Evidence
9 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-9).
-
[1]Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS), USS Burias (AG-69) entry - HyperWar/ibiblio transcription of the Naval History Division text (canonical NHHC page 404 this session - link rot consistent with batch-01 finding) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS AG-69 entry, full text; canonical NHHC URL https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/burias.html returned 404 on 2026-09-20
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS establishes: Burias named for Burias Island south of Luzon, Philippine Islands; hull planned as ARG-13, reclassified AG-69 on 1944-03-14; launched 1944-03-27 by Delta Shipbuilding Co., New Orleans, under Maritime Commission contract as Mollie Moore Davis; sponsored by Mrs. Paul F. Jahncke, Sr.; acquired 1944-04-24 and 'commissioned the same day' under Lt. W. M. Aye, USNR; arrived Pearl Harbor 1945-01-07 and underwent conversion to a repair ship; repair operations at Saipan, Marianas, 1945-03-18 to 1945-10-30; served briefly in Japan 1945-11-05 to 1945-11-10; returned to San Francisco 1945-11-28; Bremerton overhaul from 1945-12-03; departed 1946-02-11, Pearl Harbor 1946-02-21 for inactivation; decommissioned 1946-04-09; transferred to the Maritime Commission 1947-08-15. Spec line: dp. 5390; l. 441'6"; b. 58'11"; dr. 23'; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 181; a. 1 5"; cl. Basilan.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Population
- Ship's company (181) and embarked repair staff (per spec tables)
- Limitations
- Official Navy compilation but terse and secondary-in-form; 'commissioned the same day' (1944-04-24) conflicts with NavSource's 1944-10-09 post-conversion commissioning - see correction row; MARAD transfer date (1947-08-15) also conflicts with NavSource (1947-05-14). Contains no asbestos, insulation, or materials information; establishes no exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-01
-
[2]NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive - USS Burias (AG-69) page: build/milestone timeline, machinery spec table, commanding-officer roster, and NARA photo captions (19-N-75123, Mobile Bay 1944-10-10; NAS Pensacola photo 1944-10-13, Measure 32/9f camouflage) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/29/2913 - Burias AG-69 page: timeline, specifications box, CO table, photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource records: laid down 1944-02-11 as SS Mollie Moore Davis, MC type EC2-S-C1, MCE hull 2458, Delta Shipbuilding Corp., New Orleans; planned acquisition as Internal Combustion Engine Repair Ship ARG-13; redesignated AG-69 1944-03-14; launched 1944-03-27; acquired 1944-04-24; commissioned 1944-10-09 at Mobile, AL, Lt. William M. Aye USNR in command (CO roster: Aye 1944-10-09 to 1946-02-15; Cdr. Lawrence A. Parks USNR to 1946-04-09); Asiatic-Pacific service; occupation service 1945-09-02 to 1945-11-09; decommissioned 1946-04-09 Pearl Harbor; towed to San Francisco 1947-03; transferred to MARAD 1947-05-14 for NDRF Suisun Bay lay-up; stricken 1947-07-17; sold for scrapping 1970-11-02 to Zidell Explorations, Portland OR, $60,674.99, removed same day. Spec table: 5,371 t. light / 14,350 t. full; 441'6" x 56'11" x 23'; 12.5 kts; complement 15 officers + 166 enlisted plus staff accommodations 13 officers + 733 enlisted; armament 1x 5"/38 DP + 12x 20mm; propulsion: one Albina vertical triple-expansion engine, two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers (220 psi, 450 deg F), three 150 kW 120 V DC turbo-drive ship's service generators, single screw, 2,500 shp.
