists undocumented disturbance windows; it establishes nothing beyond what ev-02 documents and assigns no quantity, location, or individual exposure.

   Atlas source

   true

   Evidence ID

   ev-uss-brookings-apa140-08

10. [10]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 VC2-S-AP5 attack transport was built - and that wartime demand drove unprecedented asbestos utilization in shipbuilding.

    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. Ship-specific confirmation exists separately in ev-02; this row supplies era context only.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-brookings-apa140-09

11. [11]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. Ship-specific confirmation exists separately in ev-02; this row supplies era context only. (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-brookings-apa140-10

12. [12]Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp., C.A. No. 18-1101-MN-SRF (D. Del., MDL-875 track) - Report and Recommendation (2020-07-30) and Memorandum Opinion, verified via ded.uscourts.gov opinion PDFs [court_record]

    Locator

    Report & Recommendation, Facts section (plaintiff's ship assignments); https://www.ded.uscourts.gov/sites/ded/files/opinions/18-1101_1.pdf

    Finding type

    litigation_documented

    Finding

    The located attack-transport asbestos docket resolves to another class: in Pruitt v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (D. Del. C.A. 18-1101-MN-SRF, In re Asbestos Litigation / MDL-875 track), the plaintiff's naval service was aboard USS Bayfield (APA-33, Bayfield-class attack transport) in 1958 and USS Tolovana (AO-64, Cimarron-class oiler) in 1959 - the plaintiff's ship assignment allegations are pleading-stage content, not findings. No docketed asbestos opinion or case naming USS Brookings or APA-140 was located in indexed sources (see search_ledger for the CourtListener sweep detail).

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    context

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    opinions 2020; service 1958-1963

    Population

    Navy veterans of APA-type auxiliaries (type context)

    Limitations

    Different hull and class - carried only to document that the APA-type litigation surface exists while no Brookings-specific docket was found. Deposition/pleading-stage exposure descriptions in that case are allegations, not adjudicated exposure findings, and they concern other vessels entirely.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-brookings-apa140-11

13. [13]NARA record-group path: National Archives Catalog NAID 77622892 ('USS BROOKINGS - War History', Fold3 digitization), RG 24 (Navy deck logs), RG 19 (Bureau of Ships), RG 178 (U.S. Maritime Commission), RG 357/RG 248 (MARAD/WSA custody), NAVSEA SUPSALV files - mapping only [other_primary]

    Locator

    catalog.archives.gov record 77622892 (online resource: Fold3 image 302085545); archives.gov record-group guides + sl-44-ship-number.pdf (no APA coverage)

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    Archival leads (not retrieved - require research-room or reproduction requests; no spend authorized): (a) NARA 'USS BROOKINGS - War History' file unit, NAID 77622892 - digitized through the Fold3 collaboration (image 302085545) but paywalled; a ship-produced war history like the Hinsdale exemplar, likely containing commanding-officer and operation detail beyond DANFS. (b) NARA RG 24 WWII deck logs for APA-140 (Jan 1945-Jul 1946): not in the National Archives Catalog's digitized deck-log coverage, and the SL-44 ship-number index contains no APA-prefix entries at all, so indexed coverage cannot be read from it - logs, if held, are paper-only at Archives II, College Park. (c) RG 19 Bureau of Ships records and USMC/MCV construction-contract records for M.C.V. Hull 56 / Calship yard hull 56 (RG 178). (d) MARAD/WSA custody files for the 1958 reimbursable transfer (Navy letter 13 Jun 1958 / MARAD reply 20 Jun 1958 cited on the card), the 1982 defueling and 1984-86 stripping work packages, and the 1987 Navy-target withdrawal (RG 357 / RG 248). (e) NAVSEA/SUPSALV salvage files beyond the published report (survey data, the DONJON salvage plan Appendix C source, disposal certificates). Whether any of these hold materials or asbestos-relevant records is unknown until surveyed.

    Verification

    unverified

    Role

    archival_lead

    Documentation level

    context_only

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    1944-1992 records

    Limitations

    Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; existence of additional asbestos-specific documents for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding beyond what ev-02 documents.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-brookings-apa140-12

14. [14]Batch-2211 search ledger (this record): NHHC DANFS via Wayback; NAVSEA SUPSALV report via Wayback; BuShips SDB 1945 v3; MARAD ShipHistory Detail 611 + status cards + custody PDF; NavSource; shipscribe class table; shipbuildinghistory Calship table; NARA catalog + SL-44; NVR; CourtListener API v4 authenticated sweeps via cl-auth-search.py [other_primary]

    Locator

    search_ledger rows sl-uss-brookings-apa140-01 through sl-uss-brookings-apa140-16

    Finding type

    historical_record

    Finding

    No qualifying ship-specific litigation or construction-era materials record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, material schedule, court finding, or docketed case naming USS Brookings or APA-140 was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The CourtListener exact-name 'USS Brookings' opinion and docket sweeps returned zero results; the hull-number 'APA-140' opinion sweep returned zero and the docket sweep returned 40 Administrative Procedure Act statute collisions - none involving the vessel; the 'Brookings' + asbestos conjunction returned 22 opinions, all name collisions (City of Brookings, Brookings Municipal Utilities, Brookings Institution, personal names) - none involving the vessel. Asbestos documentation for this hull exists only at the disposal phase (ev-02, the 1991-92 SUPSALV wreck removal); no wartime or in-service materials record was located. The hull no longer exists - scuttled 1 April 1992 - so no museum-era hazmat disclosure can arise.

    Verification

    verified

    Role

    negative_finding

    Documentation level

    ship_specific

    Accessed

    2026-09-25

    Study period

    2026-09-25

    Limitations

    The negative finding is scoped to litigation and construction-era records - asbestos presence aboard the hull at disposal IS positively documented (ev-02). Absence of a wartime materials record does not limit the SUPSALV finding; absence of a docketed case does not prove no claimant ever named the ship - RECAP indexing is incomplete for older dockets and county-name ship sweeps under-cover filings that omit hull numbers. Does not establish or defeat any exposure claim or legal eligibility.

    Atlas source

    true

    Evidence ID

    ev-uss-brookings-apa140-13