- Verification
- partial
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1970
- Population
- Ship's company + embarked repair staff; ADDSCO conversion workers (1944)
- Limitations
- Volunteer-compiled archive, not an official Navy source - machinery spec detail (Albina engine, B&W boilers, pressures) is unverified against a BuShips primary; commissioning and MARAD-transfer dates here conflict with DANFS (correction row). Contains no asbestos information.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-02
-
[3]Source reconciliation: DANFS (HyperWar transcription) vs NavSource AG-69 page vs ShipbuildingHistory EC2 yard table (Colton, MCE 2458 row) vs NARA photo caption 19-N-75123 (reproduced at NavSource) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 09/29/2913 timeline + photo captions; ibiblio HyperWar DANFS ag69.html; shipbuildinghistory.njscuba.net EC2 table row 2458 ('to US Navy as Burias (ARG-13), to NDRF 1946, scrapped 1970')
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Two unresolved date conflicts documented and carried rather than silently merged: (a) Commissioning - DANFS prints 'acquired 24 April 1944; and commissioned the same day,' while NavSource and the expanded-DANFS-derived secondary text record commissioning on 1944-10-09 at Mobile after conversion by Alabama Dry Dock Co.; the NARA photo 19-N-75123 caption (ship in Mobile Bay 1944-10-10 'after completing conversion for naval service') corroborates the October date, and the ShipbuildingHistory yard table independently records MCE 2458 delivery 1944-04-24 - consistent with April being delivery/acquisition, October being commissioning. (b) MARAD transfer - DANFS prints 1947-08-15; NavSource prints 1947-05-14 with NDRF Suisun Bay lay-up (NavalCoverMuseum prints 'laid up August 15 1947' - the dates may reflect transfer vs lay-up milestones). Also flagged: ShipbuildingHistory lists the Navy acquisition 'as Burias (ARG-13),' a minor designation slip - she went to the Navy as AG-69; ARG-13 was the cancelled pre-launch plan.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1947
- Limitations
- Neither conflict is resolved to a single date - the record carries both with provenance. October commissioning is corroborated by photo evidence but DANFS is the official compilation; MARAD status card (not located) would resolve the transfer milestone. No asbestos content in any of these sources.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-03
-
[4]U.S. Naval Institute, Naval History Magazine 21(3), June 2007, 'Not Glamorous, But They Had a Job to Do' - Basilan-class AG conversion program [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Naval History Magazine June 2007 article, Basilan-class program paragraphs
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- USNI documents the Basilan-class program: by early 1944 the fleet lacked adequate afloat electronics-repair and spares resources, so the Maritime Commission allocated ten Liberty hulls to the Navy for conversion into combination electronics-repair ships, electronics-stores ships, repair-personnel barracks, provision carriers, and fresh-water distillation ships under the AG classification (hull numbers AG-68 through AG-71 and AG-73 through AG-78). Burias is named specifically: launched by Delta Shipbuilding as the merchant hull Mollie Moore Davis six days after class namesake Basilan, and 'initially to have been converted' as the Luzon-class internal-combustion-engine repair ship ARG-13 - the same diverted ARG path as Basilan (ARG-12).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1946 program
- Population
- Basilan-class crews and embarked repair personnel (class context)
- Limitations
- Reputable professional press (USNI), not an official record; corroborates the ARG-13-to-AG-69 reclassification and the electronics-repair mission scope. Direct fetch returned HTTP 403 this session - text verified via indexed excerpt. Program-level description; contains no asbestos or materials statement and does not establish ship-specific exposure.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-04
-
[5]U.S. Maritime Commission, Instruction Manual for Operating and Maintaining 2500 H.P. Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engines, EC2-S-C1 Cargo Vessels (mirrored excerpt) - the machinery design of this hull [other_primary]
- Locator
- Mirrored excerpt, engine-cylinder insulation section
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- This hull is a Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 (MCE 2458) retaining the standard emergency machinery plant - the same design as SS Jeremiah O'Brien and SS John W. Brown. The USMC operating manual for the EC2-S-C1 plant describes cylinder insulation of magnesia under sheet-iron lagging; insulation products of this era were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber, and period steam-system gaskets, packing, and insulation felts commonly contained asbestos. Typical applications for the type: boiler and steam-drum insulation; steam-line lagging between boiler room and engine room; valve and flange gaskets; machinery packing; insulation in accommodation and around the galley; brake linings on winches and windlass.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944
- Population
- Construction trades (Delta Shipbuilding, New Orleans, 1944); Navy crew and repair staff
- Limitations
- Class/design documentation, not a hull record - the manual does not name this vessel and does not itself state 'asbestos' content; asbestos presence aboard this hull is era inference, not ship-proven. The 1944-45 Navy conversions added insulation scope (electronics-repair spaces, distillation plant, staff accommodations) but no conversion material schedule was located. Does not establish quantity, location, or past presence.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-05
-
[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 a fireproofing and insulating material in U.S. shipbuilding during WWII - the era and emergency-construction program under which this EC2-S-C1 hull was built at Delta Shipbuilding and converted for Navy service in 1944-45.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- 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 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-burias-ag69-06
-
[7]Batch-679 search ledger (this record): DANFS transcription (HyperWar) + NHHC canonical attempt; NavSource AG-69 page; USNI program article; ShipbuildingHistory EC2 table; MARAD ShipHistory; CourtListener name/hull searches; NARA catalog guidance [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-burias-ag69-01 through sl-uss-burias-ag69-09
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, museum preservation file, or docketed asbestos case naming Burias, AG-69, ARG-13, or Mollie Moore Davis was found in the public sources searched (see search_ledger). The hull was sold for scrapping in 1970, foreclosing any present-day fabric survey. CourtListener-indexed hits for the name were collisions only (Buria v. Rosedale Engineering Corp.; a declarant named Buria in Kelly v. Hegseth; W.R. Grace bankruptcy documents matching 'AG-69' as a text fragment).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2026-09-20
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - a 1944 emergency-built steam hull with three documented yard availabilities 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. CourtListener API v4 was throttled (125/day) this session; coverage was via indexed content, not the full opinion/docket database.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-07
-
[8]Air & Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 586 U.S. 226 (2019) (No. 17-1104, decided 2019-03-19) - slip opinion [court_record]
- Locator
- Slip opinion, No. 17-1104 (U.S. Mar. 19, 2019)
- Finding type
- litigation_documented
- Finding
- Supreme Court maritime-tort ruling (6-3) on the 'bare-metal defense': manufacturers of equipment delivered to the Navy without asbestos - asbestos later added by the Navy - still had a duty to warn where their products required asbestos components to function. The plaintiffs were Navy veterans exposed to asbestos aboard ships. This is the controlling doctrinal frame for WWII-era Navy-hull asbestos claims of the kind a Burias crewman or embarked repair worker would bring; it does not name this ship or any Basilan-class vessel.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 2019 (opinion); WWII-era exposure period at issue
- Population
- Navy veterans (doctrinal context)
- Limitations
- Doctrinal context only - does not name Burias, makes no finding about conditions aboard any specific hull, and establishes only the liability framework for Navy-ship asbestos claims. An affirmed merits-stage holding (duty rule), not an exposure finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-08
-
[9]NARA guidance: U.S. Navy deck logs (RG 24) - WWII-era logs 1941-1950 partially digitized in the National Archives Catalog; undigitized logs via Archives II textual reference (archives2reference@nara.gov). Related record groups: RG 178 (US Maritime Commission construction files, MCE hull 2458) and NARA still-photo series (19-N-75123 for this ship, Mobile Bay 1944-10-10) [other_primary]
- Locator
- https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online (deck-log guidance); RG 178 group page https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/178.html
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- Archival leads (not retrieved - no spend authorized, catalog verification not completed this session): (a) NARA RG 24 deck logs for USS Burias (AG-69), October 1944 - April 1946, would document conversion work, Saipan repair operations, and inactivation; (b) Maritime Commission construction/outfitting file for MCE hull 2458 (RG 178, Gulf/Southwest construction records) may hold Delta Shipbuilding material specifications; (c) BuShips conversion files for the ADDSCO Mobile and Pearl Harbor electronics-repair conversions; (d) MARAD NDRF Suisun Bay status card for 1947-1970 custody (ShipHistory search non-functional this session - card not located).
- Verification
- unverified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-20
- Study period
- 1944-1970 records
- Limitations
- Record-group mapping only - no box-level retrieval performed; whether any asbestos-specific document exists for this hull is unknown until surveyed. Nothing in this row is an asbestos finding.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-burias-ag69-09